Michigan has a chance to string three wins together for the first time since January 12th as it hosts Oregon (6:30 p.m., BTN) at the Crisler Center. The Wolverines battled through close wins over Penn State and Rutgers last week to stay in the thick of the conference race. Now, they are tied in the loss column at the top and have to defend home court to stay there.
Oregon has the biggest disconnect between resume and quality in the Big Ten. In November, the Ducks beat Texas A&M, San Diego State, and Alabama over one week in Vegas, which helped them put together one of the most impressive resumes in the country. Oregon is 8-4 in Q1 games, the country’s second-best tally of signature victories.
However, the predictive metrics have constantly lagged behind Oregon’s achievements. According to KenPom, Oregon ranks 37th nationally, with an offense and defense just inside the top 50. The Ducks are 16-6 (5-6 Big Ten) but have lost four of their last five.
Oregon might have the best resume in the Big Ten, but it is just the ninth-highest-rated Big Ten team, per KenPom. That rating was easy enough to ignore when Oregon was 15-2, but after losing four of five games and suffering four league home defeats, tempo-free reality has snuck up on Dana Altman’s squad.
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