SB Nation - Tajuan Porter

MBB Game 10 Recap: Oregon 72 ,Oakland 60

dvieira — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:02:02 -0000

I told a number of people going into this game that we were most likely looking at a loss. I didn't like the matchup, especially underneath the basket with Oakland center Keith Benson. I was looking at who Oakland had played and assumed we would have trouble adjusting to a team with experience playing the best of the best in the nation. Benson had 20 points against the Kansas Jayhawks in a loss just a month ago. The Ducks held him to 14 points and although that number may not seem shocking, it represents a mantra that seems to be taking root in this Oregon team... defense.

Turnovers may look fairly even between both teams but Oregon was much better at turning those turnovers into points. On 13 Oakland turnovers, the Ducks translated those into 32 points on the offensive end. When you’re scoring after almost every turnover by your opponent, that puts even more pressure on them to score on their chances and Oakland just couldn't sink any buckets in either half. If there was a game that the Oregon defense came alive, this was the game. Oregon had 10 turnovers themselves but the defense only allowed Oakland to convert those turnovers into 13 points.

The Ducks played a complete game, forcing turnovers, winning the rebounding battle, and converting on opportunities to score from the field at a 47% clip. You know the offense is clicking when you only have 8 fast break points and still shoot that well from the field. 40 of the 72 points Oregon scored were in the paint. My only quibble was with our free throw percentage which hovered around 63% for the game, most of that was due to Michael Dunigan having a rough night from the line, going 4-8 from the charity stripe. Given the rest of his game though, we'll let that slide for now.

Individual Notes

Jamil Wilson had a good game, going 3-4 from the field including 2-2 from beyond the arc. Throw in a couple of blocks and a steal and you have a nice effort from Jamil. He made some key plays in the first half including a steal of an in-bounds pass and took it to the Oakland free throw line and buried a jumper. 2 minutes later, he buried a 3-pointer from the corner to give Oregon a 16-10 lead halfway through the first half.

What can you say about Michael Dunigan's performance in this game? Big Mike was 6-11 from the field, 4-8 from the line for 16 points, 10 of those coming in the first half. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, including 6 offensive boards, recording his first double-double of the season and his third of his career. His defense on Benson was a big reason for the Ducks' defensive success. His struggles at the free throw line continue to plague him and I'm forced to wonder if this will be one of his weaknesses throughout his career. He has come a long way in a short time this year and he should get better as we go into Pac-10 play.

Welcome back Tajuan Porter as he played his most minutes since the Montana game back on November 23rd. The rust was obvious for TP as he was 0-4 from the field. As he gets his rhythm back, he should be a nice threat in the back court. With how Armstead and Sim have been playing, you have to wonder who TP will integrate into the team that appears to be gaining cohesion.

Jeremy Jacob was 5-7 from the field and had 12 points. He was in foul trouble in the first half but played well in his 13 minutes. To put his numbers in perspective, his 12 points is a career high, making 3 out of the last 5 games where he's set a new career high in points.

EJ Singler had a career high in rebounds with 12. While he didn't have a great shooting night (only 2-9 from the field), he was great from the line making 4 of 5 attempts giving him 8 points for the game. He also had 4 assists in 35 minutes.

Malcolm Armstead is really coming into his own in the backcourt for Oregon, going 6-13 from the field for 12 points and 6 assists. That makes 3 out of the last 4 games with double digit points for Malcolm.

Final Thoughts

For those wondering why Longmire and Williams haven't started the last few games, it has to do with academic progress. This game was a big win for Oregon. I know we’re talking about Oakland here, but this was a monkey on Oregon's back that needed to be dealt with and it was in a big way. With two relative cream puffs coming to Mac Court in Idaho State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Ducks have an opportunity to be 8-4 going into the Pac-10 season with momentum. You have to be encouraged by how Oregon played in this game, especially in their half court sets.

Next game: Idaho State at Mac Court in Eugene, OR. Tuesday, December 22nd at 7pm

Know Your (Temporary) Rival: Oregon Ducks

Bill C. — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:30:13 -0000

Tajuan Porter leads a banged-up Ducks squad to Columbia tomorrow afternoon.

