NCAA Basketball: Toppin tightens grip on National Player of the Year race

Stats: 19.3 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.5 rpg

Pritchard continues to make his mark as one of the nation’s best players and is a virtual lock to win Pac-12 Player of the Year. That said, his National Player of the Year candidacy continues to slide.

The Ducks were upset for the second straight time last weekend, falling to in-state rival Oregon State in an ugly 63-53 contest. Another poor shooting performance from Pritchard (7/21 from the field, 1/8 from three) contributed to that in a big way despite his nine assists.

However, Pritchard and the Ducks may have had a turning point in their season on Thursday. After giving up a 20-0 run to Colorado and falling behind by double digits, Oregon rallied and won 68-60.

Pritchard’s slump continued as he shot under 39 percent from the field for the third straight game, but his impact was immense with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.

Oregon is certainly hoping this is indeed the start of a turnaround, as they have the chance to solidify themselves as a national championship contender next week. After hosting Utah this weekend, the Ducks travel to face the surging Arizona State Sun Devils on Thursday before a marquee rematch with Arizona on Saturday.

Those are the last two road games Oregon will play this season and are the last two opportunities for Pritchard to really put himself back into this race. He needs to return to his mid-January form while leading the Ducks to wins on both contests.