NCAA Midwest Game Preview: #3 Oregon Ready to Fly with #11 Eagles

Oregon is now 10-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

Aaron Brooks led Oregon to the NCAA Tournament's second round. Photo: goducks.com

Spokane, Wash. - Third-seeded Oregon will take on 11th seeded Winthrop in an NCAA Tournament Second Round game on Sunday, at 11:50 AM in Spokane, Wash.

The winner of that game earns a trip to the Sweet 16 in St. Louis, Mo.

On Friday, Winthrop's Craig Bradshaw and Torrell Martin combined for 44 Points to lead No. 11 Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament win, and upset over the No. 6 Fighting Irish 74-64.

Oregon is now 10-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 4-5 in opening games.

The Ducks are making their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and fourth under current coach Ernie Kent.

The Ducks last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, losing as a No. 8-seed in the first round to Utah 60-58.

The year before that (2002) as a No. 2 seed, the Pac-10 regular season champion Ducks advanced to the Elite Eight, defeating Montana, Wake Forest and Texas before falling to top-seeded Kansas.

It was Oregon’s first appearance in the Regional Final in 42 years.

The Ducks also have NCAA appearances in 2000, 1995, 1961 and 1960.

Oregon won the very first NCAA Championship in 1939 (defeating Ohio State, 46-33), and the leading scorer in that game (16 points) Ret. Navy RAdmr.

John Dick, a UO season ticket holder who attends nearly every home game, has accompanied the team to Spokane.

Both Winthrop, of the Big South Conference, and Oregon qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning their respective conference tournaments.

The Ducks are now the only team to have won the Pac-10 tournament twice since it was brought back in 2002.

Oregon and Winthrop have met once previously, and many players who saw action in that game will be in uniform Sunday.

In fact, nine of Sunday’s 10 projected starters played in the previous meeting, a 71-56 Duck win on Dec. 22nd, 2004, at Eugene.

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