2017 March Madness: Kansas vs. Oregon preview, prediction, TV schedule
The Kansas Jayhawks and the Oregon Ducks square off in the 2017 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
TV: March 24, 8:49 p.m. (ET), TBS
Arena: Sprint Center, Kansas City, Mo.
Top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks will face third-seeded Oregon Ducks in an Elite Eight matchup at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The winner will advance to the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona, next Saturday.
Kansas (31-4) is playing perhaps the best basketball in the country. The Jayhawks, who have three blowout victories, are the seventh team since 1985 to score 90 or more points in their first three tournament games. The Jayhawks have outscored their opponents 288-198, as they are shooting 54.7% (104-190) from the floor while holding opponents to 40.0% (70-175) from the floor. However, it hasn’t been as easy as those numbers indicate.
Kansas is coming off a 98-66 shellacking of the Purdue Boilermakers on Thursday to reach the Elite Eight for the second straight season. For a third straight game, the Jayhawks got off to a relatively slow start before using late first-half spurt to gain separation.
Kansas, like in their game against Michigan State, allowed Purdue to hang around until the mid-way point of the second half. That is when Kansas pulled away. The Jayhawks outscored the Boilermakers 35-12 over the final 12:11 of the game. Kansas has scored 50 points in the second half in each of its three games.
Oregon (32-5) is a surprise participant in the Elite Eight. The Ducks, who lost starting Chris Boucher to an ACL injury during the Pac-12 Tournament, have eked out close victories in their last two games. Oregon held on to a 69-68 victory over Michigan on Thursday to reach the Elite Eight also for a second straight year.
Oregon has the metal and athleticism to at least slow Kansas down on the offensive. The Ducks are quite experienced with juniors Dillon Brooks and Jordan Bell leading the way. The Ducks are 4-3 against teams ranked in the RPI top-25 beating Arizona and UCLA once apiece.
But it has been sophomore Tyler Dorsey who has carried the Ducks lately. With Brooks, the Pac-12 player of the year, struggling with his shot, Dorsey has stepped up his game. The 6-4 guard poured in 20 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:08 left, in the win over Michigan. It was Dorsey’s sixth-straight 20 point game.
Bell has also upped his production in the NCAA Tournament. The Pac-12 defensive player of the year, who was 7-of-10 from the floor, contributed 16 points and 13 boards against Michigan. Dating back to last year, Bell has grabbed 12 rebounds in four-straight NCAA Tournament games.
While Dorsey’s offensive production will be important for the Ducks on Saturday, it is his defense that will be on center stage as he will likely draw the assignment of Frank Mason III.
Mason III is the catalyst for the Jayhawks. Mason has scored 68 points and doled out 20 assists during this tournament run. He has scored at least 20 points and handed out five assists in six-straight games. The Naismith Award finalist is averaging 20.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 49.4% from the floor and 48.2% from beyond the arc.
Dorsey-Mason is not the only key matchup for the Ducks. The other must-watch matchup is Brooks against Josh Jackson. Brooks, who is long and athletic, has an overwhelming experience edge over Jackson, but the 6-8 freshman has acquitted himself quite well and is coming off his best game of the tournament. Jackson, who is shooting the ball well, had 16 points along with 12 caroms against Purdue. He also contributed, two assists, four steals, and a blocked shot.
Next: Kentucky wins and moves on to the Elite 8
In what should be a close and entertaining game, the Jayhawks have too much firepower for the Ducks to overcome.
Prediction: Kansas 78, Oregon 70