Our Beloved Ducks recently completed another school year under pandemic protocols and online classes, which resulted in a unique graduation experience. As an Oregon graduate myself this Spring, I wanted to consider our community and how the Ducks have changed over the years, rising and falling as a dominant program between decades of graduating classes. Fantastic recruiting exhibited by Mario …
When COVID-19 forced NCAA sports into remission last March, I struggled to wrap my head around an Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team with three of the school’s greatest players — Sabrina Ionescu, Satou Sabally and Ruthy Hebard — not getting one last shot at winning a national title. Setting aside the universal disappointment in locker rooms across the country, how …
Recently I was chewing the fat with a friend of mine up here in Spokane. He was rambling on and on about how this was the year that the Gonzaga Men’s Basketball team was going to win it all; all the pieces were in place, this was it! As an Oregon fan, I found it hard to conjure up …
Slowly but surely, professional sports are coming back. NCAA sports, who knows? But pro sports are coming back. The PGA Tour and NASCAR have been up and running — with no spectators — for a few weeks now. The National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball all have plans to resume their seasons in July or August. …
As of April 17, former Oregon Ducks women’s basketball superstar Sabrina Ionescu will play in the WNBA for the New York Liberty. Ionescu, who finished her career with the Ducks leading the NCAA (both women and men) with 26 career triple-doubles, was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick, yet another first for the school’s program. Not surprisingly, Ionescu’s …
Once in a Blue Moon, an event or person comes along and touches your life, making you realize how fortunate you are to be given an opportunity to experience something only that particular event or individual can offer. It can immediately transform lives or transport you back to a time and place where life seemed simpler and more meaningful. You …
Oregon lost its Final Four game to Baylor because the players didn’t hit shots, plain and simple. Baylor won the previous four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 38 points, so the Ducks have nothing to be ashamed of at all. They had as good of a chance as anyone to win the whole thing, but they just couldn’t …
Baylor is incredible. The Bears are huge. They’re like giants who roam the earth just taking whatever they want from others. Why would anyone even think they can play with them? Does Oregon stand a chance? Of course. Baylor is the best team in the nation this year, but they’re not unbeatable. Much has already been written about the Bears’ …
It’s April, and the Oregon women are still dancing! Can they continue their historic run and keep the magic going for a little while longer? We’ll see how everything unfolds tomorrow, but for now, here are 10 things to note before the big game. 1) The Ducks vs the Dominators Baylor has reached the Final Four by winning all of …
Sabrina Ionescu embodies everything that is right with college sports: she’s unselfish, a leader, good in the classroom, team first … the list goes on and on. She put on a display for the ages with her 31 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists in Oregon’s win that sent them to their first Final Four. They’ll play in Tampa on …
Is there a more mentally tough team in NCAA basketball right now than the Oregon men’s basketball team? Some will point to the LSU team on the men’s side, but their issues have only been going on for a couple of weeks. Here is what has happened to the Oregon men: they lost Bol Bol, didn’t have their current best …
“Oregon is always a different team by late February.” You hear that every year about Oregon under coach Dana Altman. It’s true again this year, as the men are starting to come together and play closer to the way we all thought they might when the season started. As for the women’s team, the nation’s best offense showed up and played …