Oregon: 4-2

	UO	Opp
Points Per Minute	2.01	1.60
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.18	0.94
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.32	1.24
2-PT FG%	50.8%	44.4%
3-PT FG%	37.1%	37.5%
FT%	75.8%	64.1%
True Shooting %	57.1%	52.4%

	UO	Opp
Assists/Gm	14.3	11.7
Steals/Gm	8.5	5.7
Turnovers/Gm	13.0	16.7
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	1.76	1.04

	UO	Opp
Expected Offensive Rebounds	74	71
Offensive Rebounds	85	49
Difference	+11	-22

UO's season thus far:

@Oregon 94, Winston-Salem State 43 (W)
@Oregon 95, UC-Davis 64 (W)
@Oregon 68, Colorado State 53 (W)
@Portland 88, Oregon 81 (L)
Montana 68, @Oregon 55 (L)
@Oregon 89, Montana State 66 (W)

Where the Ducks are solid

Hard to tell. While it appears that Portland might be a rather legitimate team, the Ducks' schedule so far has been quite weak, and humongous wins over Winston-Salem State and UC-Davis have made their numbers look artificially great. This does appear to be a rock-solid rebounding team, though huge efforts against the cakiest of cupcakes sways the numbers a bit; they were significantly outplayed down low in the loss to Montana. Meanwhile, their guard play looks quite good if you take out of the equation the fact that Portland's backcourt ran circles around them. In all, if I were to rank the five major categories listed above (FG% offense, FG% defense, BCI offense, BCI defense, and rebounding), I would list their strengths like this, from best to worst:

1. Rebounding
2. BCI offense
3. FG% offense
4. BCI defense
5. FG% defense

This seems like a team with size and decent potential, but their defense has not been great so far, considering the level of competition. If you're allowing a true shooting % of 52.4% against this competition, then at home Mizzou should at least get into the 55%-60% range. Shooting has very much not been Mizzou's strong suit thus far, but this might be a nice slump buster. If the Ducks don't force a turnover (and they'll certainly force some), they're probably giving up a decent look.

Where the Ducks are less than solid

Well, for one thing, chemistry is probably going to be off a bit considering how many injuries and absences they've already had to deal with this season. Five players -- Dajuan Porter (ankle), Joevan Catron (back), Matt Humphrey (knee), Josh Crittle (ankle), and Michael Dunigan (hip) -- have already missed time, which is impressive considering Oregon's only played six games. If they are healthy, they've got a quick backcourt and a big frontcourt, but ... are they healthy? Oregon's press for the most part seems justifiably distracted by the football team and Thursday night's Civil War, but I haven't been able to find out for sure who is supposed to play and who is not. This is their first game in a week, so there's a good chance that everybody will be expected to play. At least that's what I'm going to assume until I hear otherwise.

Anyway, beyond health/chemistry, I guess I covered their main weaknesses above: defense.

Player Stats

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	*AdjGS/Gm**	GmSc/Min	Line
Teondre Williams (6'4, 199, So.)	13.5	0.53	25.3 MPG, 14.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.7 APG
Tajuan Porter (5'7, 155, Sr.)	12.4	0.47	26.4 MPG, 14.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.0 TOPG
Malcolm Armstead (6'0, 204, So.)	10.7	0.41	25.8 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 4.5 APG, 2.7 RPG, 2.5 SPG
Michael Dunigan (6'10, 242, So.)	10.0	0.68	14.8 MPG, 8.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.3 BPG
LeKendric Longmire (6'5, 200, Jr.)	9.0	0.41	22.2 MPG, 10.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG
Garrett Sim (6'1, 180, So.)	6.8	0.41	16.8 MPG, 7.0 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.5 APG
Joevan Catron (6'6, 237, Sr.)	6.4	0.30	21.3 MPG, 5.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.5 TOPG
Jamil Wilson (6'7, 209, Fr.)	6.0	0.36	16.8 MPG, 5.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.2 APG
E.J. Singler (6'6, 210, Fr.)	5.3	0.40	13.2 MPG, 3.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.5 APG
Jeremy Jacob (6'8, 225, So.)	3.4	0.23	15.2 MPG, 4.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG
Josh Crittle (6'8, 250, So.)	1.5	0.19	7.7 MPG, 2.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG
Drew Wiley (6'7, 215, So.)	0.8	0.10	7.6 MPG, 2.0 PPG
Nicholas Fearn (6'1, 190, So.)	0.7	0.25	6 minutes
John Elorriaga (6'2, 183, So.)	0.6	0.19	6 minutes
Matthew Humphrey (6'5, 185, So.)	0.5	0.07	7.8 MPG, 2.6 PPG

* AdjGS = a take-off of the Game Score metric (definition here) accepted by a lot of basketball stat nerds. It redistributes a team's points based not only on points scored, but also by giving credit for assists, rebounds (offensive & defensive), steals, blocks, turnovers and fouls. It is a stat intended to determine who had the biggest overall impact on the game itself, instead of just how many balls a player put through a basket.

