Oregon Ducks Basketball

If you go to Kansas, Kentucky, or Syracuse, football season couldn’t have ended fast enough. 

Why bother suffering through the endless Mark Mangino fat jokes when you could support a different sport in which the national media has doled out 62 first place votes? 

Kentucky already has accounted for more wins on the hardwood in one month than they did on the football field since last October. I think fans in the Bluegrass State are much happier watching the most exciting player the country, freshman John Wall, instead of freshman quarterback Morgan Newton struggle his way to a 55.4 completion percentage. 

And Syracuse, well, they were so desperate for basketball season that they stole Duke’s point guard to be their quarterback. 

So if you’re a Duck fan, I hope you relished every second of the football regular season because after the Rose Bowl, it’s a long way back until football season. It hurts to say, but the most exciting sport during the winter in Eugene is football recruiting. But hey, at least we’re doing well at that!

Alright, maybe I’m being a bit too harsh. Or maybe not. 

I had a chance to take in today’s game against the St. Mary’s Gaels and the team is clearly much improved from last year. It won’t take until February to win the first game of conference play. But the same crutches still remain: Turnovers, forced shots, missed free throws and the complete lack of a half court offense. 

And what do you know, those exact reasons led to a fourth quarter collapse against a beatable St. Mary’s squad (I think they were the first team in the history of D1 basketball to start five white players, especially one with a 6-1 record).

The Ducks led most of the game, controlling the tempo and letting their superior athleticism bail them out in transition and on the glass. But late in the second half, Oregon started slowing the pace, trying to control the clock. And here’s a shocker – the Gaels started creeping their way back into the game.

In short, Oregon looked more lost running the half court set than when Bambi realized the hunter had made dinner out of his mother. 

First of all, earth to Michael Dunigan: A screen doesn’t work just by running to a certain spot on the floor and standing there.  You actually have to make contact with the defender. And secondly, didn’t you learn in elementary school that after you set your “screen” you roll to the basket?  You don’t just lollygag at the top of the key with your hands in your pockets waiting for the play to end so it’s a shorter run back on defense. 

I don’t get why Ernie Kent would force his team into an uncomfortable style of play that he KNOWS they aren’t good at, when the only reason they were winning in the first place was because they managed to completely avoid running a half court set the entire game. 

Ernie Kent, dance with who brung you. 

If you haven’t figured out yet, Oregon basketball is my whipping boy for Duck athletics. I can shamelessly say that I never get tired of Joevan Catron fat jokes or “fire Ernie Kent” talk. 

And missing nine free throws in a five point loss isn’t going to slow me down anytime soon. 

But let’s take a second to look at the positives. 

With Tajuan Porter and Catron (thank God) sitting out, it gave some of the youngsters a chance to get some extra run. E.J. Singler, Malcom Armstead, and Jamil Wilson all look like future quality starters. 

Singler brought back Kareem Abdul-Jabar’s famous sky hook, unleashing it against taller defenders  successfully at least three times. He also has an eye for the correct passing lanes, dishing out four assists without recording a turnover. 

Armstead will make a solid back-up point guard once Porter returns from his ankle woes. The juco transfer is a physical player who likes to take the ball to the rack and gives his all on D, averaging over 2.5 steals per game. 

Wilson, when he isn’t tripping over his own feet, shows flashes of absolute brilliance. The freshman out of Wisconsin has a smooth stroke and a constant motor, always following his own shot and finding a man to box out. Then again, there’s the three for thirteen performance against Missouri last weekend.

But the player to watch this season is Teondre Williams. The sophomore looks like a completely different player than last year—and considering he had a 36.1 FG%, that’s a good thing. 

He can shoot, drive, dish, defend, and deliver some rim-shaking dunks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the Pac-10 second team. 

Don’t get too excited yet, Duck fans, this team still has a long way to go before reaching even half of its potential. Until they understand the basics, Oregon will be in for a season filled with highs and (even more) lows.

