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College basketball week 8: 5 biggest takeaways

By Chris Stone

Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) shoots against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Omaha, NE, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson (1) shoots against the Creighton Bluejays at CenturyLink Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) cheers his team from the sideline in the second half against the USC Trojans at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Dillon Brooks (24) cheers his team from the sideline in the second half against the USC Trojans at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Oregon is the Final Four contender we thought it was

The last we heard from the Oregon Ducks, Dillon Brooks was busy nailing 3-pointers to end the UCLA Bruins’ unbeaten start to the season. Well, on Friday, the Ducks added another scalp to the pile, demolishing the USC Trojans and their undefeated record, 84-61, at Matthew Knight Arena.

The best news for Oregon is that Brooks finally looks to be rounding into form after recovering from his foot injury earlier in the year. Over the two contests and 59 minutes of playing time, the 6-foot-7 forward scored 51 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished out seven assists while shooting 6-for-12 from behind the arc.

The Ducks biggest offensive shortcoming has been their inability to shoot it from deep, but against UCLA and USC, they converted 38.0 percent of their 50 3-point attempts. If that figure keeps up — or anything close to it — then Oregon will be a much more formidable opponent as the season goes on.

Next: What we learned from Villanova's win over Creighton

This is a team that entered the season ranked in the top five nationally, but fell sharply in the polls after a pair of early losses. As the Ducks have slowly figured out their new identity without Dwayne Benjamin and Elgin Cook, they have come to look like the Final Four contenders that everybody thought they could be.