5 Bold Predictions for No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State

By Seth Lassen

5 Bold Predictions for Oregon vs. Oklahoma State

Oregon Joseph Young — The Oregon Ducks of the Pac-12 and the Oklahoma State Cowboys of the Big-12 are set to face off on Friday night in Omaha, Nebraska. Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young leads Oregon, while the duo of Le'Bryan Nash and Phil Forte pace the Cowboys. This should be one of the most closely-contested games of the round of 64.

5. Joseph Young Scores 35 Points

Joseph Young

5. Joseph Young Scores 35 Points

Joseph Young — Joseph Young was the Pac-12 Player of the Year and rightfully so. The Oregon guard averaged 20.2 points per game and led the Ducks to the Pac-12 Tournament championship game. He's nearly impossible to stop when he gets hot and could easily drop 35 on the Cowboys.

4. Michael Cobbins Block 5 Shots in First Half

Michael Cobbins

4. Michael Cobbins Block 5 Shots in First Half

Michael Cobbins — As a team, Oklahoma State blocks the 22nd most shots in the country, and big man Michael Cobbins is a big reason for that. The 6-foot-8 senior leads the team with 1.9 blocks per game and alters a lot more than just that. The Ducks will need to change their gameplan during halftime after Cobbins swats away shot after shot in the early going.

3. Game Goes to Overtime

Lon Kruger

3. Game Goes to Overtime

Lon Kruger — It is the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game after all, so as expected, this matchup will be close throughout. I'm thinking Joseph Young hits a contested three to tie the ballgame up at the buzzer and add five minutes more to the madness.

2. Forte and Nash Each Score 20-Plus Points

Phil Forte

2. Forte and Nash Each Score 20-Plus Points

Phil Forte — Phil Forte and Le'Bryan Nash are the two key cogs for Oklahoma State. No other players on the roster have double-digit scoring averages and Forte and Nash will need to be at their absolute best for the Cowboys to advance past Oregon.

1. Oklahoma State Narrowly Advances

Oklahoma State Mascot

1. Oklahoma State Narrowly Advances

Oklahoma State Mascot — As I predicted earlier, I think this game is all tied up after 40 minutes and heads to overtime. Oregon point guard Joseph Young will tire down and the duo of Nash and Forte will ultimately push Oklahoma State to the finish line.

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Oklahoma State Cowboys

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Oregon Ducks

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