Hopefully, Ernie Kent will soon check his ego at the door and give Mike Dunlap a chance to teach something Kent can’t: The fundamentals. 

Read more at UOsportsdude.com  and follow Keith on Twitter .

Brief introduction: I’m Keith. I’m a sophomore at the U of O, and I’ll be your Oregon basketball Featured Columnist this season. Although Oregon Ducks basketball hasn’t been particularly great recently (to say the least), I’m more than awesome enough to keep it interesting.

It’s basketball season already? Seriously? I’m not ready to move on to a losing sport; it’s still football season, gosh darn it!

At least for now, Oregon Ducks basketball is the University of Oregon’s proverbial red-headed stepchild.

Why anyone would spend time following a team coming off of an 8-23 season, including losses to San Diego, Oakland, and Washington State by 29 points, instead of a Rose Bowl contending football team, is beyond me.

But I guess anytime you have the chance to watch Oregon play a non-conference basketball game against Colorado State in a half-empty 83-year-old stadium in early November, you can’t pass it up.

Ok, you get. We were bad last year. Worse than that actually. Terrible. Putrid. Atrocious. Words don’t do it justice.

It was so bad that we actually rushed the court after our first Pac-10 win in our 15th try, over a less-than-mediocre Stanford team. And as someone who was a part of it, I felt absolutely ashamed and humiliated the second I left my seat and headed toward the sweat-soaked jersey of Joevan Catron.

Well this year, things should be better.

Are we going to be as bad as last year? No. Are we going to be good? Not even close. But will we be good enough where we don’t have to lose our dignity storming the court on our first win of conference play with less than one month left in the season? I can almost guarantee it.

Oh, how I love low expectations.

In all actuality, the Ducks should be much improved this season.

What was an extremely young team last year now has one more full year of experience under their belt, without losing any keys players (although in Catron’s case, it might not have been such a bad thing).

Lekendric Longmire, the energetic 6'5" junior guard, who finished as the Ducks’ second-leading scorer (9.9 points per game) looks to have taken up a leadership role on the team, a position that was severely lacking last year.  

“I think about last season's record every morning when I wake up,” Longmire said. “Truly, it's the first thing on my mind. I'm going to do everything I can to not let that happen again.”

Longmire, along with the emergent Teondre Williams, the steady play of seniors Tajuan Porter and (dare I say it) Catron, and gifted youngsters Michael Dunigan, Michael Humphrey and Jamil Wilson, actually form a talented rotation.

The only question is: Will Ernie Kent screw it up?

Entering his 13th season at Oregon, Kent made possibly the smartest move of his career by hiring Arizona assistant Mike Dunlap to take over as de facto head coach.

Kent, who is much better at recruiting, scowling at referees, and looking extremely awkward while crossing his legs on the bench than actually coaching a basketball team, finally realized that in order to save his job, he would have to demote himself to mere figure head of the basketball program.

Hopefully, Dunlap, a former Arizona Wildcat head coach and Denver Nuggets assistant, can get this team to cut down on turnovers, run an actual offense, and play something that moderately resembles defense.

If he can do that, a middle-of-the-pack conference finish and an out-of-nowhere NCAA tournament bid could be in the mix come February.   

Kent believes that, just like he said last year, the pieces are in place for the Ducks to play their preferred up-tempo style of play.

Kent hopes to use a 10-man rotation that will create havoc for opposing teams. He expects that added depth will let the Ducks employ a more effective full-court press than it showed last season.

"Even though we had numbers last year, those guys just weren't physically and mentally strong enough to put that kind of pressure on you,” Kent said. “We are this year."

Tim Wilson, the newly hired basketball strength and condition coach, put the team through an extensive training program this offseason, and it looks to be paying off already.

Dunigan lost 25 pounds, Williams and Porter packed on muscle, and Catron, well, isn’t as fat.

Kent made a second smart decision this season by loading up the non-conference slate with a list of patsies only Urban Meyer would appreciate. Oregon won’t play a single ranked team this preseason, and it might just be the confidence boost the team needs to get rolling come Pac-10 play.

