Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Top-Seeded Ducks Head to Las Vegas
03/10/20 | Men's Basketball
Top-seeded Oregon will play the winner of the #8 Oregon State-#9 Utah first round game Thursday at noon in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals in Las Vegas.
THE STARTING FIVE
• 1 – The 2020 Pac-12 regular season championship was the seventh league title in program history, joining 1919, 1939, 1945, 2002, 2016 and 2017. It was the first time the Ducks have clinched an outright league title at home since 1945.
• 2 – The University of Oregon became the first Pac-12 school and only the second Power Five college overall to win regular season conference titles in men's basketball, football and women's basketball in the same academic year. The Ducks join Ohio State (2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10) as the only two Power Five schools to earn that triple crown.
• 3 – With 19 wins, Dana Altman is the winningest coach in Pac-12 Tournament history. In the seven tournaments played in Las Vegas, the Ducks are 17-4 with three titles (2013, 2016, 2019) and five championship game appearances.
• 4 – 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year Payton Pritchard - the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player - is attempting to join Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1989-90), Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1994-95) and Jason Terry (Arizona, 1998-99) as the only players in Pac-12 history to lead the conference in both scoring and assists. All three were consensus first team All-Americans and Payton and Terry were National Players of the Year.
• 5 – Oregon has three of the top four three-point shooters in the Pac-12 in Will Richardson (.469/1st), Anthony Mathis (.454/2nd) and Payton Pritchard (.415/4th). The Ducks rank fourth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.396).
• BENCH – Saturday against Stanford, Dana Altman passed Gary Williams for 25th on the NCAA Division I coaching wins list with 668.
• BENCH – Payton Pritchard has scored 20 or more points against nine different Pac-12 foes this season.
• BENCH – Payton Pritchard now holds four school records - assists (659), wins (105) games (144) and starts (140).
• BENCH – Dana Altman now has 23 consecutive winning seasons as a head coach, matching five Hall of Famers - Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Bill Self and Jim Boeheim - with an active streak of 23 or more consecutive winning seasons.
ALTMAN PAC-12 TOURNAMENT'S WINNINGEST COACH
With four wins in the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament, Dana Altman became the winningest coach in Tournament history. He enters the 2020 event with 19 career Pac-12 Tournament wins. Last March, he passed Sean Miller, Arizona (17), and Lute Olson, Arizona (16), for the all-time lead.
DUCKS IN THE DESERT
No one has won more Pac-12 Tournament games in Las Vegas than Oregon. The Ducks are 17-4 since the league moved the championship to the desert in 2013. In the seven tournaments in Las Vegas, the Ducks have played in five championship games (winning in 2013, 2016 and 2019) and have advanced to the semifinal round six times. The only year the Ducks departed Vegas prior to the semis was in 2014 after a quarterfinal loss to UCLA.
CUT DOWN THE NETS
Winning the outright Pac-12 regular season title with an 80-67 win against Stanford on Saturday gave Oregon the seventh league title in program history (1919, 1939, 1945, 2002, 2016, 2017). It is the Ducks' third title in the last five years. It was also the first time since 1945 that Oregon clinched an outright regular season title in Eugene.
SHARP-SHOOTING
Oregon leads the league and ranks fourth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.396). That number was bolstered last weekend with a Matthew Knight Arena record effort of 70.6 percent (12-of-17) against California, followed by a 52.6 percent (10-of-19) night against Stanford. The Ducks have three of the top four three-point shooters in the league in Will Richardson (first, .469), Anthony Mathis (second, .454) and Payton Pritchard (fourth, .415). Oregon also leads the Pac-12 in three-pointers made per game (8.7) with Pritchard pacing the individuals (2.8 per game).
PRITCHARD NAMED PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
A year removed from the disappointment of being left off the all-conference team, Payton Pritchard capped a dominating regular season by being named Pac-12 Player of the Year Monday as voted on by the league's coaches. Pritchard was also a member of the conference's all-league first time, while teammate Chris Duarte was named an honorable mention selection for both the all-conference team and the all-defensive team. Pritchard is the sixth conference player of the year in program history, joining Ron Lee (1978), Terrell Brandon (1991), Luke Ridnour (2003), Joseph Young (2015) and Dillon Brooks (2017). Half of those awards have come under head coach Dana Altman.
PRITCHARD BULLET POINTS
* The 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year is currently on the lists for the Wooden Award (national ballot - 15), Naismith Trophy (10 semifinalists), Oscar Robertson Trophy (final 12) and the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award (5 finalists).
* Is one of three players in the nation averaging at least 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game.
* Is one of just four players nationally - and the only one from a Power Six league - who is leading his conference in both scoring (20.5 points per game) and assists (5.6 per game).
* If he maintains his scoring and assists leads, Pritchard would join Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1989-90), Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1994-95) and Jason Terry (Arizona, 1998-99) as the only players in Conference history to accomplish that feat. All three were consensus First Team All-Americans and Payton and Terry were National Players of the Year.
* Has been named the national player of the week by three different organizations this season (Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy, NCAA.com) and Pac-12 player of the week twice.
* Is the only player in Pac-12 history with 1,900 career points, 600 career assists and 500 career rebounds.
* Already the school's record holder in assists (659), wins (105) games (144) and games started (140), he is also on pace to become the school's career leader in steals and could become just the second 2,000-point scorer in program history.
