ANAHEIM, California — No. 1 Oregon knows it will have to stop OU’s Buddy Hield if it wants to advance to the Final Four, but the Ducks say they won’t change their defensive style.
“We don’t want to change the way we were playing,” Oregon forward Chris Boucher said. “The way we were playing, it (brought) us to where we are right now. We’re trying to stay focused on what we do and just change the little stuff."
Oregon’s defense has been shaky at times this season — the Ducks are No. 35 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating — but has been stellar in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon has yet to allow 70 points in the Big Dance.
But the Ducks also concede they haven’t seen an offense like Oklahoma’s this season.
“We haven't seen a team like this with a core group that's been there for all four years,” Oregon forward Dillon brooks said. “And we've never seen a player who shoots the ball like Buddy Hield.”
The closest comparison for the Ducks might be Washington’s Andrew Andrews. The Huskies’ guard was the Pac-12’s only player to average 20 points per game this season. In his two meetings with the Ducks, he scored 21 and 19 points — both wins for the Ducks.
But Hield presents a special set of challenges for the Ducks as a scorer. The OU senior averaged 25 points per game in the regular season, the second best total in the country. Since the postseason began, Hield has only bolstered his scoring résumé.
“He’s got confidence and he’s got the ultimate green light,” Oregon forward Dillon Brooks said. “He shoots it from anywhere. You’ve got to always be pressuring him regardless. He’s always looking for a shot.
“I feel like Elgin (Cook), me and Dwayne (Benjamin) have our hands full, but we’re ready for a challenge.”
But as No. 3 Texas A&M found out on Thursday, stopping Buddy Hield isn’t the only priority. OU guards Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins made the Aggies pay for giving Hield too much attention on the perimeter.
Woodard had 22 points on 11 shots and while Cousins had a poor shooting night, he was able to contribute with eight assists.
“Isaiah and the other guards can all hit a lot of threes,” Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey said. “We can’t just focus on Buddy Hield because they all can shoot it.”
Oregon and Oklahoma’s styles are very similar. While the Ducks don’t have a prolific scorer like the Sooners do in Hield, they are more than capable of shooting the three.
The Ducks made 128 threes during the regular season, tied for fourth among Pac-12 schools.
“They are shooting as well as we do, so it’s probably going to come down to the defensive end. We just have to put more pressure on them and run them off the line.”
