Oregon point guard Johnathan Loyd spoke with reporters Friday afternoon regarding the men’s basketball game against Oregon State on Feb. 16. Loyd also discussed the Pit Crew and the full-court press.

You’ve been part of a lot of Civil Wars. Is this one extra special for you?

“It’s my final one. I’ve enjoyed it, all the Civil Wars. They’ve meant a lot and I know it means a lot to our fans so I want to go out on a good note against these guys.”

What did you see in game film from your first game with Oregon State?

“Took some bad shots on offense. We didn’t rebound the ball well at all either. Defensively we let them do what they wanted to do. We didn’t stay true to the scouting report so that’s something we’re going to focus on next game.”

Lately all these losses are by two points. Does that weigh on you? One play here or there can turn it around and you have wins instead of losses.

“Coach always says make those tough plays where we’re always getting beat in the final seconds and we just gotta make more special plays in order to come out on top. In the last one we got down by 20 against Arizona State and we ended up losing by two. That really hurt too.”

There’s guys like you who were part of that NCAA run last year. Should that help down the stretch as you position yourself to maybe get back there?

“There’s five or six of us that were here for the NCAA run so we gotta keep relaying coach’s message and telling them what we gotta do and how hard we truly gotta play in order to make that run happen.”

Will we see more of the press this week?

“Yeah. It’s proven to be a good weapon for us so I think we gotta utilize it a little more.”

That really got you guys back against ASU. Is that about as good as we’ve seen the press?

“The last time it worked that well was probably my sophomore year against UCLA. We were down 20 at half and we put the press on and came back. The press has helped us a lot, a lot, a lot so that’s something we’re gonna start using more I think.”

This is the 15-year anniversary of the Pit Crew. What does it mean to have the support of your student body and have the Pit Crew there?

“It means the world. In my four years they’ve been supporting me like crazy. Just having them in the stands when we’re doing well, they’re always there to pick us up. Even if we’re not doing well they’re gonna pick us up even more and we can feed off that. So I just want to be able to play hard and give the fans something to cheer about.”

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The No. 10 Oregon softball team beat Cal State Northridge 12-1 in five innings today to finish the Easton Desert Classic with a 5-0 record. The Ducks improved to 9-1 on the season and have won nine straight after losing their season opener to Cal Poly.

Oregon belted four homers in the game, accounting for five runs. Alexa Peterson started the power surge in the bottom of the first when she took Brianna Elder deep for her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to right. Kailee Cuico added one in the third with a solo home run to right, her second of the season.

Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Nikki Udria reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually scored on an error, one of three committed by the Matadors. Karine Shaver and Sara Goodrum also crossed the plate on the play to cap off a four-run inning.

With a 7-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth, Jamie Rae Sullivan collected her first hit of the season — a solo homer to center on a 2-2 pitch. Three batters later, Cuico brought home Peterson and Stevie Jo Knapp on a triple down the right field line. The extra base hit wrapped up a 2-for-3 day for Cuico in which she drove in three runs.

A Jasmine Smithson-Willett sacrifice fly and Koral Costa’s solo blast brought Oregon’s run total to five for the inning and 12 for the game, the sixth time Oregon has scored nine or more runs this season.

Despite the high run total, only one player (Cuico) recorded a multi-hit game. Five walks and the aforementioned errors were very beneficial to Oregon’s offense, which totaled just seven hits. Six players recorded an RBI for the Ducks.

Karissa Hovinga (4-0) gave up a run on three hits over four innings, walked none and struck out two. The junior’s ERA is down to a team-leading 1.68. Elder (3-2) got roughed up in her 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks. Daphne Pofek, Aliyah Ricks and Jordan Sauceda all allowed at least two runs in relief.

Cal State Northridge’s lone run came in the top of the fourth when Taylor Nate grounded out to third and scored Taylor Glover.

Oregon (9-1) travels to Cathedral City, Calif., for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic for five games.

Cal State Northridge (5-5) will join Oregon in the tournament, but the two teams will not play each other.

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The Oregon track and field team added 13 athletes to their roster for the 2015 on Wednesday.

The eight men and five women student-athletes accumulated 22 state championships in high school. Head coach Robert Johnson praised the overall talent of the class and added that there’s more to come in terms of recruiting.

“This is a very talented group which will continue to move our team forward,” Johnson told GoDucks.com. “This is just the beginning of the signing period, we have already hit the recruiting trail again and will continue to look for the right additions to our roster next year.”

