The Webfoots,[n 1] coached by Howard Hobson, played in the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) and compiled a 29–5 win–loss record in regular and postseason competition.

Known for their fast break offense, Oregon's players were nicknamed the "Tall Firs" and held a height advantage over most teams.

Oregon won 10 consecutive games at one point in PCC competition, and clinched a Northern Division championship with a win in the next-to-last contest of the regular season.

At the first NCAA tournament final, versus Ohio State, the Webfoots claimed a 46–33 victory behind a game-high 15 points by John H. Dick.

The Webfoots were led by Lauren Gale, who was the PCC North division's leader in scoring with 12.5 points per game in conference play; his overall average was 12.4.

"[3] Oregon's entire starting lineup returned from the 1937–38 team that had lost in the conference championship playoff;[4] it included 6'8" center Slim Wintermute, who was known for his shot-blocking ability.

[4] Oregon's fast break was unique among West Coast basketball teams, who were not accustomed to facing such an offensive style.

[12] Hobson frequently tracked Oregon's attempted shots in both competition and practice sessions, and built the offense around his players' strengths.

[14] Following those games, the Webfoots embarked on a long trip through the Eastern United States; they were the first college basketball team from the West Coast to do so.

[8] In scheduling the extended trip away from Oregon, Hobson sought to show the team "different styles of play and officiating" and help them prepare for games later in the season.

Oregon had a poor start to the game; according to the Sporting News, the team was "confused by officials' interpretation of legal and illegal screens to the moving picks set by City College of New York.

[14] In the next game, against an undefeated Wayne State team, the Webfoots entered halftime tied at 22–22 and needed a late burst of scoring, led by Gale and Johansen, to clinch an 11-point victory.

[32] Following their loss to Bradley, Oregon traveled to the Chicago Coliseum for a game against Western Illinois State Teachers College.

[4] The stretch proved profitable for the school, which made $4,400 off of the East Coast games,[8] and Dick credited the trip for giving the Webfoots exposure to different styles of play than they had been accustomed to.

[34] With two games left in the regular season, the Webfoots held a one-game lead over Washington, with a pair of contests scheduled in Seattle against the Huskies.

Rumors began that the PCC championship series would be postponed by one week, which would have prevented the winner from competing in the NCAA tournament; the event was scheduled to begin on March 20.

Dick later noted that he considered it vital for Oregon to sweep the Golden Bears in two games, to avoid an overnight trip to San Francisco for the NCAA tournament and secure an off day in the Webfoots' schedule.

[41] In front of a crowd that included members of the Webfoots' 1919 conference championship team, which had won the title over California, Oregon took a one-point halftime lead on a late 30-foot shot by Johansen.

The Golden Bears made multiple comeback bids as the half progressed, but the Webfoots held on to win 54–49 and move ahead in the series.

[37] The second game of the series was closely contested in the first half, but Oregon opened a 25–23 lead at halftime and extended their advantage to eight points before a run of three baskets by California.

A stretch featuring three scores by Dick helped the Webfoots rebuild their lead later in the second half, and they clinched a two-game sweep with a 53–47 victory.

[14] First, Oregon faced Texas in the first round, in a matchup of teams considered superior to either of their potential opponents in the regional final, according to analysts.

After Texas had closed their deficit to one point multiple times in the second half, Oregon went on a scoring run and eventually opened a 19-point lead.

[4] On Ohio State's offensive possessions, the Webfoots used a match-up zone defense,[5] as Hobson sought to force the Buckeyes into attempting long-distance shots.

[12] The defense held the Buckeyes' field goal percentage to 17 percent for the game; in addition, Oregon gained a rebounding advantage.

[5][51] On the team's way back to the University of Oregon, a crowd of 2,000–3,000 people greeted the Webfoots in The Dalles, Dick's birthplace, and presented him with what Sporting News writer Joe Gergen called "the first championship watch in NCAA Tournament history.

Dick briefly played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball before embarking on a military career of over 30 years after the U.S. entered World War II.

[58][59] The University of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame selected the team and Hobson as part of its inaugural class of inductees in 1992.