Oregon set for hotly-contested rematch with Arizona in Tuscon

When Oregon and Arizona met in Eugene 20 days ago the Ducks were a team in need of a spark.

They sat at 8-5, had plummeted in the national rankings, and were still finding their footing after an injury crisis left them without their three top players for most of December.

Fast forward three weeks later, Oregon (14-5, 7-1) is one of the fastest-rising teams in the country. The Ducks are riding an eight-game winning steak that was, in large part, propelled by its 68-66 overtime win over the then-No. 7 Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 15.

When they meet again Friday at 7 p.m. at the McKale Center in Tuscon, there won’t be any love lost between two programs that have already delivered one uber-competitive matchup and are both in the hunt for a conference title.

“We’re a long ways away from where we want to be or where I think we can be,” Graves said Tuesday after the Ducks’ win over Arizona State. “I thought on Sunday and today we took two steps forward — and now we’ve gotta continue to do so. It doesn’t get any easier.”

There is, of course, an off-court element to this rivalry as well.

Graves and Arizona coach Adia Barnes made waves after Oregon’s win in Eugene when Barnes and a few Wildcat players alleged that Graves crossed a line by cursing and continually directing vulgar language at Barnes and the Arizona bench during the game.

After the game, Barnes flipped a middle finger in Graves’ direction.

She was later reprimanded by the Pac-12 for criticizing officials in her post-game press conference, and she took to Twitter to explain her side of the story.

Tonight was a battle! It was a very emotional game! I apologize for being out of character and letting my emotions get the best of me.

— ADIA BARNES COPPA 🐻⬇️🌵👨‍👨‍👧‍👦❤️💙 (@AdiaBarnes) January 16, 2022

“Despite the disrespect and being cussed at numerous times, I should have not responded back,” Barnes said in a later Tweet. “If you would choose to sit and get cussed at by a man that’s on you and what you are willing to tolerate. But I’m not that woman!”

Two days later, after Oregon’s win over UConn in Eugene, Graves said the incident was overblown.

On Tuesday, he did nothing to play up the rivalry and said he simply expects an intense, competitive environment with a raucous crowd.

“I don’t care if (Arizona’s fans) get on me, that’s fine,” Graves said. “Heck, when I first went back to St. Mary’s for the first time, they used to chant, ‘Hair club! Hair club! Hair Club!’ so I’m used to people getting on me, as long as they don’t get on my team.

“We’re gonna have to battle and we’re gonna have to be really, really good. They’re gonna be ready for us.”

If Barnes’ latest Tweet is any indicator, the McKale Center is sure to be rocking.

Over 10,000 sold! Let’s get to 12,000 k. Wear white and bring the heat!! Let’s go Tucson!!

— ADIA BARNES COPPA 🐻⬇️🌵👨‍👨‍👧‍👦❤️💙 (@AdiaBarnes) February 4, 2022

Oregon guard Te-Hina Paopao was asked Tuesday how much of a rivalry she feels there is between the Ducks and Wildcats at this point, and if there is any genuine dislike between the players.

“I think it’s gonna be just another rivalry game,” Paopao said with a slight smile. “We’re gonna have coach Kelly’s back and we’re gonna have each other’s backs. We’ve just gotta stay close and trust each other — we can’t let the fans or let the media get to us.”

Graves believes that his team has improved defensively since the Ducks and Wildcats met earlier this season. He said offensively, the Ducks are putting together longer stretches of good possessions and doing a better job of pushing the pace than they were at the start of January.

With Nyara Sabally, Endyia Rogers, and Paopao all back from their respective injuries, Oregon’s starting lineup now has a long stretch of games together and looks like a more cohesive group.

Graves believes the team is in better shape than it was when it beat the Wildcats and then-No. 9 UConn in a span of 48 hours.

Oregon may need all of those areas of improvement to shine through Friday if it hopes to take down an Arizona Squad that was riding a three-game winning streak before losing a close one at No. 2 Stanford on Sunday.

“The way the game finished here, they’re gonna be gung-ho to give us their absolute best,” Graves said. “I think it’s a great opportunity and a great test to see what we’re made of as a team.”