Oregon making it to the Final 4 not surprising

March Madness is a time full of upsets and unexpected finishes. However, Oregon making it to the Final 4 and almost winning the tournament should not have been surprising.

In the previous season the Ducks won the Pac-12 tournament and made the tournament as the one seed. They breezed through the competition, including perennial powerhouse Duke before losing to Oklahoma in the Elite 8.

With returning star players Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey, and Jordan Bell, Oregon had the experience and talent to make a deep run in the tournament.

Given the 3 seed in the Midwest side of the bracket, the Ducks would most likely have to face 2-seeded Louisville who is known for their strong defense, and 1-seeded Kansas who many picked to win the whole tournament.

Oregon started the tournament off beating 14-seeded Iona in a 93-77 route. Tyler Dorsey was the leading score for 24 and Jordan Bell with 10 rebounds. A very impressive performance by the two that would foreshadow the rest of the tournament.

Next up Oregon took on #11 Rhode Island, the winner of the A-10 tournament who had just upset Creighton. This game was a tale of two halves as Rhode Island as they picked up a 46-38 lead with some hot shooting. Dorsey and Bell came up big again when the game was tied at 72 entering the final minute when Bell came up with a crucial steal to set up Dorsey’s game-winning 3-point shot with 38 seconds left. Dorsey was 9/10 from the field with a game high 27, and star Dillon Brooks struggled with his shot going 7/20 from the field.

Oregon then met up with Michigan in the sweet 16. Michigan has just busted a lot of brackets by overcoming 2-seeded Louisville. This highly competitive game featured 20 lead changes, however the Wolverines were unable to convert on a three in the final seconds of the game. The Ducks escaped with a victory winning 69-68 with Dorsey (20 points) and Bell (13 rebounds) again putting the team on their backs.

Next up Oregon faced 1-seeded Kansas who had looked unstoppable, beating the past three teams by 20 points or more. Kansas led by college player of the year and senior Frank Mason, stud freshmen Josh Jackson, and a lot of veterans made for a scary matchup. One thing they didn’t prepare for was the wall that Jordan Bell was in that game. He put up 11 points, a game-high 13 rebounds, four assists and eight blocked shots. This dominating performance along with the 1-2 punch of Dorsey’s 27 and Brooks’ 17 points, Oregon thumped Kansas, beating the Jayhawks by a final score of 74-60.

On the other side of the bracket North Carolina had just gotten the best of Kentucky 75-73, winning on a last second shot that broke the tie. North Carolina is looking to go back to the championship for the second consecutive year and has veterans with a lot of tournament experience. Oregon had just reached its 2^nd final 4 appearance since 1939. History aside this game would come down to the wire like many of the Ducks’ games this tournament.

It all came down to the last seconds with Keith Smith’s layup that put Oregon within 1 with 7 seconds left. Kennedy Meeks then got fouled and rimmed out both shots, then Joel Berry got fouled after getting the rebound. He too would surprisingly miss both too. On the last free throw, Meeks using his massive frame got the best of Bell getting the offensive board and tossing it out to Theo Pinson to run out the clock. It was an ugly finish to the game, and one without Oregon having a chance to win was a tough pill to swallow. Dorsey led the team in scoring again with 21, and Bell had 16 boards, but Kennedy Meeks had the biggest game of his college career with 25 points and 14 rebounds.

The game came down to the wire but ended with the Tar Heels prevailing 77-76, making the championship and eventually winning it all by besting Gonzaga.

Overall this was a tournament for the ages for Oregon. Tyler Dorsey averaged 23.8 point in the tournament, and Jordan Bell improved his draft stock with his shot blocking and rebounding. Dillon Brooks’ struggles in the tournament won’t be forgotten, however he was the reason Oregon was in the position it was in, and was the leading scorer and emotional leader for this team. All three of these players have declared for the NBA draft, so it will be interesting to see how Oregon plays next year with new faces leading its team in the stacked Pac-12.