The only downside? With Montana, Montana St., Mississippi Valley St., Idaho St., and Arkansas Pine Bluff headlining the schedule, the Ducks will have a hard time convincing the selection committee for an at-large bid come March.  

Nonetheless, the program certainly looks headed in the right direction, and even though you shouldn’t expect the Ducks to return to the Elite Eight this season, the plan is in place for this team to be competitive.

And that’s something you couldn’t say about them last year.

The UOsportsdude.com

Tajuan Porter is sadly, in his last year of play. He's the dominant force and driving spirit of the team.

He has one year left. One year make the Ducks the best they can be. 

Porter got national recognition in his freshman year. As Ducks fans recall, that was the year they got to the elite eight in the March Madness tournament. He averaged 14.6 points that year; leading the team even in his young age.

Since the tournament, the loss of Aaron Brooks, among others, the Ducks haven't had as much success as in the 06-07 season.

In his sophomore and junior years, Porter failed to match the total points he had in his freshman year by 66, and 35 points respectively. 

No Ducks team has compared to the 2006 squad. Porter was a huge part of that success; as he will be this year.

Porter will lead the Ducks from the ashes. I predicted Oregon will go nearly .500 this year (14-15). That would be a major boost from last years last place finish in the Pac-10.

Porter has an elusiveness about him that a lot of guards lack. He has a lot of talent, even at his small frame (5'6", 150 lbs). Heck, I have three inches and 20 pounds on him at the age of 14.

He uses his size to his advantage; weaving through defenders, or leaping from nowhere to regain possession or to score. 

Such was the tenacity with which he played in March Madness 2007. When they played Miami (OH) in that first game, it was magical. I still remember that.

Porter lit up the game. He made some great boards, got a lot of points, and really carried this team to victory. Obviously he wasn't technically "leading" the team his freshman year, but he was well on his way. 

This season he has a great supporting cast with Longmire, Sim, Armstead, Dunigan, and freshman Jamil Wilson.

Look for Porter to light up opponents, shock teams like Stanford, get revenge on Washington State, and maybe, just maybe, throw in a few upsets along the way.

If there's one guy that can turn around this team, it's Porter. Oregon will lose a lot of players next year. It's safe to assume that the Ducks aren't going down quietly. 

Do not underestimate him due to size. Porter is threat on the court, and may shock some people.

One thing is for sure. Oregon will be better and Porter will be the reason. He's back, and better than ever.

It’s never easy to go on the road in college basketball. This is a top 25 breakdown of some of the toughest and most intimidating venues in college basketball.

Venue: McArthur Court

School Name: Oregon

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Capacity: 9,087

There have been a few players who have moved onto the NBA that have passed through McArthur Court. However, that is not the reason why Oregon fans love their basketball.

Not only known as one of the toughest places to play in the Pac 10, McArthur Court holds a title as one of the toughest places to play in the nation.

Located on the Eugene campus, it is the second-oldest on-campus venue in the country. Second to only Rose Hill Gym on the campus of Fordham University, McArthur Court was opened in 1926 and has since been the home to the Oregon Ducks.

With one of the more rowdy student sections’ in the nation circling around the court, McArthur Court can hold just over 9,000 people overall. But give the venue its due for the respect it has earned in the past because as of right now, the University of Oregon has a plan to build a new basketball arena, one that would replace the historic McArthur Court.

With a projected opening for 2010, the new venue will be known as Matthew Knight Arena and is expected to hold 3,000 more fans than the McArthur Court. Although it will be sad for Oregon fans to move on from the place they have called home for more than 80 years, the ability for a larger arena may make Oregon fans even louder and more intimidating.

McArthur Court has been the scene for many exciting moments. Fans have seen upsets over No.1 teams and undefeated home seasons. An Elite Eight tournament run in 2002 was propelled by an undefeated year at McArthur Court during the regular season, as well as a 2007 upset over No. 1 UCLA. Oregon fans have done more than enough to prove why McArthur Court is listed as one of the tougher places to play.

