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No. 3 Arizona faces stiff test Saturday at Oregon
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Published: 3/8/2014  at  4:09:00 AM
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ARIZONA WILDCATS (28-2)

at OREGON DUCKS (21-8)

Matthew Knight Arena - Eugene, OR
Tip-off: Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET
Line: Arizona -3, Total: 139.5

Red-hot Oregon looks to wrap up the regular season with a huge win on Saturday night when it hosts No. 3 Arizona.

These two teams played earlier in the season on Feb. 6, with the 12-point favorite Wildcats hanging on at home for the 67-65 victory. That was the first game that Arizona had played without SF Brandon Ashley, who was lost for the season due to injury. SG Nick Johnson had a big night for the Wildcats, finishing with 18 points and five assists. Arizona (18-11 ATS overall, 9-8 ATS in Pac-12, 6-4 ATS on road) had to come back from a one-point halftime deficit, and also had to overcome a horrendous night from the free-throw line (19-of-35, 54%). A big reason why the Ducks were able to hang with the Wildcats was the way they rebounded the ball, winning the battle on the glass 40-35. Arizona improved to 7-2 SU in the past nine games in this series, but have lost four in a row ATS. Oregon (16-11-1 ATS overall, 7-9-1 ATS in Pac-12, 8-7-1 ATS at home) appeared to be in serious jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament, starting just 3-8 in the Pac-12, but has responded with six consecutive victories, including an impressive 87-83, double-overtime victory at UCLA. Joseph Young showed his ability to step up in big games, finishing with 26 points in the win against the Bruins. This is a big game for both teams. Arizona could lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a win, while the Ducks could not only clinch an NCAA Tournament berth, but significantly increase their seed.

Can Arizona complete the season sweep of red-hot Oregon? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The StatFox Experts have been rolling in college basketball Best Bets this season with a stellar 59% ATS (250-173-13) mark, including a hefty 61% ATS (218-139-7) record since Nov. 23. StatFox Brian is on an amazing Best Bets run of 26-4-2 (87% ATS) since Jan. 17, is at 74% ATS (51-18-2) since Nov. 26 and a robust 70% ATS (58-25-3) in Best Bets for the season. StatFox Dave is 67% ATS (37-18) since in Best Bets Dec. 18 and 62% ATS (54-33-1) this season, while StatFox Scott is 64% ATS (9-5-1) since Feb. 16 and 57% ATS (49-37-3) for the season. StatFox Gary is 59% ATS (43-30) on Best Bets since Nov. 22 and 55% ATS (47-38-2) for the season.

Sean Miller has Arizona playing terrific basketball, and has a star guard in SG Nick Johnson (16.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.8 APG). Johnson through the early part of his career was known as a high-flyer that could make some great plays in the transition, but he has emerged as an all-around guard. While he is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country, he has also shown the ability to hit the outside shot (35% threes) to complement his supreme athleticism. While other freshmen across the country have gotten a lot of the talk this season, PF Aaron Gordon (12.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.5 APG) has quietly put together a solid campaign. While he still has problems with consistency on the offensive end, he is one of the most athletic players in the country that can affect a game in many different ways. He is a big reason why the Wildcats rank 21st in the nation in rebounding (39.0 RPG). PG T.J. McConnell (8.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.7 RPG), does a great job of running the offense, giving the Wildcats a legitimate point guard. While he is not an elite shooter from deep (32% threes), he puts a lot of pressure on the opposing defense by getting into the paint. C Kaleb Tarczewski (10.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (8.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG) complement the Wildcats' top scorers very well. With defenses focusing on Johnson and Gordon, these two are counted upon to have big games. Although Arizona is an elite defensive club, allowing only 58.5 PPG (6th in nation), it will need to be at its best on Saturday, as the Ducks offense has been putting up a lot of points recently.

Oregon comes into the game ranked 8th in the nation in scoring at 82.9 PPG. SG Joseph Young (18.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 41% threes) is a big-time scorer that can take over a game on the offensive end. In addition to being a threat from the three-point line, the Houston transfer has also shown the ability to get to the rim. PF Mike Moser (13.8 PPG, 38% threes, 8.1 RPG) and Jason Calliste (12.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 51 % from three) are two big-time scorers that can fill it up in many different ways. Moser has played in some huge games throughout at his career, and is the type of player that can take over in March. Defenses have to give a lot of attention to Young and Moser, and that opens up Calliste to get many wide-open shots from the three-point line. A big reason why the Ducks have scored so proficiently this season is because of the way they share the ball, ranking 53rd in the nation in assists (14.8 APG). PG Johnathan Loyd (7.2 PPG, 4.9 APG) has continued to improve throughout the season, and does a great job of running the show for Oregon with a 2.6 Ast/TO ratio. The Ducks showed last season how good they can be as they made a run to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion Louisville, and they appear to be peaking towards an opportunity to do that again this season.


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