Among the signees is Eugene native Liam Henshaw, who won 5A state championships in pole vault and long jump for Marist High School. Henshaw set the OSAA Championships meet record with his vault of 15 feet, 6 inches in 2013. He also competes in the decathlon and high jump.

Three of the athletes were already committed to the Oregon football program and will compete for both teams.

Running back Tony James will run the 100 meters, athlete Charles Nelson will compete in long jump after being the best long jumper in Florida and defensive back Khalil Oliver, who won the 110 meter hurdles state championship in Idaho and placed second in triple jump.

The other nine signees:

Sarah Baxter, Simi Valley, Calif., distance.

Alaysha Johnson, Houston, Texas, hurdles.

Ashlee Moore, Chandler, Ariz., multiple.

Raevyn Rogers, Houston, Texas, middle distance.

Ariana Washington, Signal Hills, Calif., sprints.

Blake Haney, Bakersfield, Calif., distance.

Jhett Janis, Stevens, Pa., javelin.

Kyle Levermore, Mahwah, NJ., distance.

Nate Moore, Freemont, Calif., jumps.

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Oregon and Oregon State conclude this year’s men’s basketball Civil War series on Sunday afternoon in Eugene. The Beavers won the first matchup 80-72 on Jan. 19.

What to watch for:

Oregon

Oregon has addressed its defensive struggles but has dropped off offensively. Once the highest scoring team in the nation, Oregon has fallen to 11th at 83.3 points per game — which still leads the conference. After scoring at least 80 points in 13 of its first 16 games, Oregon has failed to score 80 in each of its last five contests.

Another reason for Oregon’s recent struggles is its failure to finish games. Four of Oregon’s last six losses have been by two points. On the contrary, only two Oregon wins have been by four points or less. On Sunday and going forward, closing out close games will be a major key to success.

Oregon State

The Beavers have been a completely different team at home than on the road. At home Oregon State is 10-2 and scores 80.92 points per game. On the road the Beavers are 2-7 and scores 72.63 points per game.  

Oregon State boasts some major size but remains one of the worst rebounding teams in the country. Oregon State’s 797 total rebounds ranks 11th in the Pac-12 and 236th nationally.

Players to watch:

Oregon

Joseph Young put on a clinic in the second half of Oregon’s loss at Arizona State on Saturday, single-handedly bringing the Ducks back with 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting. Young is Oregon’s leading scorer and is fourth in conference for scoring and is good on defense as well. Young also leads Oregon in steals with 1.43 per game, which makes him seventh in conference.

Johnathan Loyd has had a very productive year for Oregon. The senior guard ranks fifth or better in conference in four categories including assists per game and assist to turnover ratio, and leads the conference with a 89.7  free throw line percentage.

Oregon State

Roberto Nelson is a scoring machine. He leads the conference in scoring at 21.5 points per game and dropped 22 in Oregon State’s win over the Ducks in January. He shoots well from the field (44.5 percent) and leads his team in assists.  

Getting Eric Moreland healthy was huge for Oregon State. In 11 games since returning from an injury, Moreland has been a rebounding machine — pulling down just under 10 boards per game while contributing 7.9 points per game. His 22 blocks already rank second on the team behind Collier.

Keys to victory:

Oregon

When applied, Oregon’s full court press has made a huge difference. UO head coach Dana Altman typically only uses it in the second half with the game on the line, but if used early and often against Oregon State, the Ducks could get a huge lead early because the Beavers commit 13.5 turnovers per game. 

Oregon State

Nelson and company rank first in conference and fifth nationally in three-point field goal shooting at 41.4 percent. If they can get their outside shooting going and limit turnovers, they can sweep their in-state rival for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Follow Madison Guernsey on Twitter @guernseymd

Every week, the Emerald sports staff will collect and post their favorite tweets from Oregon athletes, coaches, media, etc. Below are sports reporter Madison Guernsey’s favorites from Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Former Oregon defensive tackle Ryan Hagen:

is anyone else as upset as I am about M&M's changing the voice of the yellow M&M…or is that just me…

— Ryan Hagen (@HAGEN50) February 12, 2014

Men’s basketball guard Jalil Abdul-Bassit:

Everytime one of my txts dont send & it says "try again" I instantly hear Michael Blackson's voice from Next Friday.

