Two teams who desperately need a win will meet Saturday, when Oregon plays host to Washington in a contest of teams from the Pac-12 looking to avoid three-game losing streaks. The Ducks (9-4, 4-3 Pac-12) will be playing their second game since a COVID-19 pause, while the Huskies (3-13, 2-9) are looking to bounce back from a couple of poor defensive performances that came on the heels of a two-game winning streak.

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For the sake of the Pac-12, an Oregon win would be best. The league currently has five teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament, according to CBS Sports Bracketology expert Jerry Palm. That would be a marked improvement from the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Tournaments, when the league sent just three teams. But a home loss against Washington would count as a Quad 4 loss for the Ducks, marking their first Quad 4 defeat of the season and putting their hopes for an at-large bid in jeopardy.

But the Huskies — in spite of their season-long struggles — have shown the ability to get hot from 3-point range and pull upsets, which means this game could end up a lot closer than the 14-point spread suggests.

Itching for more college hoops analysis? Listen below and subscribe to the Eye on College Basketball podcast where we take you beyond the hardwood with insider information and instant reactions.

Two teams who desperately need a win will meet Saturday, when Oregon plays host to Washington in a contest of teams from the Pac-12 looking to avoid three-game losing streaks. The Ducks (9-4, 4-3 Pac-12) will be playing their second game since a COVID-19 pause, while the Huskies (3-13, 2-9) are looking to bounce back from a couple of poor defensive performances that came on the heels of a two-game winning streak.

For the sake of the Pac-12, an Oregon win would be best. The league currently has five teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament, according to CBS Sports Bracketology expert Jerry Palm. That would be a marked improvement from the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Tournaments, when the league sent just three teams. But a home loss against Washington would count as a Quad 4 loss for the Ducks, marking their first Quad 4 defeat of the season and putting their hopes for an at-large bid in jeopardy.

But the Huskies — in spite of their season-long struggles — have shown the ability to get hot from 3-point range and pull upsets, which means this game could end up a lot closer than the 14-point spread suggests.

Itching for more college hoops analysis? Listen below and subscribe to the Eye on College Basketball podcast where we take you beyond the hardwood with insider information and instant reactions.