The NCAA tournament usually features an upset of a 5-seed by a 12-seed and one of the most popular picks this year are the Oregon Ducks, who face off against Oklahoma State on Thursday afternoon in the second round from HP Pavilion at San Jose.
The Ducks were one of the hottest teams entering the tournament, having won the Pac-12 tournament title while coming in second place in the conference during the regular season. Burt despite being in the top 25 at the end of the year, the Ducks were stuck with a 12 seed in the west and now face a tough test against the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State has freshman and Big 12 player of the year Marcus Smart to lean on and they will need him to defeat a Ducks team that has played hot at the end of the year. The Cowboys went 24-8 during the season and came out of a tough Big 12.
"It definitely is motivation with the seed," said point guard Dominic Artis, who is happy for a homecoming to his native Bay Area. "But we still have to play a good team. Everybody in the tournament is a good team. The seed doesn't really matter."
Oklahoma State went 24-8 during the season, including 13-5 in the Big 12 while averaging over 70 points per game. The team ranked 95th in the nation in rebounding and shot 44 percent from the floor. The Cowboys lost to Kansas State in the Big 12 tournament but they will ready for the Ducks.
Oregon is one of the sleeper picks of the tournament after going 26-8, including 12-6 in the Pac-12 conference. The team can score in bunches after ranking 69th in the nation with over 70 points per game and are shooting over 44 percent from the field. The team ranks 52nd in rebounding and 151st in assist per game.
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Oklahoma State was not in the tournament over the past three years and now enters the postseason hot as well, as they finished the regular-season by winning 11 of their last 13 games. Smart has been the focal point, averaging 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.9 steals to lead the team. The Cowboys also have Markel Brown and outside shooter Phil Forte to add the buckets.
"They really complement each other very well," Ducks coach Dana Altman said. "One is a tremendous shooter, one has the mid-range game, and Smart makes them all a little bit better by his penetration and by the fact that he's physically imposing. He just physically can take games over."