Early-season injuries do funny things to the numbers -- because of the roster shifts, Oregon currently has TEN guys averaging at least 13 minutes per game. That's really tough to do.
Honestly, from Mizzou's perspective the most dangerous player on the court for Oregon could be Michael Dunigan. Vanderbilt used size to extreme advantage against Mizzou, and Dunigan did a nice job in Oregon's last game of banging around, getting to the line and making his free throws. If Dunigan gets hot, either from the field or on the glass (or both), then this game could stay pretty close.
Tajuan Porter has a chance to set the Pac-10's career 3-pointers mark this season. He is a quick guard and good shooter, but I'm curious to see how he handles not only Missouri's bigger guards, but Missouri's much bigger guards. He's giving up eight inches to J.T. Tiller and nine to Zaire Taylor, and while I'm sure he's faced plenty of bigger guards in his day (like, every game of his career), here's where Mizzou's strong defense could take over. If Porter can't really get going, then it's up to younger guys like Teondre Williams and Garrett Sim to knock down outside shots. Both are capable of doing so, but you always want to be able to take away a team's most proven scoring threat, and that's Porter.
Oregon finished with a staggeringly bad 8-23 record last year, but taking a look at the roster, you can kind of see why athletic department may have held onto Ernie Kent for another season. Four of the top six contributors are sophomores this year, with six more at the end of the bench; throw in a couple of freshman contributors (Jamil Wilson and E.J. "Don't Call Me Kyle" Singler), and Oregon's got a ridiculously young team. Porter and Joevan Catron are the only seniors, so this team will be able to continue to grow together for a while.

Keys to the Game

Rebounds. They murdered Missouri in the last game, and if guys like Dunigan and Catron are allowed to not only prevent second chances for Mizzou, but also collect some second chances of their own, then Oregon will stay in this game a lot longer than they should.
The 3-Pointer. Oregon takes 21 3's a game, and Missouri takes 22. Oregon's perimeter defense has been far from amazing in terms of FG% and 3PT%, but you never know who may get hot from one game to another. If the Ducks make over 40% of their 3's and Missouri makes below about 35% of theirs, Oregon could have a chance.
Pace. Oregon likes to play a transition game (though they've only averaged about 68 possessions per game -- Mizzou would prefer closer to 75), with pressure defense and as many fast break opportunities as possible. If they're good at it, they might be able to handle Mizzou's pressure alright and apply some of their own. If they're only decent at it, they will play right into Mizzou's hands and get run off the court. Based on the teams they've played, I can't tell if they're good or only decent ... and I'm leaning toward the latter.

Prediction

I always like Missouri's chances when a team from two time zones away makes a long trip for a game with a weird tip-off time. That's just a really long trip to make for a single basketball game, no? While Oregon could hurt Mizzou on the boards, and while they have a couple of long-distance weapons that could get hot, I can't imagine this game ends up tremendously close. Oregon is still learning how to win again, and Mizzou's ready to take out some frustrations. Mizzou 86, Oregon 67.

MBB Game 4 Recap: Oregon 81, Portland, 88

dvieira — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:00:15 -0000

While most of us were busy trying to will the Oregon Ducks football team to a victory in the desert against the Arizona Wildcats, the men's basketball team spent the evening doing battle with the Portland Pilots at the Chiles Center.

Incoming Rant: Who was in charge of scheduling this game? With the football team looking to grab a shot at the Rose Bowl, why was the men's game not moved to a later time? Those watching the football contest had no shot of getting to the game in Portland. There was plenty of time to get the game moved, even by an hour or two.

I'm not thrilled by any loss but I can accept this one, if for no other reason than because of the talent level of Portland. This isn't a bottom feeder team where we just didn't perform. The Pilots are a team looking to challenge Gonzaga for the West Coast Conference title and make their way into the NCAA Tournament.

