March Madness is finally upon us. On Friday morning, No. 3 seed Oregon (29-5) and No. 14 seed Iona (22-12) will face off in the first round of the Midwest bracket. The Ducks are looking to bounce back from their loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament Championship

A look at both teams heading into Friday’s matchup

— Oregon will have its hands full with a talented Iona offense. The Gaels average 80.5 points per game and shoot 39.7 percent — the 16th best mark in the country — from three. They also get to the line about 20 times per game, where they shoot 77 percent.

— A key to slowing Iona’s offense will be holding senior Jordan Washington in check. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 17.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and is by far Iona’s best offensive weapon. Even as an undersized forward, Washington dominates the post and has a nice face-up midrange game. He doesn’t step outside the paint much but if he gets going on offense Oregon will be forced to defend inside and out.

— Iona also boasts several talented reserves. Sam Cassell Jr. — yes, his dad is that Sam Cassell — and Jon Severe both average about 11 points per game and combine for four 3-pointers a game off the bench.

— While Iona can fill it up on offense, its defense remains suspect. The Gael’s defensive efficiency is ranked 204th in the country and they give up 76.4 points per game.

— With a week of practice under its belt without Chris Boucher, Oregon should be emotionally and mentally ready to carry on without its senior leader. Even still, Boucher will be missed mightily on both ends of the floor. With one less shooting threat, opponents will be able to clog the lane more which will make driving more difficult for Oregon’s guards. Jordan Bell will also need to pick up the slack defensively now that his shot-blocking partner is finished for the year.

— Look for Kavell Bigby-Williams to get more minutes now that Boucher is out. The junior has averaged less than 10 minutes per game this year but fulfills the same rim protecting role that Boucher has left vacant. He’s still raw on the offensive end but his ability to clean up the boards and alter shots more than make up for it.

— All things considered, Iona is a very favorable matchup for Oregon. The Gaels offense revolves around 3-pointers and their defense is subpar. If the Ducks can hit their 3-pointers, hold Washington in check, and at least limit the Gaels on the boards, then Oregon should find themselves moving on.

Oregon vs. Iona game info

Time: 11 a.m. (PT)
Where: Golden1 Center, Sacramento
TV: TBS
Radio: Oregon IMG Sports Network (95.3 FM KUJZ in Springfield/Eugene)

Projected starters

Oregon

G Payton Pritchard (7.5 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.3 rpg)

G Tyler Dorsey (13.3 ppg, 3.3 rbg)

G Dylan Ennis (11.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 apg)

F Jordan Bell (10.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg)

F Dillon Brooks (16.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg)

Iona

G Rickey McGill (10.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

G/F EJ Crawford (9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

G Schadrac Casimir (7.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

G Deyshonee Much (9.3 ppg. 3.6 rpg)

F Jordan Washington (17.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg)

Follow Gus Morris on Twitter @JustGusMorris

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