Seattle, Washington — The No. 4 University of Arizona (23-12, 14-6 in Big 12) defeated the University of Akron in the first round of the March Madness tournament, setting the Wildcats up to face the No. 5 University of Oregon (25-9, 12-8 in Big 10) on Sunday, March 23 at 6:40 p.m. PT in the Climate Pledge Arena.
The winner of this match will advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, as the third round will take place in Newark, New Jersey.
History vs. Oregon
Arizona holds a 55-38 record against the Ducks. The Wildcats’ last match against the Ducks occurred March 15, 2024, in the PAC-12 tournament semifinal game where Arizona fell short 67-59. However, less than two weeks prior to the game, Arizona secured a 103-83 win over the Ducks on March 2, 2024. The program’s first meeting dates back to Jan. 12, 1979, resulting in a 63-60 Oregon win. Over the years, Arizona has been able to build up victories over the Ducks, but their history cannot guarantee a March Madness victory over Oregon.
Oregon players to watch
The Ducks are led by Dana Altman who is in his 15th season as head coach. In the entire NCAA Division, Altman is one of three active coaches with 27 consecutive winning seasons. In the 2021-2022 season, Altman became the 24th head coach in Division I history to reach 700 career wins and holds the record for most wins in Oregon history with 345 victories.
Nate Bittle, a 7-foot senior center, leads the Ducks in both points and rebounds this season, scoring an average of 14.1 points and bringing down an average of 7.5 rebounds per game. Bittle significantly dominates in blocks, collecting 74 just this season. Additionally, Bittle shoots 51% from inside and 33.3% from beyond the arc, proving to be a vital offensive key for the Ducks.
In Oregon’s recent victory over Liberty University in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 21, Bittle controlled the basket with 10 rebounds, a game-high. On top of that, he scored 14 points, shooting 50% from inside and going 1-for-3 from around the arc. Despite Bittle’s shortened amount of time on the court due to a significant lead over Liberty, he still found ways to dominate the court.
Jackson Shelstad, a 6-foot sophomore guard, is yet another essential player for the Ducks in this tournament. Shelstad led the game with 17 points, going 7-for-11 from the paint and 3-for-4 from the 3-point line. To add, he earned four rebounds, three assists and one steal. Shelstad saw the second most playing time for Oregon that evening with 25:13, a true leader for the program this season.
Overall, Shelstad falls just behind Bittle with a 13.4 scoring average this year, shooting 44.4% from inside and 37.5% from beyond the perimeter. He has also proven to be a valuable shooter from the free-throw line, earning a 0.848 shooting percentage and creating opportunities to draw fouls.
Kwame Evans Jr., a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward, secured seven boards for the Ducks in their matchup against Liberty, the second highest in the game. On average, Evans Jr. grabs 4.4 rebounds per game, marking this match as one of his more successful turnouts. He remained almost identical to his average in scoring, securing 6 points in the game compared to his 6.1 game average.
Evans Jr. has 20 blocks this season, his height a dominating factor beneath the hoop. Against Liberty, he had the only block of the game for the Ducks. Evans also shot a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line and 2-for-4 from inside the perimeter during the match, proving to be an asset for the Ducks in March Madness.
Wildcats to watch
Tommy Lloyd, a fourth season head coach for the Wildcats, has been a dominant figure for the team since his arrival to Arizona. He’s led them to several major wins this season over teams such as Iowa State University, BYU and Colorado State University. This is Arizona’s 39th NCAA Tournament appearance and the fourth under coach Lloyd. In his time leading the Wildcats, they have achieved a 5-3 record in the tournament, including two appearances in the Sweet 16.
Trey Townsend, a fifth-year transfer from Oakland University, has been a major asset to the Wildcats in postseason play. In Arizona’s dominating win over the University of Akron, Townsend put up 16 points and secured eight rebounds, tying with Tobe Awaka in boards for a game-high. Townsend shot 7-for-8 from the field and found success in his one attempted shot from beyond the arc.
For the season, Townsend averages 8.5 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. He’s built up an average of 0.505 shooting percentage from inside the paint and 33.3% from the 3-point line. His efforts in the NCAA tournament have been nothing short of impressive for the Arizona program.
Henri Veesaar, a sophomore forward has yet to falter in games as important as March Madness. Veesaar put up 8 points and brought down seven rebounds (three offensive, four defensive) against Akron. He contributed to one of the highlight plays of the game, earning three assists and having several impressive dunks from inside the paint where he shot 4-for-6. Veesaar is also a known threat from the 3-point line, a dangerous tool in Arizona’s pocket.
Veesaar leads the Wildcats with 40 blocks for the season, his 7-foot height advantage serves as a major contributor to creating defensive stops and earning offensive possessions. Notably, Veesaar shoots an average of 9.4 points per game and secures an average of 5.1 rebounds per game, coming in second behind Awaka. On Arizona’s offensive end, Veesaar shoots 60.4% from inside and has made 16-of-47 3-pointers this season.
Carter Bryant, a freshman forward, has been stepping out with big numbers in recent play as well. Against Akron, Bryant had 12 points, several of them a result of major dunks throughout the course of the game. He was also able to reject four Akron shots, his hustle down the court not going unnoticed. Bryant shot 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and 5-for-8 from the paint in this matchup.
Bryant’s stat line continues to improve as the season has gone on. He now averages 6.5 points and 4.1 boards per game. Additionally, he shoots 48.1% from inside and 37.1% from outside, a threat in both areas of the court. Standing at 6-foot-8, Bryant’s earned 36 blocks this season, falling four behind Veesaar.
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