The Pac-12 is in danger of sending just three teams to this year's NCAA Tournament after five squads earned the opportunity for the Big Dance last season. Oregon, however, can keep its fading hopes of being the conference's fourth at-large worthy team alive with a win at Washington State on Saturday as the Ducks face the Cougars at 4 p.m. ET on CBS in a game that will conclude the regular season for both teams.
Sweeping the Cougars (17-13, 10-9 Pac-12) won't be easy for Oregon (18-12, 11-8). When these teams met at Oregon on Feb. 14, Washington State staged a furious late rally and had two shots at a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds before the Ducks escaped with a 62-59 win. That loss came in the middle of a five-game losing streak for Washington State, which has since stabilized with three wins in its last four games.
Oregon has flashed high-end potential at times this season with a sweep of UCLA and a win at USC. But overcoming a lackluster nonconference performance and an 0-2 start to league play has proven difficult for the Ducks, which have relapsed into mediocrity in recent weeks with four losses in their last five games. The latest defeat came Thursday in a 78-67 loss at Washington that bumped the Ducks to the bottom of CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm's bubble.
Veteran coach Dana Altman's squads have a way of rallying late. But if Oregon is going to make any noise this month, a win here feels like a must.
How to watch Oregon vs. Washington State live
Date: Saturday, March 5 | Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Beasley Coliseum -- Pullman, Washington
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App
Oregon vs. Washington State prediction, picks
Oregon is playing for its NCAA Tournament life and desperately needs a win to have any faint hope of at-large candidacy entering next week's Pac-12 Tournament. Washington State nearly took down the Ducks on the road on Feb. 14, but the Cougars have struggled to get over the hump against quality foes this season. Look for Oregon to get a close victory. Prediction: Oregon 70, Washington State 68
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