Flames Bring The Fire, But Ducks Have The Size – Oregon’s Matchup Breakdown Vs. Liberty

Oregon needs to take Liberty seriously. The Ducks hold the talent advantage in this contest, but the Flames are the sixth-best shooting team in the country, which makes them dangerous. The Ducks enter this matchup having lost to Michigan State in the Big Ten quarterfinals but won their previous eight games. LU received the automatic bid by winning the Conference USA Tournament; they also won the regular season title.

Leading UO is big man Nate Bittle. Bittle should be able to score against a Flames team undersized in the post. If he can control the game’s tempo, it will make it difficult for Liberty to get into a shooting frenzy. He’s the Ducks leader in points and rebounds, averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. 

Oregon’s second-leading scorer is Jackson Shelstad. Shelstad will likely prove the key to this matchup. Even though Bittle should be able to slow down the game, LU is going to make threes, and Shelstad will need to respond. If he plays a decent game, the Ducks should be in a good spot.

Another player to watch for UO is TJ Bamba. Bamba’s physicality on defense could bother Liberty players; the Flames likely haven’t gone against many players with his strength in Conference USA. He’s also the Ducks’ third-leading scorer, averaging 10.4 points per game.

The key to stopping Liberty should be slowing down Kaden Metheny. Metheny is an undersized guard who attempts 7.7 three-pointers a game at a 39 percent clip. He’s combined for 45 points in his last two contests and is averaging 13.5 points per game.

LU’s leading scorer, Taelon Peter, complements him or vice versa. Peter is an efficient player who shoots 58.6 percent from the field and 46 percent from three. He’s averaging 13.9 points per game. 

Another player to watch is Zach Cleveland. Cleveland isn’t a game-changer but offers a unique skill set and leads the team in assists at the forward position. He averages 5.1 assists per game.

Liberty is not the type of foe anyone wants to see in March, but Dana Altman’s experience should have Oregon prepared. The Flames might strike early and do some weird new-age taunts, but they don’t have the size to last the whole fight. The Ducks will play on Sunday.