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Oregon could be without three starters again as it gears up for second-round NIT game

chris hansen, register-guard
·3 min read
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Oregon guard Rivaldo Soares dunks during the second half of the Ducks' win against UC Irvine in their NIT opener Wednesday in Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon guard Rivaldo Soares dunks during the second half of the Ducks' win against UC Irvine in their NIT opener Wednesday in Matthew Knight Arena.

Oregon Ducks men's basketball

Oregon (20-14) vs. Central Florida (19-14)

4:30 p.m., Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena

TV: ESPNU

Radio: KUJZ-FM (95.3)

About the Ducks

  • Oregon has won five of its last six games but none were more impressive than Wednesday’s 84-58 victory against UC Irvine in the NIT opener. The Ducks were without injured starters including center N’Faly Dante, point guard Will Richardson and guard Jermaine Couisnard and reserve guard Brennan Rigsby but responded with a thorough and convincing win, led by a career night from guard Rivaldo Soares who had 21 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double.

  • Can the Ducks do it again against what appears to be a talented UCF team? Will they have to? Oregon coach Dana Altman said after the win against the Anteaters that only Richardson and Rigsby are out for whatever remains of the season. Dante (ankle) and Couisnard (shoulder) need to be cleared by the team’s medical staff but their return Sunday wasn't out of the question.

  • Oregon also played in the second round of the NIT last season but lost on the road to Texas A&M. A victory against UCF would put the Ducks in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011-12.

  • The winner of Sunday’s game will play the winner of Sunday's 9 a.m. game between No. 2 Wisconsin-No. 3 Liberty. If the Ducks win, that game will be at Matthew Knight Arena either Tuesday or Wednesday.

About the Knights

  • UCF is led by freshman guard Taylor Hendricks, a second-team all-American Athletic Conference selection who averages 15.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. He also has a team-leading 58 blocks and is shooting 48.3% from the field and 40.0% from the 3-point line.

  • The Knights have had six losses decided by a single possession this season and 12 decided by single digits. That wasn’t a problem Wednesday against Florida in the opening round of the NIT, a game won by visiting UCF, 67-49.

  • UCF led the AAC in 3-point shooting as the Knights average 8.8 per game and shoot 36%. They have three players who’ve made at least 60 3-pointers this season — Ithiel Horton (76), C.J. Kelly (66) and Hendricks (60).

  • Former Duck C.J. Walker, who was a five-star recruit prior to his freshman season at Oregon in 2019-20, has been out for the season with a leg injury. He played in only four games this season and averaged 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Statistical comparisons

  • Scoring average: Oregon, 71.1; UCF, 72.1

  • Opp. scoring average: Oregon, 66.8; UCF, 65.5

  • FG percentage: Oregon, 44.8%; UCF, 43.2%

  • Opp. FG percentage: Oregon, 41.4%; UCF, 41.8%

  • 3-point FG percentage: Oregon, 32.3%; UCF, 36.0%

  • 3-point FG per game: Oregon, 7.2; UCF, 8.8

  • FT percentage: Oregon, 70.4%; UCF, 77.1%

  • Rebounds per game: Oregon, 37.6; UCF, 35.1

  • Rebounding margin: Oregon, +5.5; UCF, +2.1

  • Assists per game: Oregon, 13.3; UCF, 14.0

  • Turnovers per game: Oregon, 12.1; UCF, 13.3

  • Blocks per game: Oregon, 4.9; UCF, 3.8

  • Steals per game: Oregon, 5.6; UCF, 7.6

Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. 

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What to know about Oregon Ducks' NIT second-round game vs. UCF Knights