Oregon Basketball: Ducks and Boise State agree to in-season series

Oregon Basketball has agreed to an in-season home and home series with Boise State. Will this unusual scheduling strategy add value to either team?

Oregon has turned to an unusual scheduling tactic when creating its non-conference slate. The Ducks will play Boise State twice over a two-week span during the same season. Usually home and home series feature games over two separate seasons so this arrangement is rarely utilized.

Oregon and Boise State are doing a home-and-home series in the same season, per a source. First game in Eugene on 12/15/18, second in Boise on 12/29/18.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 31, 2018

Technically speaking, the series is actually a 2 for 1 because there is a third game in Eugene for the 19-20 season, but this does not change the unusual aspect of this agreement. Oregon is not the only team to try this as Middle Tennessee and Florida Gulf Coast had a similar in-season home and home last year. MTSU won both games, but it was not enough to bolster its resume for NCAA tournament consideration.

This type of creative scheduling can be quite useful and could even be a necessity for mid-major teams who face a scheduling disadvantage. It is very challenging (or almost impossible) for some of these teams to attract quality opponents to their non-league schedules in order to become more appealing to the selection committee. I would be shocked if these agreements did not increase among mid-majors, but I can’t discern how this provides any value to Oregon.

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For Boise State the value is obvious. Getting a Pac-12 team to play at your home arena is a big deal in terms of generating buzz from fans and potentially grabbing a meaningful win. Plus, Oregon isn’t just any Pac-12 team, the Ducks are widely seen as the favorite to win the conference. In fact, I haven’t seen anyone who has the Ducks lower than second in the Pac-12 so this is almost assuredly a chance for a marquee win.

Boise State also gets a crack at them in Eugene which, if they win, would be enormous in the eyes of the selection committee. The Broncos even knocked off Oregon on the road last season as Lexus Williams hit a buzzer beater from mid-court.

However, Boise State definitely looks to be worse than they were last season as three of their top four scorers have graduated. The most notable player in this group is NBA first-round draft pick Chandler Hutchison who now plays for the Chicago Bulls. The Broncos look like a middle of the pack Mountain West team and it is doubtful that they are good enough to impact Oregon’s resume if the Ducks beat them.

Justinian Jessup is one of the best shooters in the country and Roderick Williams is a top JUCO prospect so the cupboard is not bare, but it is hard to believe Oregon couldn’t find a stronger opponent for a non-conference series. The only apparent reason for this partnership is geography, but Oregon should be thinking more about earning the best seed possible in March.

The Ducks do have the 2K Classic to improve their resume. They open with Iowa and then will play either Syracuse or UConn. There will be immense pressure on Oregon to beat Iowa and face a top-25 Syracuse team in the championship.

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The rest of Oregon’s non-conference schedule is needed before making a full judgment, but I just don’t see how this Boise State series helps them improve their tournament resume, which should be the ultimate goal. I would not worry too much if you are an Oregon fan, but the margin for error has been reduced. Hopefully, the Ducks win the 2K Classic so their fans can sleep easy during February and March.

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