Previewing No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Oregon: Date, Time, Players to Watch

Both teams in this first-round showdown were expected to make the NCAA Tournament this season, but their respective paths to qualification took very different turns.

The Badgers marched through their Big Ten slate comfortably to earn an at-large berth while the Ducks had to secure the automatic bid in the Pac-12 Tournament. Wisconsin and Oregon recently met in back-to-back NCAA tourneys in 2014 and 2015, with the Badgers taking both games.

Overview

Date/Time: Friday, March 22, 4:30 PM ET

kenpom.com projection: Wisconsin def. Oregon 61-56

Betting Line: Wisconsin -1.5 (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)

No. 5 seed Wisconsin

Coach: Greg Gard

Record: 23-10 (14-6)

Conference tournament finish: Lost in semifinals

Player to Watch: Ethan Happ

After a tough 2017-18 season, the Badgers responded with a 23-10 campaign that was fueled by Happ’s play. He averaged 17.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game to lead Wisconsin. With the absence of Bol Bol on the other side for Oregon, Happ should see plenty of good looks in this game.

The Badgers are third in defensive efficiency according to kenpom.com. They mostly play physical, man-to-man defense and close down opponents on the perimeter. Wisconsin has traditionally slowed down the game and won with defense and this year’s team is no different — the Badgers are ranked 332nd in tempo according to kenpom.com.

Wisconsin has three strong perimeter shooters surrounding Happ on offense. Brad Davison, D’Mitrik Trice and Nate Reuvers all shoot better than 36 percent from 3-point range and have contributed to an offense ranked 52nd in efficiency, a 30-spot jump from a season ago.

The Badgers have wins over Michigan, Maryland and Iowa to go with non-conference triumphs over Oklahoma and NC State. They have been battle-tested and are ready to tire opponents in the tournament.

[RELATED: Print Your 2019 NCAA Tournament Bracket]

No. 12 seed Oregon

Coach: Dana Altman

Record: 23-12 (10-8)

Conference tournament finish: Won Pac-12

Player to Watch: Payton Pritchard

Bol Bol went down nine games into a season that was supposed to have Oregon competing for a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament, which led to the Ducks relying on their other heralded recruits, who struggled throughout much of the year.

But Pritchard and Louis King woke up late in the season and carried the team in the Pac-12 Tournament.

King averaged 16.5 points per game during the conference tournament, but remember that Pritchard is the key to Oregon’s offense. He’s responsible for most of the creation on that end and it showed last week, as Pritchard averaged 16.3 points and 5.5 assists per game in the conference tournament, helping the Ducks win the automatic bid. Both players will need to be on point against Wisconsin’s stingy defense.

The Ducks play surprisingly slow, ranking 328th in tempo. They do carry the 18th best defensive efficiency into the matchup, according to kenpom.com.

Oregon’s offense has been humming recently, but seniors Paul White and Ehab Amin will need to step up to take the pressure off King and Pritchard. It’ll be hard to win this matchup without Bol Bol, but Oregon has confidence from its conference tournament run, and Altman is one of the best coaches in the game.

MORE: 2019 NCAA Tournament Schedule, Dates, Times, Locations