Ducks Can Clinch 2020 Pac-12 Crown Saturday Against Stanford

No. 13 Oregon plays for the Pac-12 title and the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament Saturday night against Stanford (8 p.m./FS1).

THE STARTING FIVE
• 1 – With a win on Saturday, Oregon will become the first school in conference history to win championships in football, women's basketball and men's basketball in the same academic year. In fact nationally, Oregon would join Ohio State (2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10) as just the second Power Five school to ever achieve that accomplishment.
• 2 – Saturday, Oregon has the chance to clinch a regular season conference title on its home court for the first time since 1945.
• 3 – Cousy Award finalist Payton Pritchard is trying 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.
• 4 – Payton Pritchard is the only player in the nation averaging at least 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game.
• 5 – Thursday night, against California, Dana Altman tied Gary Williams for 25th on the NCAA Division I coaching wins list with 668 victories.
• BENCH – Payton Pritchard has scored 20 or more points against nine different Pac-12 foes this season.
• BENCH – Oregon's current 21-game home winning streak the fourth-longest in program history.
• BENCH – Payton Pritchard now holds three school records - assists (654), wins (104) and starts (139). Saturday, he will tie Johnathan Loyd for the program record in games played (144).
• BENCH – Oregon shot a Matthew Knight Arena record 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from three-point range Thursday versus Cal.

CHASING A CHAMPIONSHIP
With a win against Stanford on Saturday, Oregon can clinch the seventh Pac-12 regular season championship in school history (1919, 1939, 1945, 2002, 2016, 2017). It would be the Ducks' third title in the last five years. It would also be the first time since 1945 that Oregon clinched a regular season title in Eugene. The 2002, 2016 and 2017 championships were all secured on the road. In 1945, the Ducks and Washington State were tied with identical 11-5 records at the end of the regular season. The two teams then played a best-of-three series to determine the Pacific Coast Conference championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Ducks defeated the Cougars 51-41 in Pullman on March 10, before losing 53-48 in Eugene on March 16. In the finale at old McArthur Court, Oregon prevailed 39-37 on March 17 to win the PCC.

SHARP-SHOOTING
Oregon leads the league and ranks sixth nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.392). That number was bolstered Thursday night with a Matthew Knight Arena record effort of 70.6 percent (12-of-17) against California. The Ducks have three of the top five three-point shooters in the league in Will Richardson (first, .475), Anthony Mathis (second, .445) and Payton Pritchard (fifth, .414). Oregon also leads the Pac-12 in three-pointers made per game (8.6) with Pritchard pacing the individuals (2.8 per game).

PRITCHARD NAMED BOB COUSY AWARD FINALIST
Senior Payton Pritchard was named one of five finalists for the 2020 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday. He is the first Cousy Award finalist in program history. Joining Pritchard on the list of finalists are Devon Dotson of Kansas, Malachi Flynn of San Diego State, Markus Howard of Marquette and Tre Jones of Duke.

PRITCHARD NAMED NAISMITH TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
Payton Pritchard was named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy men's player of the year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Thursday. Oregon and Maryland were the only schools to be represented among both the men's and women's Naismith semifinalists. Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally were women's semifinalists for the Ducks. Joining Pritchard among the men's semifinalists were Udoka Azubuike of Kansas, Vernon Carey Jr. of Duke, Devon Dotson of Kansas, Malachi Flynn of San Diego State, Luka Garza of Iowa, Markus Howard of Marquette, Myles Powell of Seton Hall, Jalen Smith of Maryland and Obi Toppin of Dayton. Four of the five Cousy Award finalists were Naismith semifinalists.

PRITCHARD BULLET POINTS
* Currently on the lists for the Wooden Award (final 20), Naismith Trophy (15 semifinalists), Oscar Robertson Trophy (final 12) and the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award (5 finalists).
* Is one the only player 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 (20.2 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 (654), wins (104) and games started (139), he is also on pace to become the school's career leader in steals and games played and could become just the second 2,000-point scorer in program history.
* Leads the nation with 139 consecutive starts.