Bracketology 2023: Louisville, Oregon among first week's biggest losers

Bracketology 2023: Louisville, Oregon among first week’s biggest losers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 26: Head coach Leonard Hamilton of the Florida State Seminoles reacts to a play during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 26, 2022 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

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Bracketology Oregon Ducks Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports /

6. USC Trojans

One of the more head-scratching results on opening night was USC, who was winning for a good part of the matchup against Florida Gulf Coast at home before getting blown off in the second half in a 74-61 loss. The backcourt duo of Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson has been good so far but the frontcourt, without five-star freshman center Vincent Iwuchukwu, has looked like a genuine weakness that needs to be dealt with.

The Trojans did beat Alabama State easily at least but with the rest of the Pac-12 also struggling, that Gulf Coast defeat will sting. A matchup with a capable Vermont squad this week will be telling, before the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament the week after.

5. Oregon Ducks

The non-conference was a complete disaster for the Ducks a year ago and in just the second game of the season, those issues reared their ugly head. After beating Florida A&M, Oregon then got blown out at home to UC Irvine, who was up by 25 points at one point. Only N’Faly Dante played for the team, with all of the other guards struggling mightily.

The hope is that this is a one-off, rather than a streak of bad play for the Ducks. But like last year, the Houston Cougars are coming up soon, before UConn and the PK85 Tournament. As long as they defeat Montana State up next, the Ducks shouldn’t be too concerned.

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