Oregon men's basketball faces showdown with Washington State: What to know

Oregon (16-7, 8-4 Pac-12) vs. Washington State (17-6, 8-4)

Time/date: 2 p.m., Saturday

Site: Matthew Knight Arena

TV: Pac-12 Networks. Radio: KUJZ-FM (95.3).

About the matchup: Oregon and Washington State are tied for second place in the Pac-12 standings, one game behind Arizona. Both teams are also on the NCAA Tournament bubble with the clock ticking on the regular season. The Ducks beat the Cougars in Pullman on Jan. 6, 89-84, during what was a 5-0 start to the Pac-12 season for Oregon. The Ducks have gone 3-4 since and on Thursday nearly gave up a 20-point second-half lead in an 85-80 win against Washington. Since their loss to the Ducks, the Cougars have been on a tear, going 7-1 with that one loss coming in overtime against California. On Thursday Washington State defeated Oregon State 64-58.

About the Ducks: As of Friday, Oregon was No. 58 in the NET Rankings and Washington State was No. 41. This would be a significant win for the Ducks as they attempt to improve their chances of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Center Nate Bittle has missed the last three games with an undisclosed illness and his availability vs. the Cougars is expected to be a game-time decision, coach Dana Altman said after Thursday's game against the Huskies. Oregon has won three of the last four against Washington State.

About the Cougars: The Cougars have lost 11 of their last 12 games in Matthew Knight Arena, a streak that began during the 2009-10 season. Their only win during that stretch came in the 2020-21 season. Forward Isaac Jones averages 15.65 points, 7.74 rebounds and is making 58.2% of his field goals, fifth best in the Pac-12. Freshman point guard Myles Rice is averaging 15.35 points and 3.78 assists. During Pac-12 play, the Cougars' defense is allowing the second-fewest points among conference teams at 71.83 per game. They're also averaging the second-most blocks at 4.83 per game.

Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Pac-12 men's basketball: Oregon Ducks host Washington State Cougars