NCAA Basketball: Big Ten record bids, Baylor as #1, and more weekly takeaways

6) Clutch Payton Pritchard is the best Payton Pritchard

Payton Pritchard is among the current favorites in the National Player of the Year race for good reason. The senior is the unquestioned leader on one of the nation’s best teams and works well as both a scorer and as a playmaker, depending on what the Ducks need from him.

Yet, as we’ve seen over the last few weeks. Pritchard is capable of taking his game to an entirely different level – a special level – late in close games.

He has hit clutch shots throughout his college career, which we saw during last season’s run through the Pac-12 Tournament and into the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, yet he has been even more productive late in games this year.

Pritchard’s performance against Michigan in Ann Arbor helped anchor his place among the best players in college basketball. He scored 15 of Oregon’s last 17 points – including 13 in a row late in regulation and in overtime – to help them come up with the narrow road victory.

Then, in their game against Arizona on Thursday in what has been the biggest Pac-12 contest of the season so far, Pritchard forced overtime with a game-tying shot in the closing seconds only to follow it with a game-saving block on the other end.

Oregon is a good, talented team, but having someone like Pritchard that can carry them through a game’s biggest moments and push them over the edge late in games is invaluable.