— Jalil Abdul-Bassit (@JEazyBuckets) February 12, 2014

Wide receiver Eric Dungy:

Next time I go roller skating I'm trying to go in a full speed skating suit.. With the lil hood and everything ! Lol

— Eric Dungy (@Edee9teen) February 11, 2014

Offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone:

This girl in my class is rockin a zebra onesie. #rad

— Tyler Johnstone (@TJohnstone64) February 11, 2014

Offensive lineman Andre Yruretagoyena interacted with acrobatics and tumbling base Hannah Lichtenthaler:

@HannahLich maybe they think your last name is weird

— Andre Yruretagoyena (@ayruretagoyena) February 11, 2014

@HannahLich my last name is pronounced "brown"

— Andre Yruretagoyena (@ayruretagoyena) February 11, 2014

Running back Kenny Bassett:

Finally broke 100.. Yes I'm better than you pic.twitter.com/fAfUUbLiJ3

— Kenny Bassett (@KennyBassett) February 11, 2014

Acrobatics and tumbling base Alexis McCallister:

“@BestTextsPics: pic.twitter.com/HtuGqfXrst” @jaekirkland

— Alexis McCallister (@LexMcCall) February 12, 2014

Offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu going for gold in Sochi?

H qualifying for Sochi in Curling, but again, the @HeismanTrophy is the goal, not Gold. #GoDucks #H4H pic.twitter.com/HUdJflWzpL

— Hroniss Heisman (@Hroniss4Heisman) February 10, 2014

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At the end of college football’s National Signing Day, Oregon ended up with 21 commitments in total, four transfers and 17 freshmen.

Although there were no five-star recruits in the class, cornerback Arrion Springs and running back Royce Freeman were both highly recruited and were praised by head coach Mark Helfrich.

“Not the biggest guy on the field but a physical dude and off the field, a very quiet, humble type of guy,” Helfrich said of Springs.

“Great hands, great smile, just love everything about this guy,” he said of Freeman. “He’s a guy that’s been committed to us for a long time, and we fought off a lot of people who were beating down his door. Fast, physical, a lot of people compare him to Jonathan Stewart. A prototypical big back type of a guy.”

Freeman is a big back, unlike many ball carriers the Ducks have gone after in previous years. He checks in at six feet and 227 pounds and looks primed to help Oregon in short yardage situations, at the very least. But at this point, the amount he will be used is unknown with Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner returning next season.

“Having a little bit more of a thumper can absolutely help in goal line situations, short yardage situations and just being a heavy change up,” Helfrich said.

Much was made of Oregon’s inability to stop the run late last season. When Helfrich spoke about defensive tackle transfer Tui Talia he said the team’s defensive line “got a lot better today.” But when asked what he could have done differently, Helfrich admitted he would have liked one more big body.

“If we were gonna sit here today and have any one thing, another big guy offensively or defensively,” he said. “We had a few guys that we had targeted that, for whatever reason, didn’t work out from our end or didn’t work out from their end … we’ll kind of pocket that and go forward. Other than that, I thought our defensive line addressed that really well.”

The Ducks added players from many states, including Florida, Louisiana and Texas. But Helfrich said even a recruit’s relationship with a coach can’t overcome the distance disadvantage Oregon often faces.

“Distance is still the biggest factor we have to overcome,” Helfrich said. “Distance number one, winning number two.”

Before Helfrich’s press conference Wednesday afternoon, Oregon nearly struck gold but missed, as ESPN’s 24th overall prospect Juju Smith committed to USC over Oregon and Notre Dame.

“We’ve recruited against a bunch of guys, (USC) included and you win some, you lost some,” Helfrich said. “But we’re really happy about these guys. I’m sure my wife sits around each day wishing she married George Clooney or Brad Pitt or someone else and she moved on. We will too.”

Helfrich closed out his press conference the way he does best, but said that “all things considered, we’re really happy.”

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Mark Helfrich held a press conference this afternoon to talk about National Signing Day. Before fielding questions from the media, Helfrich gave a brief rundown of all 21 committed players for next season, beginning with the four transfers. Below are quotes from him on each player.

Dominique Harrison, CB, Tracy, Calif. (Contra Costa College): “Already on campus, really fast, physical, great transition, from back pedal and lateral movement to full speed is excellent … He’s a guy that has already made guys like Marcus (Mariota) come up to us and say, ‘Wait ’til you see this guy.’”

Haniteli Lousi, G, Fremont, Calif. (San Mateo College): “Love his everything. His feet, his finish, his passing game and run game are very polished. Physical guy, somebody who should come in spring practice and be an immediate high, at least put things in a highly competitive situation for a couple open spots.”

