BASKETBALL THOUGHTS:
Men’s Outlook:
Oregon will make its 2024 NCAA Tournament debut Friday night in a 5-12 matchup against Liberty. The Ducks and Flames are set to tip off Friday night at 10:10 p.m. ET (7:10 p.m. PT) at Climate Pledge Arena, with the game airing on TruTV.
Liberty (28-6) enters the tournament as the Conference USA champions, having lost only once in non-conference play. However, the Flames have not faced a Quadrant 1 opponent this season and struggled against lower-tier competition at times. They rely heavily on their perimeter shooting, ranking sixth in the nation at 39% from three-point range, but they struggle on the boards, ranking 304th nationally in total rebounds per game. Liberty’s defense has been efficient, holding opponents to 28% shooting from beyond the arc, the third-best mark in the country.
Oregon (24-9) comes in as the 5-seed after finishing its season on an eight-game winning streak before falling to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament. The Ducks have leaned on the interior presence of Nate Bittle, whose length and rebounding ability provide a mismatch against Liberty’s undersized rotation. TJ Bamba has been a key defensive presence, while Jackson Shelstad’s offensive consistency remains a crucial factor in Oregon’s tournament prospects.
Should the Ducks advance past Liberty, a second-round matchup with 4-seed Arizona likely awaits. The Wildcats will face 14-seed Akron in their first-round game, with the winner advancing to meet the Oregon-Liberty victor. A potential Sweet 16 showdown with 1-seed Duke looms beyond that. The Blue Devils, dealing with uncertainty surrounding Cooper Flagg’s ankle injury, remain the betting favorite to win the East Region.
Oregon, which has historically thrived in March under head coach Dana Altman, is looking to make another deep tournament run. The Ducks are 8-1 in their last nine games and will need to control turnovers while playing disciplined defense to extend their stay in the tournament. With a favorable matchup against Liberty’s size disadvantage, Oregon has a clear path to advance—if it can capitalize on its strengths and limit defensive lapses.
Women’s Outlook:
Oregon will begin its NCAA Tournament run Friday as the No. 10 seed, facing No. 7 Vanderbilt in a first-round matchup at 2:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPNews, with the winner advancing to a likely second-round meeting with No. 2 Duke in Durham on Sunday.
The Ducks (19-11) enter the tournament looking to extend their stay after finishing the regular season with three Quad 1 wins. Oregon has shown flashes of strong play but has struggled with consistency down the stretch, dropping six of its last ten games. The Ducks and Commodores share two common opponents—Michigan State and Auburn. Oregon defeated both, while Vanderbilt split those matchups.
Vanderbilt (22-10) has built a competitive program under fourth-year head coach Shea Ralph, securing a second straight NCAA Tournament bid. The Commodores finished 8-8 in SEC play and landed at No. 22 in the final NET rankings. Their resume includes two victories over Tennessee, including an SEC Tournament upset, and a win over Alabama. However, they struggled against elite competition, losing three games to South Carolina and Texas by an average of 23.3 points.
Vanderbilt plays with pace, ranking seventh in the nation in scoring offense at 83.6 points per game. The Commodores are led by star freshman Mikayla Blakes, who averages 23.2 points per game—tops among all freshmen and second in the SEC. She has posted multiple 50-point performances this season and was named SEC Freshman of the Year. Sophomore forward Khamil Pierre is another major contributor, averaging 20.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while ranking second in the SEC in steals. Senior guard Iyana Moore rounds out the top scoring threats, contributing 12.6 points per contest.
While the Commodores have an explosive offense, their defense remains a concern. Vanderbilt allows 68.8 points per game, ranking 281st nationally. They struggle in particular against high-scoring teams, which could provide an opening for Oregon to capitalize.
If the Ducks can contain Vanderbilt’s dynamic scoring duo and find consistency on offense, they have a path to victory. A win would likely set up a daunting second-round matchup against Duke, which holds the No. 2 seed in the region. With head coach Kelly Graves leading the way, Oregon will look to make a statement and extend its tournament run.
FOOTBALL NOTES:
It will be quiet this week and next as the Ducks have finals followed by Spring Break. The team will resume spring workouts on April 1, with several prospects slated to make visits later that week. We will get more of those names as the date gets closer.
I thought Dontae Manning had the best pro day of anyone. Not because he had the best overall numbers, but I think he really showed that he has all of the tools to be a solid DB at the next level. His 40-yard dash was an eye opener and he earned himself some money with his work.
A lot of the rest of those who are not ‘surefire’ draft picks still remains to be seen how the workouts impacted their stock. Many will get undrafted free agent contracts and I think what really matters now are those meetings with teams where they get a chance to know the player a little bit better.
RECRUITING NOTES:
Not much new news right now we have not already shared on last weekends visitors. But there are some new names for 2027 starting to emerge.
- 2027 DE Montana Toilolo was offered by Oregon recently and that offer to the Mater Dei standout was one he was hoping for and excited to receive.
- The Ducks also offered 2027 QB Kamden Lopati following a strong performance at the Elite 11 Regional in Los Angeles last week that had him as one of the top underclassmen at the event.
- G'nivre Carr, a 6-foot-4, 336-pound offensive lineman from IMG Academy who is originally from Ocala (FL) received an offer as well. He is considered an interior OL prospect and while there is a lot of excitement, the Ducks will have a tough time here. There will be some solid peer recruiting by a couple of current Ducks, but his mother is a massive Florida Gator fan, so there will be a push. I do know he loves Oregon as well, so just a name to watch.
- One of the more interesting offers this week is from the basketball team to class of 2027 shooting guard Demarcus Henry – the younger brother of five-star 2026 WR Chris Henry, Jr.
LINKS THIS WEEK:
Lanning Evaluates Oregon Ducks Following First Full Spring Practice
Top 75 2027 WR Dakota Guerrant Talks Spring Visits and Schools Standing Out
Michigan State Rolls Past Oregon to Reach Big Ten Tournament Semifinals
Rising 2027 Safety Gavin Williams Talks Oregon Offer, Recruitment
Sunday Morning Sidewalk: Rough Waters
Oregon DC Tosh Lupoi on Oregon’s Defensive Outlook
Oregon OC Will Stein Discusses Oregon’s QB Transition and Offensive Outlook
Oregon Earns No. 5 Seed in East Region, Faces Liberty in Opening Round
DSA Inside Read: Recapping the Weekend in Recruiting
DSA Exclusive: Marcus Harper Talks Senior Season, Draft Preparations
Wednesday War Room: Oregon Pro Day 2025
Tuesday’s with Gorney: Wild Days Ahead for Top 2026 Quarterbacks
New Contender Emerges for 2027 DL Montana Toilolo
Five-Star LB Tyler Atkinson on His Oregon Visit