Although, the Pac 10 Conference is expected to be a little down this season, the excitement that comes with conference play will again be exposed at McArthur Court. Led by the return of senior Tajuan Porter at point guard, Oregon might be able to make some noise with a weak non-conference schedule. 

Oregon's toughest matchup at home is against St. Mary’s, thus the Ducks have an opportunity to rack up some wins before Pac 10 play begins this year.

It can be said that the number of moments that may remain at McArthur Court are limited. However, you can expect Oregon fans to solidify why McArthur Court is one of the toughest places to play in the country in its final season.

 

When people talk about Oregon Ducks and sports, they think about football. Or perhaps track and field. But basketball? You must be kidding me, right!?

As hard as it is to believe, a few years back they made their way to the Elite Eight, powerhouses in the March Madness tournament. Since then though, they've really struggled. 

Last year the Ducks finished dead last in the Pac-10, going 2-16 in the conference, and 8-23 overall. That stings.

I'll preview this upcoming season this way: players in the backcourt, frontcourt, the bottom line, five things to look for, and my predictions as far as the schedule goes.

Backcourt:

Believe it or not, the Ducks have one of the fiercest backcourts in the Pac-10 this year. Tajuan Porter is back for his senior year, LeKendric Longmire has matured into an amazing player, and they could have an explosive season.

Porter led the team through the Elite Eight as a freshman, and still has his skills. In fact, he's improved. He can score at will, and will lead the team to victory this season.

Garrett Sim and Malcolm Armstead also provide some depth at guard, and Sim is to start alongside Porter this year. Sim was a freshman last year, and will definitely be improved, and give assistance to Porter nicely.

Armstead may be small, but he led a top notch junior college in Florida last year, and will also be a great addition to the supporting cast surrounding Porter. He helped his team a lot, and I expect some great things from this young man.

Longmire is a key player to the team and I predict he averages more then 10 points a game. He's a great threat with Porter, and his immense height really helps as well.

Oregon also has Matt Humphrey and Teondre Williams. They didn't do much of anything last year, but the high school stats suggest there is something there. 

With Porter, Sim, Longmire, and Armstead heading up the backcourt, the Ducks may surprise a few teams. They have all five returning starters, and the team should gel really well this year.

Frontcourt:

Michael Dunigan is really the key to Oregon's frontcourt. He's obviously going to improve from his freshman year, which looks great for the Ducks. Dunigan posted eight points and five rebounds a game last year. 

I predict he can double that. If he does, that's another weapon in the Ducks arsenal. He also had some major blocks, though they were few and far between. The defense is what needs to step up.

Checking out the stats, opponents outscore the Ducks by nine points a night on average. Dunigan, Joevan Catron, and highly spoken of recruit Jamil Wilson all need to step it up to shut offenses down and seal victories.

Dunigan could be the best low post threat of the conference this year if he lives up to expectations. He's fairly fast, has great height, and is a big dude that gets it done essentially. 

Wilson was considered among the top five small forwards in the nation. That's huge. Oregon needed some help there, and he should deliver. Spoken very highly of by his coaches and teammates, he'll definitely bring some wow effect to the Duck’s defense. He could be the element missing in stopping teams from running up the scoreboard.

The Ducks also have Josh Crittle, and Jeremy Jacob, two big guys out there that will give the starters a rest, and could bring a lot to the table. 

The Bottom Line

Let facts be facts: Oregon Ducks basketball was terrible last year. This year, it's a whole new ballgame. Literally.

Porter leads a team with all five starters from last season. The Ducks have explosive playmakers in Porter, Longmire, Dunigan, and possibly from Sim, Armstead, and the big guys in front. 

If Oregon’s defense shuts the likes of WASU, Washington, USC, and other conference teams down, the team can get an edge, and put up some W's.