Tui Talia, DE, Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Diablo Valley College): “Keeps growing and growing. Would be a guy potentially serving as a defensive end or inside as nose tackle. Our D-line development got a lot better today.”

Johnny Ragin, ATH, Wilsonville, Ore. (California): “Already on campus, he’s done a great job of working hard. Athleticism, desire, everything we liked about him last year has shown up. Really good-looking kid. Has the potential to play all four linebacker spots.”

Jalen Brown, WR, Phoenix, Ariz.: “An early enrollee. Great kid from a great family. Captain of his team, played on undefeated championship team. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Arizona. Physical receiver, can go up and get the ball with strong hands. People walk around the building and say, ‘Wait ’til you see this kid.’ He’s a hard worker.”

Tanner Carew, LS, Chino Hills, Calif.: “Hopefully you never have to know his name too much being a long snapper. Just do your job and get out of the way. He reminds me a lot of Drew Howell just how he carries himself, always has a smile on his face. He was the greatest long snapper in the history of the world according to Chris Rubio, who’s kind of the national kicking and snapping guru.”

Tyrell Crosby, OT, Henderson, Nev.: “A three-sport captain in football, basketball and track. I had a chance to sit with his high school coach and watch him play basketball, had some dunks. He’s a guy with great urgency, power, young body that really has a chance to grow into exactly what we want: a big, fast, physical, versatile guy up front.”

Braden Eggert, OT, Napa, Calif.: “Enormous. Played both sides of the ball in high school, the same high school as John Boyett. With one year of development, strength and conditioning, getting in shape with how we practice, how we do things, I think this guy’s gonna explode.”

Royce Freeman, RB, Imperial, Calif.: “Unbelievable. Great kid, great family, great player. He was the team captain, broke Reggie Bush and Ricky Williams’ all-time section rushing records. Great hands, great smile, just love everything about this guy. He’s a guy that’s been committed to us for a long time, and we fought off a lot of people who were beating down his door. Fast, physical, a lot of people compare him to Jonathan Stewart. A prototypical big back type of a guy.”

Justin Hollins, DE, Arlington, Texas: “Same high school as the Amoako twins. He’s going to end up being something. Outside backer, maybe move out to d-end when he grows up. Fast, physical, neat kid, great family … every time we walked out of a home visit we looked at each other and said, ‘Yep, he’s our guy.’ These are our kind of people. That’s something that matters in a big way. He was a sub-10.8 electronic 100 meters. That big and that fast, we’ll see what that turns into.”

Glen Ihenacho, S, Gardena, Calif.: “Great pedigree. Reminds me of a young Ifo (Ekpre-Olomu) in his temperament. Very quiet, humble kid who can bring it. Physical guy, not the biggest guy on the field but he’ll hit you. He’s got great ball skills. A lot of people recruited him as an offensive player. Captain of his high school team. Really excited about Glen.”

Tony James, RB, Gainesville, Fla.: “First player at 4:44 a.m. Pacific (time) to get his (letter of intent) in. Great, versatile. He’ll be something. Tailback, slot receiver, returner. Sub-10.5 electronic 100 meters. Very excited about him as well.”

Jalen Jelks, DT, Phoenix, Ariz.: “Big, versatile athlete. North of 260 (pounds). Playing in another all-star game in Dallas, great looking kid. (Defensive) end or a nose (tackle) or a movement guy up front. A really long-armed kid, great desire. Team captain of his high school squad.”

Morgan Mahalak, QB, Kentfield, Calif.: “A kid we initially saw when we went to evaluate another guy. Morgan’s tough, competitive, a great look in his eye. A charismatic leader who can run and throw, great tight release. A really good decision maker. Already shown a bunch of leadership just in talking and recruiting in this class. Has been a real leader on the recruiting front.”

Austin Maloata, DT, Corona, Calif.: “Literally came to United States last April. Explosive. Really excited about this guy for his depth he can provide inside. Just a really naturally explosive, physical guy.”

Mattrell McGraw, S, River Ridge, La.: “Battled down to this morning. Captain of state championship team. The highlight of his recruitment was his grandma’s jambalaya.”

Henry Mondeaux, TE, Portland, Ore.: “A-la Taylor Hart-ish. A versatile big man that will figure out where he wants to play. He’s gone back and forth of wanting to play offense and wanting to play defense. Love this kid, great family, great character.”

Charles Nelson, ATH, Daytona Beach, Fla.: “Multi-sport freak. Unbelievable speed and change of direction. Sub-10.5 electronic 100 (meters,) over 24-foot long jump, over 46-(foot) triple jump. He had a knee injury his junior year and came back better than ever as a senior. Really mature guy that has a chance to have an immediate impact.”

