Oregon Ducks Guard Will Richardson Out for Pac-12 Tournament

The Oregon Men’s Basketball team announced on Tuesday afternoon that star point guard Will Richardson will not travel with the rest of the team for the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas, citing a “non-COVID-19-related illness.”

The announcement comes just hours after Richardson was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team. Richardson started in Oregon’s first 30 games this season, only missing the final regular season game at Washington State this past Saturday.

The announcement is certainly shocking, but Richardson hasn’t looked himself lately. The senior got roughed up in the loss to No. 3 Arizona over two weeks ago, then sustained a head injury on Senior Night against No. 21 USC.

“He got hit in the head against USC, went through all the concussion protocol, everything was fine,” said Altman after the Ducks dropped the regular season finale to Washington State. “He just wasn’t feeling well.”

Oregon’s late season demise matches Richardson’s decline in play. Richardson is averaging 14.1 points per game on the season, but he’s only cracked double digit scoring once in his final three games of the regular season. In what may be his final regular season game for the Ducks, Richardson dropped a goose egg — zero points on 0-for-3 shooting from the floor.

The Ducks have been a confusing watch all year long. They have looked like a serious contender in the Pac-12 at times, sweeping No. 13 UCLA and upsetting USC on their home court. They've also looked far worse than Altman’s teams have in the past, getting swept by Arizona State and even losing to a mediocre Cal team at home.

After losing five of their final six games, Oregon needs four straight wins for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Without Richardson, the Ducks will need big-time performances from guards Jacob Young and De’vion Harmon to have a chance at the Big Dance.