Now, I'm not saying the Ducks are headed to March Madness this year. But Porter is in his senior year, and believe this: he's not going down napping. He'll be known, and will make a huge impact on where this team ends up.

Five Things To Watch For

1. Ernie Kent. Overall, he's fixing to be fired. Play-calling and the all around coaching scheme really needs to be improved. He's on the hot seat, and with good reason. If he doesn't turn things around, he's getting the axe.

2. Tajuan Porter. Believe it, he's what the season depends on. If he bombs, gets hurt, or for whatever reason doesn't play, things could be even worse than last year. Also look for amazing plays, great passes, and him giving us some big wins.

3. LeKendric Longmire. He's big, fast, and explosive. Longmire is a huge key to the team’s success this year. Same as Porter, if he can't play for whatever reason, the team will struggle. Look for him to make plays on both ends of the ball.

4. The Defense. It needs improvement desperately. Last season the Ducks gave up an average of 76 points per game, worst in the Pac-10, 314th in NCAA. That flat out stinks, and needs to change now. If it doesn't, the Ducks are in for another long year.

5. The New Court! Yes, it's not very important. But seriously, the new arena is tight, and if you ever get a chance to attend a game, I encourage you to. It'll be louder than ever, screaming for the Ducks to play good basketball. 

Schedule Predictions

I'll take it piece by piece, predicting each game and the final outcome.

Nov 13—Dec 6

I think this starts off well, as the Ducks will win five games in a row. Maybe, just maybe, a loss to Montana but I highly doubt it. But upsets happen...

Obviously on Dec 6, they get hammered by the Tigers on their home court. But this gives the Ducks a good start at 5-1. 

Dec 12—Jan 10 

After a loss to Saint Mary's, they’ll go on a four game win streak up to the WAZU game. They will lose to them, and then the Huskies. Then, they’ll beat Oregon State on Jan 10th. So far we're 10-4. 

Jan 14—Feb 6

Double losses to the Arizona teams, Cal, and they proceed take down Stanford (my big upset prediction). Two more losses, and they beat the Beavers once more. This puts Oregon at 12-9. 

Feb 11—March 6

This is the roughest part of the year. The Ducks will lose to Arizona, ASU, and upset Stanford once more, and then lose four more straight conference games. For the season closer, Oregon will get sweet revenge on Washington St. This makes them 14-15 for the regular season.

 

Not bad if I do say so myself, and much better then last year. Now, that's obviously not March Madness material. But it's a step in the right direction and will save Ernie Kent's job in my opinion.

While it's not a great season, it won't disappoint. There's going to be some good games, particularly the Stanford and OSU ones. I look forward to the new season and seeing how things play out.

With Mike Bellotti's ascension to Athletic Director at the University of Oregon in June, two tough decisions will mark the beginning of his tenure. Both of them involve what to do with the currently-disgraced coaches of the basketball programs, Ernie Kent and Bev Smith.

The money is on Smith being let go, but most Oregonians are calling for Kent's head on a platter as well, a common occurrence in and around Eugene. Oregonians are fickle fans and as soon as a coach begins losing, the chants for him or her to get fired increase.

While Kent deserves some (or much of) the blame for this season's atrocious 8-23 record, keep in mind he had six starting freshmen and so needs another year to develop his players and build more chemistry. That, and he has a long record of success that should not be ignored.

Bev Smith has been running a futile program under the shadow of Kent's successful teams for years. Yes, she did have three N.I.T. appearances (and one championship), as well as an NCAA appearance, but the last three years have seen the female Ducks (9-21) underachieve or get blown out by their competition.

Kent, on the other hand, has won two Pac-10 tournaments, five NCAA appearances, two Elite Eight appearances, and two N.I.T. appearances. In 12 seasons, Kent's teams haven't been to the postseason in only five of them.

He is also the winningest coach in Oregon Ducks history, with 308 wins and a 308-237 overall record.

Ducks fans tend to have extremely high expectations and success gets to their heads. It's what makes them some of the most feared fans in the country.

