Oregon Ducks vs. Gonzaga: Preview, Injuries

How to Watch Portland at Oregon

When: Sunday, Dec. 21, at 3:00 p.m. PT.

Where: Moda Center in Portland, Oregon

TV Broadcast: Peacock

Radio Call: Oregon Sports Network

Injuries

Oregon junior wing Devon Pryor has not played since Dec. 6 with an undisclosed injury. He averages 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Pryor will be a game-time decision against Gonzaga.

Oregon's Dana Altman vs. Gonzaga's Mark Few

Gonzaga coach Mark Few (ranked No. 21 with 753 career wins) and Altman (ranked tied for No. 15 with 786 career wins) are two of the winningest active coaches in college basketball.

Altman spoke on the upcoming matchup against the future Hall of Fame coach and his deep roster of Zags after the victory over the Pilots on Dec. 17. Few is an Oregon alum, class of 1987.

"We're gonna have to play our A-plus game," Altman said. "Gonzaga is a lot further along than us... they're well-coached, they're really talented, they're really deep."

Nine Zags average 17.0+ minutes per game while helping carry the team in several national categories:

No. 8 in rebounds per game - 44.0
No. 8 in field goal percentage - 52.5
Tied for No. 9 in assists per game - 20.0
No. 13 in points per game - 92.4
No. 16 in field goal percentage defense - 38.2
Tied for No. 35 in points allowed per game - 66.2

Few touched on Altman's team after taking care of the Campbell Fighting Camels on Dec. 17, 98-70.

"They're always really athletic," Few stated. "They get some really talented players; Jackson Shelstad, their point guard, he's a big shotmaker, and can really, really shoot it, and he's quick as heck. I think he'll play at the next level."

The all-time series between the two programs is led by the Ducks, 10-1. The last matchup between the two schools was won by Gonzaga at the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis semifinals in Nassau, Bahamas, 73-72.

Gonzaga Player to Watch For

Redshirt junior forward Braden Huff - team-leading 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds per game

The leftie has been one of the most efficient post scorers in the country this season. At 6-10, he's been on a tear down low as of late. Huff has scored 20+ points in six of the last eight outings.

Alongside graduate forward Graham Ike (17.0 points on a shooting split of 51.1 field goal percentage/36.8 three-point percentage/79.3 free-throw percentage, team-leading 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game), the pair make up one of the toughest frontcourt duos in the nation. Ike is being mentioned in the National Player of the Year conversation across various media outlets.

Senior center Nate Bittle (13.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks per game), who was recruited by Gonzaga out of high school, hasn't competed against someone like Huff or Ike this season. At 7-0, his ability to stretch out the floor at a 32.3 three-point percentage will come in handy when being defended by the likes of the Zags' bigs.

Can't forget about the third member of Oregon's key returnees with junior forward Kwame Evans Jr., who leads the Ducks in rebounding at 7/7 per game. He'll make his own impact when trying to defend Ike and Huff on the other end.

Oregon’s Key to Victory

Win the battle at the lead guard spot

The matchup at the point between junior Jackson Shelstad (team-leading 16.2 points on 39.7 percent shooting, 5.1 assists, 1.9 steals per game) and freshman Mario Saint-Supery (8.8 points, team-leading 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game) is the most intriguing to pay attention to due to their passion for directing an offense and facilitating each other's teammates into clean-looking scoring positions.

Both are going to be future NBA draft picks sometime down the road. Whoever is more productive at the position on Dec. 21 will have a better likelihood of coming out victorious at the Moda Center, the home of the Portland Trail Blazers. Many scouts from across the league will be in attendance to watch the two go at it.

Oregon's NET, KenPom Update

In the NET rankings, Oregon is No. 113 with a 0-2 record in Quad 1 opportunities and a 0-3 record in Quad 2 opportunities. As for KenPom, the Ducks are No. 79 with the 80th-ranked offense and 81st-ranked defense. The Pacific Northwest Showdown is a Quad 2 opportunity in a neutral environment for the Zags as of today.