Play Like the ’07 Ducks

Not a single player on the Ducks’ roster has appeared in the NCAA Tournament and the last time Oregon made a tournament appearance during March Madness was at the end of the ’08 season.  Ninth seed Oregon lost to eighth seed Mississippi State in the first round 76-69 while launching 38 three-point attempts and posting 34% shooting from the field.  The year before that, Oregon made it to the Sweet Sixteen, losing to eventual champion Florida 85-77.  Let’s hope we play like the ’07 Ducks.

Oregon has senior leadership in EJ Singler, an Oregon native from Medford.

The ’07 Ducks featured some of the Oregon basketball greats: Aaron Brooks, Malik Hairston, Joevon Catron and Tajuan Porter.  The current Ducks’ basketball team has a similar look with maybe a little less talent, but….

A healthy Dominic Artis is more consistent than Porter ever was and is a bigger guard, which helps defensively. One of the premier freshmen in the country,  Damyean Dotson has the ability to drive or shoot.  Carlos Emory is an athletic freak that not even the Ducks of the past had, and EJ Singler - when hot - is nearly unstoppable.  Oregon may have less power in the post area, but what this team lacks in power forwards it makes up for with Kazemi.  Yeah, these Ducks can make things interesting.

It’s a stretch to think the Ducks could get to the Elite Eight, especially assuming they’d be forced to go through Louisville to get there.  But then again, who foresaw a Pac-12 tournament title and victories over UCLA and Zona?  Not I, sir.  Not I.