Mississippi State - Oregon Preview

South- Round One
Mississippi State Bulldogs (8) Vs. Oregon Ducks (9)
Friday, March 21 @ 9:25 pm

Finishing first in the SEC West, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (12- 4 SEC, 22- 10) earned the eighth seed in the NCAA South. It’s the fourth time in six years that Mississippi State took their division crown.

Two swingmen produce the majority of the points for the club. Junior guard/forward Jamont Gordon (17.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.8 APG) is first in scoring and assists and third in rebbies. Forward/center Charles Rhodes (16.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG) is the other member of this lethal scoring tandem. Sophomore guard Ben Hansbrough (10.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.6 APG) is a solid contributor. Forward/center Jarvis Varnado (7.7 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 4.6 BPG), another sophomore, is a tough defender, leading the club in blocked shots and rebounds. The team’s field-goal percentage defense is very good (36.9%) and three-point field-goal defense is tough (31.6%).

In the PAC-10, the Oregon Ducks (9- 9 PAC-10, 18- 13 overall) finished the season tied for fifth with Arizona State. The Ducks were invited to the tourney because they managed to win three straight tough conference contests at the end of the season and because they beat Kansas on the road in OT 80- 77.

Oregon plays an up-tempo game with scoring spread fairly evenly amongst four starters. The balanced approach makes them difficult to defend against, while solid perimeter shooting opens up the floor. The Ducks rely a lot on their guards to generate points. Guards Malik Hairsrton (16.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.2 APG), Tajuan Porter (13.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.4 APG) and Bryce Taylor (13.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 APG) are three of the four top point scorers. Additionally, big man forward Maarty Leunen (15.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.8 APG), who has daunting quickness, can hit from the perimeter. Tajuan Porter can score from anywhere. The Oregon defense can be porous and they’re often careless with the ball.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are better on both ends of the court and should handle the Oregon Ducks in Round One.