Oregon went into halftime with an 8 point lead but the Pilots went on a 15-1 run to start the second half. Last year, that would have been all she wrote for the team but the Ducks battled back, mostly on the hustle and shooting of Malcolm Armstead, who hit two 3 point baskets and a layup off a stolen inbounds play. Oregon was up 72-70 with about 5 minutes to go when Portland went on an 11-2 run to seal the game.

Individual Notes

Malcolm Armstead had a great game, scoring 21 points on 9 of 15 shooting including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc and no turnovers. His 8 point burst in the second half kept the Ducks from being blown out and gave the Ducks a chance to win in the closing minutes of the game before Portland pulled away. Not bad for a guy off the bench.

Tajuan Porter went missing in the second half after scoring 13 points in the first half. TP is still hot and cold. If he's going to step up and be that go to guy beyond the arc, the time is now. We need his points and his ability.

Michael Dunigan didn't play in the game due to his hip injury

Jamil Wilson had 3 points and 3 rebounds after starting the game but played limited minutes while spliting time with Jeremy Jacob and EJ Singler.

We had a Drew Wiley sighting who had enough time to play exactly 1 minute of action and drain a 3.

Josh Crittle didn't register any time in the game. For a guy that was one of the brighter spots for the team last year, I can't believe how little playing time he's getting. Is he in the doghouse? Out of shape? Or is it just that the other guys on the team are playing better.

Final Thoughts

I'm about as ok with this loss as I'm going to be. We were in the game, had a good lead and even came back after facing a tough stretch. The team is starting to learn to play together and have that scrappy attitude needed to do well. Playing competitive ball against Portland is a good indication of where this team is. We need to do a much better job defending the 3 point line and Dunigan has become a key component of our defense down low. If he is out for an extended period of time, we'll need someone to step up to fill that role.

Next game: Monday, November 23rd against the Montana Grizzlies from Mac Court in Eugene

MBB Exhibition Game 2 Preview: Lewis and Clark vs. Oregon

dvieira — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:00:29 -0000

A Look at the Pioneers

Lewis and Clark makes the trip down I-5 to clash with the Ducks of Oregon at Mac Court as the men's team looks to tighten up their play in their second and final exhibition game. The Pioneers were 12-6 overall with a respectable 6-3 in the Northwest Conference, a conference that includes George Fox, Linfield, and Willamette. Josh Kollasch will be back at guard who averaged abou 14 points per game last year but did not shoot a high percentage from the field. James Hollins should run the other guard spot and will contribute scoring opportunities to the team as well.

Lewis and Clark provides a different set of challenges for Oregon than their first game against Concordia. While Concordia looked to go inside, the Pioneers will look to score from their perimeter players. Garrett Sim and Tajuan Porter have to step up big time given their performances last Sunday. Oregon will have a significant advantage in the paint which should provide a number of opportunities on the boards. Offensive rebounds shouldn't be a problem but I'll be happy if we don't have very many.

Keys to the Game

1. Get TP, Garrett Sim and LeKendric Longmire involved early and in rhythm. Coming off a tough shooting night for the three of them, it would be great to see some progress shooting the ball and overall fundamental defense. TP, in particular, should look to get some confidence.

2. Continue to refine the offense and develop additional scoring threats. Jamil Wilson had a great first game. No regression. Get him some good looks and let him use his talent to get some good looks. Michael Dunigan needs to dominate down low and look to be a defensive stopper.

Final Thoughts

This game should be just as much of a blowout as Concordia but that doesn't mean we should take this game lightly. We have a lot to work on before we open the season next Friday and we need to refine our play. Having continuing shooting woes from the guard position will only hurt us more as the season drags on and we need to prove to others (and ourselves) that we have a legitimate threat from outside they key. This is the game we need to start refining our strategies with.

MBB Exhibition Game 1 Recap: Ducks 99, Cavaliers 61

dvieira — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:24:44 -0000

The men's basketball team got off to a nice start with an exhibition win on Sunday at Mac Court. 5 players scored in double figures and almost everyone got some meaningful playing time. This game went how it was supposed to. Get the guys in the gym under game-like conditions and see how they respond. How much can you learn from your first game against a vastly inferior opponent? I've got a couple things.

1. Jamil Wilson is going to have an immediate impact this season

2. Our shooting woes haven't gone away during the summer

The Ducks were very active in the hustle department. We won the rebound battle with 62 rebounds. Yes, you read that right. 62 rebounds in the game, 31 offensive and defensive rebounds respectively. Even though our shooting was off, the team was crashing the boards, getting after second chance opportunities. We also caused 22 turnovers, translating those turnovers into a respectable 34 points.

