The Oregon Ducks look to prove themselves as one of the nation's elite college basketball programs on Saturday night, taking on #5 Arizona Wildcats at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the Pac-12 Championship.
Arizona (30-3) is tied with UCLA for the all-time conference lead with four tournament titles, but Oregon (25-8) is hot on those programs' heels with three -- the latest coming in 2013.
What To Watch For
Oregon looks to keep Arizona's title drought going
The Arizona Wildcats have lost in their last four trips to the Pac 12 title game, including falling to UCLA 75-71 in last year's final. Arizona hasn't brought a conference tourney title home since 2002. Oregon, on the other hand, has won all three of tourney championships in the interim. Expect an inspired Ducks team to pressure the Wildcats early and often in hopes of adding to their trophy case at the expense of another Arizona runner-up finish.
Will Arizona's regular-season dominance over UO translate tonight?
History is one thing, but this year has been all Wildcats when it comes to facing the Ducks. Arizona beat Oregon in both regular-season meetings this year by an eye-popping average of 26 points, holding the normally sharpshooting Ducks to 37.9 percent shooting for the fied and 25.0% shooting from beyond the arc. Oregon is 11-1 since a 90-56 thrashing in Tuscon back in late January, and they'll need big nights from the likes of senior Joseph Young (20.3 ppg) and freshman Dillon Brooks (11.5 ppg) to get past Arizona.
Prediction: Arizona wins 80-73
Expect Oregon to get out to a blazing start and match the Wildcats blow for blow for the first 30-32 minutes. However, Arizona's defense will get the stops they need late as the Wildcats' size and pure athleticism will bring home the program's first conference tourney title in over a decade.
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