Today's game is all about how we can stop 7'0" 250 lb Nate Bittle. Oregon runs its offense through him since PG Jackson Shelstad went down for the rest of the season at the end of 2025. They will look to run PnR with him either rolling to the hoop or popping out for a 3, or they will post him up. He has the highest assist rate on the team, so if we double him on the post-up, he will look to find someone on the perimeter for a 3. They are not a team that seeks to drive to the hoop very much, but they do get to the FT line very well.
They have a lot of height, starting 3 players 6'9" or taller, but they are a terrible offensive rebounding team. Despite all the 3s they shoot, they are largely pretty poor at making them, with the exception of 5th-option Drew Carter (38% on 2 per game) and reserve guard Jamari Phillips (37% on 3 per game). That being said, in two of their last 3 wins, they shot 50% from 3... They're also susceptible to turnovers, which hopefully we can generate and get some fast break points.
The last 6 games, Oregon has played much better defensively, playing Purdue tight at Mackey, stealing a win from USC and smothering Wisconsin on Wednesday. We need this win, so let's clamp down on the 3-point line, keep Bittle contained, and make some shots.
