Can we all agree to forget this game ever happened and vow to never talk about it again?
We’re all good with that, right?
That’s likely the mentality that Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks will have after this blowout loss to the BYU Cougars in the Phil Knight Invitational. The Ducks got run off the floor by an unranked BYU team that looked like a squad that could potentially make some noise in the NCAA Tournament this year.
It started and ended with Oregon’s shooting, where they finished the game with a 32% FG and just 3 three-pointers. After hoisting up 36 deep balls in their first game of the season, and making over 40% of threes in their second game, it’s easy to see why they are vulnerable to defeat when unable to hit the long ball.
It was apparent early on that they weren’t playing their comfortable brand of basketball, and they looked rushed from the opening tip. After struggling to get off any clean looks, Oregon did the smart thing and decided to take only shots from the paint and at the rim. Once those refused to fall, it became concerning.
Oregon ultimately shot 5-for-26 (19%) in the first half, with one three-pointer made. They entered the break trailing 37-18.
Things didn’t get much better in the second half, with BYU answering any time the Ducks were able to string a couple of baskets together, silencing any run before it got off the ground.
In the end, the Ducks will likely watch the tape, and then burn it as they try to move forward and prepare for the Maui Invitational next week. We knew coming into this year that they would be far from a finished product in the months of November and December, and it proved to be true on Tuesday night.
Here are some notable stats and takeaways from the game:
Final Score: BYU 81, Oregon 49
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Keys to the game
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It’s hard to look at this game and say there were any major keys other than the fact that Oregon simply couldn’t shoot the ball. They were atrocious in that department, shooting just 34% from the field for the game. In the first half, they scored 18 points on 19% shooting, and it didn’t get much better after the break.
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BYU’s Alex Barcello was the player of the game, scoring 25 points on 9-for-11 shooting. He was cooking the Ducks’ guards off of the dribble the entire night, and they didn’t have a major answer for him.
Players of the Game
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Is it fair to say nobody? No? Alright…
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Eric Williams Jr.: 12 points (3-for-6)
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De’Vion Harmon: 7 points (2-for-7)
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Will Richardson: 8 points (4-for-10)
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Quincy Guerrier: 8 points (3-for-9)
Biggest Takeaways
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It’s okay to leave this game feeling disappointed about the outcome, but not disappointed with the team as a whole. We knew coming into this season that it was going to be far from a finished product to start, with so many new pieces trying to play together and figure out rotations.
Is it a bummer that the first stinker of the season came in the Phil Knight Invitational, at the Moda Center, televised on ESPN? Of course it is. Does that mean that we should be hitting the panic button already? Absolutely not.
The Ducks head to the Maui Invitational next week where they have a chance to play some of the best schools in the nation. We’ll see if they can respond better then.
What’s next?
(Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
The Oregon Ducks hit the road to play their first game out of the state on November 22nd, facing the Chaminade Silverswords in the first round of the 2021 Maui Invitational, which is being held in Las Vegas.
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