With the firing of football head coach Mark Helfrich and the loss to Oregon State, one of the most difficult chapters in the recent history of Oregon Ducks athletics draws to a close. Meanwhile, the basketball season drives forward. A month into the season, the Ducks lack a win over a ranked team or a team likely to make the NCAA tournament. …
When Dana Altman told reporters that, “Trouble is eight days from today. We have to go down to Baylor and play a game.” After a 35-point victory in the team’s final exhibition, it was as if he could see into the future. Sure enough, when his 4th-ranked Ducks traveled to Texas to take on an unranked and unheralded Baylor squad, the …
Tonight the most anticipated Oregon Ducks basketball season in recent memory will begin, and the 5th-ranked Oregon Ducks will charge onto the hardwood at Matthew Knight Arena. Their goal in simple terms will be to start the season 1-0, but by winning tonight the Ducks will also extend their home game win streak to 25. It has been more than 500 days since Oregon …
Over the past 50 years or so there have been many great teams in the Pac-8/10/12, but only a few teams have risen to the top to dominate the conference over an extended time period. There are common threads among the teams that dominated and unique outliers as well. Coaching, a matter of “no small disturbance” in Oregon right now …
Polls never really mean much. The games still have to be played, and no trophies are given out for poll rankings. That being said, the release of the preseason basketball Coaches Poll signifies that the season is right around the bend and sparks some excitement, especially if you are a fan of a school such as the Oregon Ducks that …
Amid the chaos following their game, the two coaches ran toward each other for a common ritual of their profession: the post-game handshake. While this interaction is normally brief and emotionally distant, after this particular game one coach, Arizona State’s Todd Graham, chose this moment to voice his contempt for the coach he was facing, Washington State’s Mike Leach. Broadcast …
A two-and-a-half mile walk from the legendary loudness of Autzen Stadium will bring you to Matthew Knight Arena: a $200-million office for a $2-million-a-year coach. In a few weeks, Altman will be entering his 27th season as a college basketball head coach and his 7th as the coach of the Oregon Ducks. During his career he has won Coach of the Year awards …
For those expecting an epic border clash, there was disappointment. For those that were hoping to see a resurgence to save the season, there was despair. For those that predicted a win, there was embarrassment. If you watched looking for discipline and effort, I imagine you turned the channel. On top of that, there was plenty of celebrating in Oregon …
Is this season a lost cause? Many fans are already asking the question, just five games into a 12-game season. The struggles have been well documented. The defense not getting any consistent pressure, the linebackers out of position, missed tackles at every level. The offense humming one minute, then pedestrian the next. Repeated attempts to run up the middle despite …
Had the streak against Washington ended last year, no one would have batted an eye. It would have been natural conditions for it to end: game in Seattle, the Huskies with a winning record, coming off a big win at ranked USC the week before. For the Ducks, it was the first season in nearly a decade where Oregon didn’t …
A trendy criticism of the Oregon Ducks is their defense – or lack of it. When fans take a look at the field Saturday they may notice that defensive coordinator Brady Hoke‘s defense will feature only one senior in the starting lineup. Yes, the mistake-prone defense is experiencing some growing pains. That is easy to see, but better days are …
Oregon lost last Saturday. They lost the game, a starting wide receiver and the blindside protection for Dakota Prukop. The Ducks lost a lot – but they did not lose the season. The next few months appear to be headed in one of two ways. At times, the Ducks certainly look like a team that could lose more than four …