* Leads the nation with 140 consecutive starts.
THE STARTING FIVE
• 1 – The 2020 Pac-12 regular season championship was the seventh league title in program history, joining 1919, 1939, 1945, 2002, 2016 and 2017. It was the first time the Ducks have clinched an outright league title at home since 1945.
• 2 – The University of Oregon became the first Pac-12 school and only the second Power Five college overall to win regular season conference titles in men's basketball, football and women's basketball in the same academic year. The Ducks join Ohio State (2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10) as the only two Power Five schools to earn that triple crown.
• 3 – With 19 wins, Dana Altman is the winningest coach in Pac-12 Tournament history. In the seven tournaments played in Las Vegas, the Ducks are 17-4 with three titles (2013, 2016, 2019) and five championship game appearances.
• 4 – 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year Payton Pritchard - the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player - is attempting to join Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1989-90), Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1994-95) and Jason Terry (Arizona, 1998-99) as the only players in Pac-12 history to lead the conference in both scoring and assists. All three were consensus first team All-Americans and Payton and Terry were National Players of the Year.
• 5 – Oregon has three of the top four three-point shooters in the Pac-12 in Will Richardson (.469/1st), Anthony Mathis (.454/2nd) and Payton Pritchard (.415/4th). The Ducks rank fourth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.396).
• BENCH – Saturday against Stanford, Dana Altman passed Gary Williams for 25th on the NCAA Division I coaching wins list with 668.
• BENCH – Payton Pritchard has scored 20 or more points against nine different Pac-12 foes this season.
• BENCH – Payton Pritchard now holds four school records - assists (659), wins (105) games (144) and starts (140).
• BENCH – Dana Altman now has 23 consecutive winning seasons as a head coach, matching five Hall of Famers - Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Bill Self and Jim Boeheim - with an active streak of 23 or more consecutive winning seasons.
ALTMAN PAC-12 TOURNAMENT'S WINNINGEST COACH
With four wins in the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament, Dana Altman became the winningest coach in Tournament history. He enters the 2020 event with 19 career Pac-12 Tournament wins. Last March, he passed Sean Miller, Arizona (17), and Lute Olson, Arizona (16), for the all-time lead.
DUCKS IN THE DESERT
No one has won more Pac-12 Tournament games in Las Vegas than Oregon. The Ducks are 17-4 since the league moved the championship to the desert in 2013. In the seven tournaments in Las Vegas, the Ducks have played in five championship games (winning in 2013, 2016 and 2019) and have advanced to the semifinal round six times. The only year the Ducks departed Vegas prior to the semis was in 2014 after a quarterfinal loss to UCLA.
CUT DOWN THE NETS
Winning the outright Pac-12 regular season title with an 80-67 win against Stanford on Saturday gave Oregon the seventh league title in program history (1919, 1939, 1945, 2002, 2016, 2017). It is the Ducks' third title in the last five years. It was also the first time since 1945 that Oregon clinched an outright regular season title in Eugene.
SHARP-SHOOTING
Oregon leads the league and ranks fourth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.396). That number was bolstered last weekend with a Matthew Knight Arena record effort of 70.6 percent (12-of-17) against California, followed by a 52.6 percent (10-of-19) night against Stanford. The Ducks have three of the top four three-point shooters in the league in Will Richardson (first, .469), Anthony Mathis (second, .454) and Payton Pritchard (fourth, .415). Oregon also leads the Pac-12 in three-pointers made per game (8.7) with Pritchard pacing the individuals (2.8 per game).
PRITCHARD NAMED PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR
A year removed from the disappointment of being left off the all-conference team, Payton Pritchard capped a dominating regular season by being named Pac-12 Player of the Year Monday as voted on by the league's coaches. Pritchard was also a member of the conference's all-league first time, while teammate Chris Duarte was named an honorable mention selection for both the all-conference team and the all-defensive team. Pritchard is the sixth conference player of the year in program history, joining Ron Lee (1978), Terrell Brandon (1991), Luke Ridnour (2003), Joseph Young (2015) and Dillon Brooks (2017). Half of those awards have come under head coach Dana Altman.
PRITCHARD BULLET POINTS
* The 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year is currently on the lists for the Wooden Award (national ballot - 15), Naismith Trophy (10 semifinalists), Oscar Robertson Trophy (final 12) and the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award (5 finalists).
* Is one of three players in the nation averaging at least 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game.
* Is one of just four players nationally - and the only one from a Power Six league - who is leading his conference in both scoring (20.5 points per game) and assists (5.6 per game).
* If he maintains his scoring and assists leads, Pritchard would join Gary Payton (Oregon State, 1989-90), Damon Stoudamire (Arizona, 1994-95) and Jason Terry (Arizona, 1998-99) as the only players in Conference history to accomplish that feat. All three were consensus First Team All-Americans and Payton and Terry were National Players of the Year.
* Has been named the national player of the week by three different organizations this season (Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy, NCAA.com) and Pac-12 player of the week twice.
* Is the only player in Pac-12 history with 1,900 career points, 600 career assists and 500 career rebounds.
* Already the school's record holder in assists (659), wins (105) games (144) and games started (140), he is also on pace to become the school's career leader in steals and could become just the second 2,000-point scorer in program history.
* Leads the nation with 140 consecutive starts.
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