It's also what makes them some of the hardest fans to please. Through his tenure as a Duck coach, Kent has been assailed on all sides by fans and the media when his teams haven't performed as well as many expected.

Give Kent time with young recruits and players and he does produce results. He has recruited good classes almost every year that he's been a coach, and next year with E.J. Singler (Duke player Kyle Singler's little brother), Jamil Wilson, and Jeremy Jacob will impact the team from the start.

Kent recruited a very highly touted class last year and he's got potentially good recruits coming in next year. He needs to produce next season or he's out. Another two-win Pac-10 season will not be acceptable. Sound like a deal?

Three goals for Kent's team next year:

1. Do not lose to Oregon State at home.

2. Win at least half of the Pac-10 games.

3. Win out the nonconference schedule.

Bonus goal:

Make the NCAA. Making the Big Dance is the goal for every team, but making the NCAA tournament is not out of reach of Kent's team.

His offseason goals should include:

1. Building better team chemistry.

2. A return to the fundamentals, especially for the freshmen and sophomores.

3. Better team play.

Yes, two of those sound similar, but the Ducks played a lot of me-first ball this last season, and that kind of attitude won't win games. Usually, Kent's teams are very much about playing team ball, but it seems some egos got in the way this year. It's an attitude that shouldn't be on the court.

Kent deserves another shot to get it off the court and bring Oregon back to its winning ways. One bad season shouldn't torpedo a successful career.

Returning Players

The Ducks return the top nine scorers from last season with only two returning players being seniors next season.

Tajuan Porter – G - PTS15.4; REB2.5; AST1.8

Garrett Sim – G - PTS6.8; REB1.7; AST2.0

Kamyron Brown – G - PTS4.5; REB1.6; AST2.2

Matthew Humphrey – G - PTS4.4; REB1.5; AST0.8

Teondre Williams – G - PTS2.6; REB0.9; AST0.2

LeKendric Longmire – G - PTS9.9; REB3.7; AST0.8

Drew Wiley – F - PTS4.2; REB1.3; AST0.4

Joevan Catron – F - PTS7.2; REB6.6; AST2.3

Michael Dunnigan – C - PTS8.4; REB4.6; AST0.5

Josh Crittle – F/C - PTS3.6; REB3.3; AST0.4

Players Lost

One huge positive with the coming of next year is that the Ducks return all their starters and the six true freshmen this year will have another year in the system under their belt.

Churchill Odia – Although Churchill wasn’t a big scorer, he was a great at distributing the ball and was a great team player. He could play anything from point guard to power forward and always seemed to make good decisions on the floor.

He averaged 3.2 points per game this past season. I always wondered what his role would have been with the team if he had been on the team for four years and found a more prominent role in the rotation.

Frantz Dorsanvil – Frantz faced everything from missing a year with problems trying to get a student visa to injuries that hampered him much of the past two seasons. I feel he could have been a good role player, as he was a big and athletic big man. He had limited post moves from what I saw, but good enough to score some points of the bench.

Incoming Players

Jamil Wilson – Anytime Oregon beats out Michigan State and Texas for a recruit it is safe to assume he should be a great player. Jamil is a very athletic wing player that will bring an immediate scoring boost to the Ducks. I think he can play multiple positions and has the ability to start, but I think he will be one of the first off the bench.

E.J Singler – It is always nice to see a player from Oregon stick around and play for the Ducks. E.J. averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. I think E.J. will have to battle for playing time as there will be a few other wing players with more experience in front of him. Has a similar game to his brother Kyle at Duke and should be a good player for the Ducks over the next few years.

Jeremy Jacob – The former Louisiana Player Of he Year spent one injury filled season at Georgia and then attended one year of Hargrave Military Academy. I think Jeremy will be a surprise to many Duck fans, as he is not as well known as the other to signees. I think he will provide good energy off the bench and will be another athletic big guy to cause problems for opposing defenses.

