Oregon looks to end a five-game losing streak when the Ducks host University of California-Davis on Saturday afternoon in Eugene, Ore.
The Ducks (4-5 overall, 0-2 in Big Ten) come in off back-to-back losses to USC and UCLA to open Big Ten play. They return to a nonconference schedule that has four games left, all in December, including current No. 8-ranked Gonzaga.
Oregon has not played in a week and might not have forward Devon Pryor available against the Aggies (5-3 overall, 0-1 in Big West). Pryor, a transfer from Texas, is dealing with a groin injury and is averaging around 20 minutes of playing time per game.
On top of that, top players Nate Bittle and Kwame Evans Jr. are dealing with injuries that have limited their effectiveness, though both are expected to play Saturday.
“A lot of progress to be made. We’re off to a terrible start here,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “So we’ve got to get things corrected, and to start, get guys healthy, get them back on the floor, guys that we have to have because of their experience.”
UC-Davis, Altman feels, is further ahead in terms of their offensive strategy than the Ducks. The Aggies have lost two of their last three games, with a 1-3 road record and losses at Colorado, Hawaii and Portland.
The Aggies are led by guards Nils Cooper and Connor Sevilla in scoring. Cooper leads the way at 17.1 points per game, and his 15 steals lead the team. Sevilla’s 20 3-pointers are the most on the team, and he’s made 43.5% of those shots.
UC-Davis is winless against Oregon in four all-time meetings. This will be the first time Altman has coached against UC-Davis in his long career, making the Aggies the 226th different opponent he’s faced.
The Aggies last played on Dec. 4.
UC-Davis is coached by former NBA player Jim Les, who was a point guard for part of his pro career with the Sacramento Kings. He works on a campus based about 15 miles west of the California capital.
–Field Level Media
