Oregon vs. Oregon State. 8 PM PT, ESPNU. Matthew Knight Arena.
With the Civil War basketball game set to tip in just hours from Matthew Knight Arena, four reporters from the DuckTV Sports staff preview tonight’s contest.
Oregon PG Dominic Artis is slated to return for Thursday’s Civil War game
Oregon point guard Dominic Artis (1) is expected to see his first action since January 23rd against Washington State. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
against Oregon State. How will his return impact Oregon’s performance?
Andrew Bantley: Oregon Ducks Win-Loss Record in relation to Dominic Artis’s injury:
Before the Injury: 17-2
Since: 5-4
There is no doubt a strong connection between the Ducks’ ranking of #10 in the country in week 13 of the season (January 28-February 3) and the presence of Dominic Artis on the court just days prior. Since the Duck’s highest ranking of #10, the Ducks have been spiraling downwards. With Artis on the court the Ducks scored 76 points per game in large part due to his scoring ability from beyond the arc, something the Ducks struggle gravely on.
Andrew Murray: Despite the overall success that the Ducks have achieved this year, they have struggled in recent Pac-12 contests. During the absence of Dominic Artis, Oregon only scored 54 points or less against Stanford, California and Colorado. All of these games resulted in a loss. With Artis coming back, the offense will gel once again and opportunities will open up for everyone around him.
Sarah Scrivens: If DA does in fact return to the court tonight for the Ducks, his impact will be HUGE. Artis is very good at distributing the ball around the court, and giving looks to strong shooters such as Damyean Dotson and EJ Singler. This type of ball movement will be incredibly helpful for Oregon.
Bri Amaranthus: Since freshman Dominic Artis has been out with a foot injury Oregon has had four losses. I am not one to say that with Artis Oregon would have won all of those games, but I do think his re-emergence will be a positive for the Ducks.
Prediction for Thursday’s game. Who wins and why?
AB: With the return of Artis who averages 10.2 points and 3.8 assists per game, the Ducks will have some extra momentum. The Ducks will face their rival in Oregon State on Thursday night. The Beavers are 13-15 and a sad 3-12 in Pac-12 play. The Ducks are looking to pick up momentum going into the National Tournament and want to start out strong with Artis back in the lineup. Tonight, I see Artis coming out and providing a crucial role for the Ducks and making everyone around him better.
Oregon Ducks 82 – Oregon State 63
AM: While the majority of the Pac-12 schedule has involved above .500 teams fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament, the Oregon State Beavers have experienced a less than stellar campaign. The Beavers are 13-15 coming into the contest and are a measly 3-12 within the conference. With Artis returning for the Ducks, the offense will get back on track and help the team cruise to an easy win in their final home game. Final score will be 68-54 Ducks.
SS: OSU will come in hungry after a senior night loss at home against Stanford. But with the support of the Matt Knight crowd on Oregon’s own senior night, the Ducks will come out on top. 80-70 Oregon.
BA: The home court advantage and Artis returning will help the Ducks defeat the Beavers in the civil war. 70-52 Oregon.
Thursday will be senior night for the Ducks. Which one of Oregon’s four seniors has been the most valuable this season and why?
AB: Though E.J. Singler stands out each and every night, I personally believe Arsalan Kazemi has been the most valuable senior. Kazemi this year has been a catalyst on grabbing rebounds and creating second chance points. He averages just fewer than 10 points and rebounds-per-game, but shoots at a very high success rate, 59.7% from the field. The international player from Iran has provided the Ducks with energy and determination this year to lead this team to the great year they continue to have. He has bee relentless on the glass and rarely makes mistakes or takes poor shots.
AM: Forward Arsalan Kazemi has been without a doubt the biggest x-factor out of all the senior contributors for the Ducks. Kazemi has been a consistent double-double threat every game and leads the team with 9.8 rebounds per contest. He has helped the Ducks be one of the best rebounding teams in the Pac-12 and has supplied a tougher mentality when scoring in the paint this season. He has helped Oregon go from being primarily a perimeter shooting squad to a tough contender on the front lines.
SS: EJ Singler has had a standout senior season. He will finish the year as Oregon’s all-time leader in career victories. However, we have seen noteworthy performances from both Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi. Kazemi has received national recognition for his rebounding ability.
BA: E.J. Singler. He is a local guy who has come up clutch for the Ducks. His free throws in the waning moments against Washington State a week ago not only gave the Ducks the victory, it also made him the winningest individual player in Oregon basketball history.