Coaching

Duck fans are split on whether Ernie Kent should be brought back for another season with Oregon. I believe he will and I think he deserves the chance to do so. With six freshman that got most of the playing time, I think fans had too high of expectations for the previous good recruiting class (Remember the 2004-2005 season?). I think once the players feel more comfortable in the system and gain another offseason of workouts, they can really make a huge improvement.

Development

The development of the returning players is the most important factor going into next season. Can this year's freshmen start becoming reliable scorers every game? Will this year's juniors step up as leaders on the court and in the offseason?

The team will come together through the summer and will be much improved next season. Each freshmen this season has shown flashes of playing very well, but like most freshmen, they have made a lot of mistakes. I am confident the players will work hard in the offseason and will prove to be a much more confident and consistent team.

Prediction

Next season's full schedule has not been announced, so I will look at how I feel the Ducks will fare in the Pac-10 in 2009 and 2010.

USC could be a dangerous team next year if no players leave for the NBA. As much as I don’t want it to be true, Oregon State will be a better team with the second year under coach Robinson. Arizona State loses Pendergraph and most likely Harden, so they will struggle next season.

Arizona will also probably struggle with the likely loss of Hill and Budinger to the NBA. Washington State loses a couple key players and may face a down season. Washington definitely will face early season problems after losing Brockman and Dentmon. Stanford loses Goods, Johnson, and Hill, so next year they should be in rebuilding mode.

Cal looks to be the most dangerous team in the Pac-10 with all players from this season returning. While UCLA loses Shipp, Aboya, and Collison, UCLA may not be fighting for the Pac-10 title, but they always have talented players waiting on the roster.

Realistically, I feel the Ducks can get around seven wins in the Pac-10 and could get as many as 10 and have a chance to make the tournament. The Pac-10 will be strong again next year and unless teams lose a ton of players to the NBA, the Ducks will have to show a lot of growth to make it back to the top of the Pac-10.

The second game of the opening round of the 2009 Pac-10 Tournament marked an early exit for fans and the Oregon Ducks. Washington State dominated all phases of the game from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Final score: WSU 62, Oregon 40.

Coach Tony Bennett convinced his team to play their best basketball and forget about their two wins over Oregon during the regular season.

Washington State (17-14) led the entire game after senior Aron Baynes deftly swished a jump hook from about seven feet out just 18 seconds into the first half.

Oregon (8-24) was able to hang with the Cougs until midway through the opening 20 minutes. They were able to match runs by Washington State with a few of their own.

The turning point came when freshman DeAngelo Casto put back a missed shot with a little over nine minutes left before intermission.

Casto found out what tournament play is all about just seconds after entering the game at the 14:00 mark. Duck freshman Michael Dunigan threw an elbow into the chest of Casto that knocked the wind out him. DeAngelo needed a few minutes on the sidelines to gather himself. Once back in the game, Casto was the intimidator knocking away any wind the Ducks were trying to fill their sails with.

Coach Ernie Kent tried to rattle WSU with full court pressure. That didn’t work. He tried to get the attention of his team by rotating seasoned players with those who have spent most of the year on the bench. That didn’t work.

By halftime, it was clear nothing was going to work for Oregon. They couldn’t come up with a way to slow down the juggernaut that was Washington State.

Television traditionally interviews the head coach who is leading going into the locker room. When Coach Bennett was asked a question about how it's been so easy to control game tempo against Oregon this season, the answer surprised everyone.

Well, not everyone.

Anyone who knows what a competitor Coach Bennett is knows better than to expect him to ignore how the half ended. He was incensed that his team turned the ball over and gave up an easy three-point shot to Tajuan Porter. That’s not Bennett Ball. No doubt Coach marched into the WSU locker room and reminded his players of that very thing.

The methodical way Washington State went about their work in the second half must have made Coach Kent feel as though he was having dental work done without painkillers.

It was an early exit for fans because there was never a doubt about the outcome.

The Cougars were focused and on a mission.

For one Coug, it looked personal.