Khalil Oliver, S, Meridian, Idaho: “Captain for two years. Really mature kid, fun guy to be around, great look in his eye. Wants to be a doctor. Just a very goal-oriented, very humble kid off the field and a great competitive desire on the field.”

Arrion Springs, CB, San Antonio, Texas: “He really has been, as far as our dealings, rock solid. A dynamic guy. He was rock solid to us the whole time. Very excited about Arrion. Not the biggest guy on the field but a physical dude and off the field, a very quiet, humble type of guy.”

Jimmie Swain, OLB, Olathe, Kan.: “Great kid. Big versatile guy. A 6-foot-3, 230-(pound)-ish something. Maybe an outside backer for us, potentially inside. Has the potential to help out immediately in a lot of ways: special teams or defensively. High character guy … one of our kind of guys.”

Follow Madison Guernsey on Twitter @guernseymd

Every week, the Emerald sports staff will collect and post their favorite tweets from Oregon athletes, coaches, media, etc. Below are sports reporter Madison Guernsey’s favorites from Tuesday, Feb. 4.

Former Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas:

HAHAH IM GOING TO MISS PLAYING IN THE BEST STADIUM IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL #AUTZEN#RUNDAT http://t.co/rFWomId8FQ

— DE'ANTHONY THOMAS (@RUNDAT2014) February 4, 2014

Oregon acrobatics and tumbling bask base Brianna Teitzel:

Come support @oregonacrotumb at our first meet next Thursday, Feb 13th at Matt Knight Arena!! #oregon… http://t.co/nOKYLBDd7p

— Brianna Teitzel (@BriannaTeitzel) February 4, 2014

Former Oregon wide receiver Josh Huff:

Somethin to ease my mind this AM. Life seems all to precious when you up in the air above the clouds. pic.twitter.com/Sk0o8bNhM4

— ChosenOne1_ (@Huff_Era_1) February 4, 2014

Oregon defensive back Chris Seisay:

Stealing https://t.co/p5448jWeT5

— Chris Seisay✨ (@Seeswaay) February 4, 2014

Former Oregon defensive lineman Ryan Hagen:

new life motto #WordsOfWisdom pic.twitter.com/jypTksnoGN

— Ryan Hagen (@HAGEN50) February 4, 2014

Oregon acrobatics and tumbling base Kaile Michaud:

I want my husband to see me as a panda in a room full of brown bears

— Kaile Michaud (@Shawtikay) February 4, 2014

Former Oregon offensive lineman Kyle Long:

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SIGNING DAY TOMORROW – DONT COMMIT TO A TEAM BECAUSE THEY HAVE SWEET JERSEYS.. GO BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE GREAT #LETSGODUX

— Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong) February 5, 2014

Former Oregon linebacker Michael Clay:

I'm a fish out of water out here on the east coast….further proves west coast is the best coast hands down

— Michael Clay (@mikeclay_46) February 5, 2014

Oregon Assistant Athletic Director Andy McNamara:

Only two #CFB programs saw their 2010 classes win at least 11 games all four years: @WinTheDay & @StanfordFball #GoDucks #Pac12NSD

— Andy McNamara (@McNamaraUO) February 4, 2014

USA Today columnist George Schroeder:

Wild is mild MT @JFowlerCBS: For wild recruiting story Oregon's Gary Campbell, $2.7 million casino jackpot, NCAA mess http://t.co/V4E9faG9jX

— George Schroeder (@GeorgeSchroeder) February 4, 2014

Duck Territory’s Matt Prehm:

In place of Brandon Ashley Sean Miller says 6-7 FR Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will start. He averages 8 points and 5 rebounds per game.

— Matt Prehm (@Prehmmr247) February 4, 2014

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To many, the Oregon men’s basketball team’s most valuable player is Joseph Young. He leads the team in scoring, plays a flashy brand of basketball with aggressive defense and can make a crowd erupt.

But another player who arguably contributes just as much and goes about his business just may be Oregon’s best. That man is Jason Calliste.

The fifth year transfer from Detroit plays like the veteran he is, limiting turnovers and only shooting when he has an open look. Though he has yet to start a game in an Oregon uniform, Calliste is third on the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game and averages 25.7 minutes per game — more than three Oregon starters.

