What to know about Oregon men's basketball vs. Tennessee State
Tennessee State (3-0) at Oregon (2-0)
Time/date: 6 p.m., Friday
Site: Matthew Knight Arena
TV: Pac-12 Networks. Radio: KUJZ-FM (95.3).
About the matchup: The game is part of the Emerald Coast Classic Tournament that will continue for the Ducks over Thanksgiving weekend when they play Santa Clara (Nov. 24) and either Alabama or Ohio State (Nov. 25) at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida. Friday's game is the first meeting between Oregon and Tennessee State and will be the Ducks' last home game until Dec. 2 when Michigan comes to Matthew Knight Arena.
About the Ducks: The status of N'Faly Dante was still up in the air as of Tuesday when the starting center missed practice and instead had an appointment with medical staff for a look at his sore knee. Dante, who had 16 points and 21 rebounds in the season-opening win against Georgia, didn't play in Oregon's second game, a victory against Montana on Nov. 10. Guard Jesse Zarzuela, who started against the Bulldogs but who also missed the game against the Grizzlies, is expected back, coach Dana Altman said. Injured freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad is not expected to play. Center Nate Bittle is off to a great start with averages of 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds. One area that needs to improve for the Ducks is free-throw shooting as they've made just 52.6% from the line (30-for-57).
About the Tigers: Tennessee State continued its undefeated start to the season with a 75-65 win against Portland in the Chiles Center Wednesday night. The Tigers aren't a big team, with 6-11 starting center Jason Jitoboh the only player taller than 6-6 in the regular rotation. Jitoboh is productive though, averaging 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and with seven blocks overall. How they handle Oregon's much bigger lineup will be key. The Tigers' guards — led by Christian Brown (20.0 ppg) — are solid shooters as the team is making 38.7% from 3-point range (24-for-62) and 46.4% from the field overall.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks men's basketball to host Tennessee State Tigers