Prior to the first game of the opening round, a victory for Stanford over Oregon State 62-54, Pac-10 officials honored conference players for their performance this season. Aron Baynes was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 last season. Though he improved both his stats and overall play this year, he was overlooked by the Pac-10.

Baynes is a personable, affable young man off the court. Tonight he was extremely physical and determined to send the conference a message. Had Coach Kent known Baynes was going to take out his frustration on Oregon, no doubt he would have lobbied for the big Aussie.

It should be mentioned that Baynes finished with his second 20-point game of the season and eight rebounds. Aron was a sizzling 7-for-8 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line. He was credited with one block and forced a handful of missed shots by Oregon players with his towering presence.

In the midst of nearly flawless Bennett Ball, there’s one unexpected stat that is buried on the sheet. For the first time since Feb. 9, 2006, a WSU basketball team didn’t make a three-point shot. They only tried one in the entire first half.

Virtually every other statistical category was filled up with outstanding numbers for Washington State:

* 25-for-43 from the floor for 58 percent accuracy

* 12-for-14 from the free throw line for 86 percent

* Three players scoring in double figures

- Baynes 20

- Caleb Forrest 14

- Casto 10

* Four blocked shots

* 14 of the 25 buckets came off assists

* Held Oregon to 26 percent shooting for the game

* Outrebounded Oregon 37-24

* Held Oregon to their second lowest point total of the season (previous low was 38 vs. WSU)

* Taylor Rochestie rested during a game for the first time since Feb. 19, 2009 against USC

* Seven WSU freshmen saw action during this opening Pac-10 tournament game

No question the most important stat on the official sheet is the win for the Cougs.

They play the same time Thursday night.

Same venue.

Their opponent will be the No. 2-seeded Bruins of UCLA. These two teams have played each other very close this season. UCLA won by two points in Pullman. WSU took an overtime win from the Bruins in Westwood by a single point.

Washington State continues forward as one of the hottest teams on the West Coast.

The game tomorrow night between UCLA and Washington State promises to be a great college game.

Seriously.

Published on Examiner.com

Oregon Ducks (8-22, 2-16) vs. Washington State Cougars (16-14, 8-10)

Wednesday, March 11, 2009 – 8:30 PM PST

The second game of the opening round of the Pac-10 tournament features the No. 10 seed, the Oregon Ducks, against the No. 7 seed, the Washington State Cougars.

The Cougars swept the season series from the Ducks. They won the first game at Oregon, 74-62, and then annihilated the Ducks, 67-38, at home.

Washington State, long known for their tenacious defense and deliberate offensive pace, held the Ducks to only 38.9 percent from the floor and 17 first half points.

Rebounds, assists, and turnovers were close between the two schools. Free throws, however, were not.

Oregon was only 13-of-21 from the stripe but the Cougars were perfect on the night. They sank a remarkable 28-of-28 attempts.

Taylor Rochestie had 30 points for the Cougars. Aron Baynes recorded a double-double—19 points and 12 boards—and Klay Thompson notched 15 points.

Tajuan Porter and Lekendric Longmire each scored 15 points for the Ducks. Joevan Catron just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine boards.

The Ducks got off to another rough start in the second game, trailing 29-15 at the half.

Washington State held the Ducks to an abysmal 20.8 percent shooting for the game, including only 22.2 percent on threes.

The Cougars on the other hand, were extremely efficient from the floor, making 56.8 percent of their shots and a sizzling 69.2 percent on their threes.

Drew Wiley was the only Duck to crack double figures. And he just barely made it with 10 points.

For the Cougars, Thompson had 25 points, Rochestie 16, and Baynes scored 11 and grabbed nine boards.

Current line: Washington State -8.5

Oregon is 9-18 against the spread with a record of 5-15 as an underdog.

Washington State is 12-16 against the spread with a record of 7-9 as the favorite.

Oregon struggled all season long. They only managed two conference wins, and those came after they dropped the first 14 Pac-10 games they played. The Cougars will win this game. The only question is by how much.

Steve’s pick: Washington State -8.5