Oregon Needs Wins Over No. 9 WSU, Huskies to Secure NCAA Tournament Bid

Just three games separate the six teams between third and seventh places in the Pac-10.

Aaron Brooks leads the Pac-10 in scoring at 17.6 points per game. Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE - No. 23 Oregon returns home for the final three games of the regular season. That stretch begins Thursday, at 8:00 PM against No. 9 Washington State.

That game was moved to an 8:00 PM tip to accommodate a Fox Sports Net national telecast.

The weekend continues with Washington on Saturday, at 7:30 PM.

Tajuan Porter is on the verge of breaking the Pac-10 freshman record for three-pointers in a season.

The Detroit, Mich., native has 74 three pointers, eight behind UCLA’s Jason Kapono, who knocked in 82 in 2000.

He could also threaten the UO single season record of 94 set by Orlando Williams in 1994-95.

Regaining the Pac-10 scoring lead (17.6 ppg) by netting 25 points at Stanford last Saturday, senior guard Aaron Brooks has also been Oregon’s top rebounder in each of the last three games.

Just three games separate the six teams between third and seventh places in the Pac-10.

Stanford and USC are third at 9-5, Oregon and Arizona are fifth at 8-7 and Washington and California are seventh at 6-8.

Oregon leads the Pac-10 and ranks 11th nationally in three-point field goals per game (9.3).

The Ducks are also second in the conference and 16th nationally in free throw percentage (.750).

Oregon has a 73-19 record at McArthur Court over the last six seasons.

This year’s 13 home wins are tied for the fifth-most in the history of the venerable 80-year-old facility.

Oregon is 18-2 when the opponent shoots below 50 percent from the field and 2-5 when foes top 50 percent.

Oregon is 4-2 against top 25 teams in 2006-07, having knocked off No. 18 Georgetown (Nov. 29th), No. 1 UCLA (Jan. 6th), No. 10 Arizona (Jan. 14th) and No. 20 Washington State (Jan. 27th).

The Ducks last defeated four ranked teams in the same year during the 2001-02 season, when Oregon beat six ranked foes on the way to the Pac-10 Championship.

The Ducks last toppled two top 10 teams in 1976-77 (No. 7 UCLA, No. 3 UCLA) Oregon has never defeated three top-10 teams in the same season.

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