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Oregon Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Ducks

By Lukas Harkins

PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Dana Altman yells at Payton Pritchard (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Head coach Dana Altman yells at Payton Pritchard (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: Oregon Ducks cheerleaders perform. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 07: Oregon Ducks cheerleaders perform. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Non-conference schedule breakdown

Before jumping into analyzing the top matchups on Oregon’s 2018-19 non-conference schedule, it is important to mention that the Pac-12 as a whole will be much better this season. The conference struggled tremendously last season both in terms of metric ratings as well as non-conference performances on the court. With this said, the Pac-12 only received three bids to the NCAA Tournament, the lowest number since the 2011-12 season.

Heading into this season, though, many expect that the conference will be much more competitive from top to bottom. This should yield more Big Dance bids and therefore a stronger overall perception of the league. And while this should not affect Oregon in terms of landing an NCAA Tournament bid, the strength of the Pac-12 may dictate how the team is seeded.

In regards to non-conference play, here are some of Oregon’s top matchups:

  • Nov. 15-16: 2K Empire Classic (N)
  • Dec. 1: at Houston Cougars (A)
  • Dec. 15: vs. Boise State Broncos (H)
  • Dec. 21: vs. Baylor Bears (H)
  • Dec. 29: at Boise State Broncos (A)

It may seem odd but Oregon’s strength of schedule this season actually depends a fair amount on Boise State. Due to the fact that teams cannot dictate their in-conference scheduling, non-conference opponents can play a major role in a team’s SOS. And considering Oregon will face Boise State twice in the span of two weeks (once at home, once on the road), fans should hope that the Broncos post a strong year. This is also important because the Ducks did not schedule an extremely difficult slate of games overall.

In my opinion, the most challenging non-conference game for Oregon this season will be their road test against Houston. Rob Gray may not be leading the Cougars this season but they should still finish near the top of the AAC. A road win there could pay dividends down the road. Next, a potential neutral-site matchup with Syracuse in the 2K Empire Classic would likely be the only other potential Quadrant 1 game on the schedule.

If all goes according to plan, there is a very real chance that Oregon enters Pac-12 play either undefeated or with only one loss. This may help their AP ranking but will not affect their future NCAA Tournament seed much.

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