NCAA Basketball: Carey, Winston lead National Player of the Year race
By Brian Rauf
. . Previous: 9th. Payton Pritchard. 3. player. 515
Stats: 18.6 ppg, 5.9 apg, 4.6 rpg
Playing on the West Coast may hurt Pritchard from a popularity and notoriety standpoint, but it’s impossible to deny the impact he has for this Ducks team.
A point guard who strikes the perfect balance between being a playmaker and an aggressive scorer, Pritchard is one of the nation’s leaders in assists, dishing one on roughly a third of Oregon’s possessions when he’s on the court. However, he routinely flips the switch and becomes a lethal scorer late in games.
The senior has flashed that ability throughout his career, yet he made a statement early this season with this dagger against Memphis.
Payton Pritchard dagger time pic.twitter.com/MuEa8Adb6m
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) November 13, 2019
That said, Pritchard’s best clutch performance may have come against Michigan, where he scored 13 consecutive points and 15 of Oregon’s final 17 in a 71-70 win.
Are we sure it's December? Because it feels like March. 🏀
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) December 14, 2019
Payton Pritchard TOOK OVER down the stretch and scored 15 of @OregonMBB's last 17 points in the Ducks' 71-70 OT win over No. 5 Michigan.#Pac12Hoops | #BackThePac pic.twitter.com/UXM0Os75Fk
The challenge for Pritchard is to lead Oregon to some wins that will resonate nationally. He has managed to do so recently with that game against Michigan and his performance in a 74-73 overtime win over Arizona on Thursday.
Those performances have put him in the top three. If the Ducks can pick up a few more (most likely in February), Pritchard can really challenge for the top spot.