College Basketball Championship Week 2017: 5 biggest takeaways

By Chris Stone | Mar 12, 2017

Mar 11, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Grayson Allen (3) cuts the net after defeating against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the ACC Conference Tournament Final at Barclays Center. Duke Blue Devils won 75-69. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

5 of 5

Feb 25, 2017; Stanford, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Chris Boucher (25) attempts to shoot the ball during the second half of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Stanford Cardinal with a score of 75-73. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /

Losing Chris Boucher hurts for Oregon

Prior to the Pac-12 tournament final, word trickled out that Oregon’s Chris Boucher had suffered a torn ACL, taking him out of action for the remainder of the season. The injury to the Oregon senior will force the Ducks to make significant adjustments to their rotations going forward.

The most likely replacement for Boucher’s minutes is junior Kavell Bigby-Williams. The 6-foot-11 forward played 14 minutes in the Pac-12 final, scoring three points, grabbing three rebounds and blocking two shots. As a like-for-like replacement, Bigby-Williams can directly replace Boucher’s rebounding and rim protection without much of a drop off for the Ducks, but there are other things he won’t be able to replicate.

Boucher is a unique player. As a 34.7 percent 3-point shooter, he allows a team to spread the floor without sacrificing much in the way of size. He also has a paltry 11.3 percent turnover rate, which helped Oregon value its offensive possessions. Finding a player who can replicate his unique set of skills — rebounding, shot blocking and shooting — simply isn’t possible with the Ducks’ current roster, but Bigby-WIlliams will have to do.

Oregon will also likely play small for more minutes in March with Dillon Brooks at power forward and Jordan Bell at center. That lineup has the same potential to spread the floor that Boucher provides and allows Brooks to create significant mismatches at the four.

Home/March Madness