Boucher's absence felt big time in Oregon's loss to Arizona
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Oregon better get used to life without Chris Boucher, and quickly, because the Ducks' next game will take place in the NCAA tournament, and they looked completely out of sorts without their senior center in the Pac-12 championship.
Boucher was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL on Saturday, hours before the Ducks lost 83-80 to Arizona.
To call Boucher a dominant offensive force would be hyperbole, but his importance can't be undersold. The 6-foot-10 Canadian cleans up around the basket and knocks down enough outside shots to keep defenses honest.
It's on the other end of the floor that he'll be missed most, however. Too often against Arizona, the Ducks struggled to defend the paint. The Wildcats' four bigs - Lauri Markkanen, Keanu Pinder, Chance Comanche, and Dusan Ristic - went a combined 13-of-15 from the floor.
Boucher and his team-leading 2.5 blocks per game would've helped, along with his rebounding ability. The Ducks were outmatched 35-25 on the glass.
Perhaps Oregon's performance on Saturday night was more about the initial shock of losing such an important player for the rest of the season, rather than an indication of what's to come.
Oregon coach Dana Altman admitted his team was distraught over the Boucher news upon learning of his injury Saturday morning, and that players looked uncharacteristically lethargic in shootaround considering the magnitude of the upcoming game.
Fellow Canadian Dillon Brooks called his compatriot's loss heartbreaking.
Still, Oregon better get over it, or the Ducks' stay in the NCAA tournament - like Boucher's season - could be cut short.