With so many physical disadvantages, Oregon’s chances to beat North Carolina come down to a few things. Do Oregon’s guards rebound? Does the team play its tempo? And do the players take it to the basket when they can, draw fouls or hit open shooters? Then, do they knock down those shots? Matchups and Mismatches Mean Everything The Tar Heels have …
The Oregon Ducks are going to the Final Four. They haven’t been this close to a national championship since winning it all in 1939. This is a monumental accomplishment for head coach Dana Altman, who has brought consistency and pride to Eugene. The Ducks have won two consecutive Pac-12 championships and are in the NCAA tournament for the fifth season …
A lot will be written about the Tall Firs of 1939 this week. Years ago, I interviewed guard John Dick who started on that squad. Dick, who grew up in The Dalles, went on to become an Admiral in the Navy and later retired in Eugene, where he lived until his death in 2011. Oregon’s ride back to the Final …
The Ducks beat Kansas Saturday with defense and because they rebounded. There’s so much to love about that win, and as coach Dana Altman pointed out, a few things to work on as they get ready for North Carolina in the Final Four. The Hot Hand Tyler Dorsey’s great first half gave the Ducks a cushion, momentum and belief that they …
Is that one of most improbable, surprising and stunning men’s basketball games in your memory? It should be, because by defeating one of the blue-bloods of college basketball in Kansas, (74-60) our beloved Ducks will play in the Final Four next Saturday for the first time in the modern era. I am still stunned, because even as a devoted Ducks …
A Ducks run at the NCAA men’s basketball national championship lies ahead. How the team performs and its final place in the tournament will be destined by its overall balance. Depth and balance have been the defining characteristics of the 2016-2017 team throughout the regular season and so far in the tournament. Balance is a key to how deep the …
We took a peek at Michigan a week ago when the brackets were announced. But it looked like the Ducks would face Louisville so we focused on the Cardinals. March Madness strikes again. Here’s an in-depth look at the Wolverines: Overall Oregon needs to hit shots and if so, they should win this game. I don’t just mean 3’s or …
What really happened when the Ducks played the Rhode Island Rams on Sunday night? Why did the game go down to the wire and how did the team build its lead, squander it and then roar back? Many of you who are reading this article saw the game in part or whole for yourselves, and you have your own thoughts about …
Oregon is three wins away from the Final Four. Given the Ducks have already run off 8- and 17-game winning streaks this season, the Final Four feels like the Oregon’s destiny. But we’ve been here before. The Ducks have made the Elite Eight six times, including last year, and only made the Final Four once, but that was during the FDR administration …
With March Madness (my favorite three weeks of the year) underway, I am sure that we all feel a little lump of uncertainty in our stomachs because of how our beloved Ducks have sort of stumbled into the field of 68. Certainly we were all disappointed to see them get a 3-seed and be placed in the Midwest Region, where …
Oregon fans have rarely, if ever seen a player like Jordan Bell, but the NBA is filled with them. Long and athletic, a leaper, passer, terrific pick-setter with a high basketball IQ and a guy who finishes well on the break. If he had a proven low post game or a 12-foot jumper he’d be a sure-fire NBA 1st-round pick. …
First, the NCAA Selection Committee’s lack of respect the Pac-12 is unbelievable. The wins the conference had on the road over Kentucky, willing to go to Baylor, and the difficulty of the conference itself mean all three teams deserve a 2 seed at least, and Arizona, a one seed ahead of Gonzaga. But I digress. And an absolute snow job …