Calliste is one of Oregon’s most consistent scorers having scored double-digit points in 14 of 21 contests, fewer than only Young, who’s done it 18 times, including each of the last six contests after dropping 18 in Oregon’s 78-66 win over USC Saturday night, the only Duck who’s done so.

“He’s consistent, knows how to play the game on and off the ball and he’s just a good player,” Young told reporters following Thursday’s night’s loss to UCLA, in reference to Calliste. “One of our best defenders.”

Saturday’s game against USC was a true testament to how valuable Calliste is to the Ducks. In 12 first half minutes, he shot 2-for-6 from the floor including 1-for-5 from three-point range and Oregon trailed by four.

In 15 second half minutes, Calliste scored a team-high 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, connecting on two of four three-point attempts and hitting three of four free throws en route to a much-needed 78-66 win at home, Oregon’s first home victory in conference play.

The poor-shooting first half was uncharacteristic of Calliste, who’s been lights out from all areas of the floor. Entering Saturday’s game, he led the Pac-12 in three point accuracy (54 percent) and free throw percentage (88.8 percent) and was shooting 53.2 percent overall from the field, better than just two Oregon players, Richard Amardi and Elgin Cook, neither of whom typically shoot from outside the paint.

Calliste has especially come on as of late. As aforementioned he’s scored 11 or more points in each of the last six contests, leading the team in scoring twice. But according to Calliste, scoring is something he’s accustomed to.

“My whole college career I’ve been a scorer so it’s kind of what I’m used to. Just trying to be more aggressive and pick my spots,” he said.

Even so, Calliste’s shooting percentages are vastly better than they were in any of his three years at Detroit, which he quietly attributed to “hours of work.”

When asked about Calliste’s value, head coach Dana Altman gave a long-winded answer, emphasizing his value to the university and the program off the court. Altman compared him to previous fifth year transfers Jay-R Strowbridge, Olu Ashaolu, Devoe Joseph and Arsalan Kazemi, pouring out compliment after compliment regarding their appreciation for the university. Altman added that Calliste and fellow transfer Mike Moser “have been great to work with,” and are “great with our younger players.”

“Jason’s been really fun to work with,” Altman said. “He’s all about the team. It’s nice to have guys appreciate what’s being done for them. Jason Calliste is a fine young man. He’s done a great job … he has represented Oregon basketball really well.”

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The first half of the Pac-12 basketball season is nearing a close, something both Oregon and USC are looking forward to.

The Trojans currently sit 11th in the conference after starting 1-7 against Pac-12 foes and have lost two straight nail biters, both in overtime. First year head coach Andy Enfield has struggled to find success with his new squad, which features four transfers. The team is shooting just 29.8 percent on three pointers and has a conference-worst turnover margin at negative 2.7. USC doesn’t do anything particularly well and has been especially bad on the road this season, winning one of seven games.

The Trojans are led by junior Byron Wesley. The 6-foot-5 guard leads the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game and has been one of few consistent shooters. Wesley oddly leads the team in rebounding, as well. With 6.9 boards per game, Wesley pulls down more rebounds than seven-footers D.J. Haley and Omar Oraby. The lack of a consistent team rebounding effort is one reason why USC has struggled this season, as is poor free throw shooting (66.1 percent) and the fact that they’ve been outscored by 2.6 points per game.

The aforementioned Oraby is a 7-foot-2 senior who transferred from Rice and averages a team-high 2.5 blocked shots per game. The native of Egypt was granted a hardship waiver last season.

The Ducks are also coming off an overtime loss, their sixth in conference play. After starting out 13-0, Oregon finds itself 10th in the Pac-12 and can’t seem to figure out how to right the ship.

The Ducks shoot well from the field and the free throw line. They’re fourth in the nation in points per game. But defense has been a huge weakness.

And it’s been well-documented. The losses of Tony Woods, Arsalan Kazemi and E.J. Singler have negatively affected the interior defense of this team in more ways than anyone could have fathomed. Perhaps the transfer-laden roster isn’t meshing as well as Dana Altman thought it would. Either way, Oregon is performing way under its capabilities.

Joseph Young’s scoring has cooled off a bit since the start of conference play, but he’s been automatic from the charity stripe, knocking down 44 of 45 free throws through eight games. Senior Jason Calliste has been Oregon’s breakout bench player, averaging 12.1 points per game in conference play and shooting lights out from the field (53.2 percent) and from beyond the arc (48.4 percent).

The Ducks have yet to record a Pac-12 win at home but will have another chance Saturday evening at Matthew Knight Arena. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.

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