Offensively, I thought we shot ok, just not great. We averaged 43% for the game but most of that game from a bad first half. The second half had a decent field goal percentage at 46% but this is Concordia. We shouldn't be shooting under 40% at any time during the game, let alone for a half. Garrett Sim and Tajuan Porter both had tough nights in the shooting department, teaming up to decrease the overall percentage for the team. Take those two out and the team shot around 48%, even including Lekendric Longmire's 2-8 from the field. Sim and Porter won't have this type of game every night but certainly discouraging against this type of competition.

Player Notes

Jamil Wilson came to play tonight and was certainly the star of the show shooting 7-10 from the field with 17 total points and contributing 4 steals in only 18 minutes on the floor. This guy is a beast at the power forward spot and should provide a great option for the team offensively and defensively.

Malcolm Armstead also had a great night, shooting 50% from the field with 14 points. He also spread the ball around, racking up 4 assists.

Tajuan Porter had 2 points on 1-5 shooting with 3 assists and 4 turnovers in 20 minutes. I'll give him a pass for having a bad night but this is his senior season. It's time to step up.

Joevan Catron appears to have found is groove, throwing down 12 points with 0 turnovers. Remember when he would get the ball in the post last year, take a dribble and promptly travel, turning the ball over? I like this new and improved Catron. Keep it up big man.

Final Thoughts

The Ducks took control of the game early and took care of business in a game that they should have won. I especially liked the defensive intensity on Alex Thiefenthaler who only shot 3-11 from the field and had 8 points in 26 minutes. Great defense in the middle took Alex out of his game. This was the first game of a long season. Don't read too much into the statistics but there is a lot to be encouraged about in Jamil Wilson and Malcom Armstead. There's a lot of time for TP and Sim to get things together.

MBB Exhibition Game 1 Preview: Concordia vs Oregon

dvieira — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:00:33 -0000

5:00 pm Pacific at Mac Court Radio Only

A Look at the Cavaliers

Concordia University comes to Mac Court on Sunday for an exhibition matchup with an Oregon Ducks Men's Team that looks to put a forgettable 2008-09 season behind them. Let's be frank on what this match up is. This is a way for the Ducks to work on some skills in a game style environment against a team that just doesn't have the caliber of athletes to compete with a Pac-10 team for a long.

Concordia hails from the Cascade Collegiate Conference, the same conference that is home to Northwest Christian University where former Duck Ben Voogd is playing his senior season. Last year was a bit of a disaster for the Caviliers, going 10-20 for the year and 4-16 in conference. They've already played an exhibition game at the Chiles Center against the Portland Pilots, losing 106-78 with 6 Pilots scoring in double figures.

Alex Tiefenthaler is a 6-9 senior playing the middle and should provide an interesting test for Michael Dunigan and Josh Crittle. Alex was named to the Cascade Collegiate Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Team for 2009 and averaged 16.4 points and led the team with 8.1 rebounds a game. He is also a threat to shoot the three ball, hitting a little under 40% from beyond the arc. He shot 8-13 from the field with 19 total points at Portland in the loss.

Offensively, Concordia likes to work the ball around and look for shots in the paint, using up time on the clock in the process. Oregon will provide quite the contrast in style as the Ducks will look to run on rebounds and in the transition game. The speed and talent advantage for the Ducks should take over the game, especially if fundamentals improve from last year. Taujan Porter should be able to get nearly any shot he wants with his athleticism.

Keys to the Game

1. Use the talent and athletic advantages to dominate. Oregon has a clear edge in talent and athleticism in every facet of the game. Facilities are better, coaching is better and the competition that the Ducks have faced from last year is better. Tajuan Porter needs to run all over the court, getting his teammates involved. Dunigan and Catron need to attack the rim and continue to attack the rim by going through the defenders.

2. Fundamentals. I want to see better, overall fundamental play from the team as a whole. In some regards, this team is still learning to play with each other but with a year under their belts, it's time to step up. Play better, take care of the ball and work as a team.

3. Don't let Concordia think they can hang with Oregon. Get out early, run the ball and get easy buckets. Oregon needs to control the tempo and this game should get out of hand quickly in Oregon's favor.

Final Thoughts

Exhibition games generally don't mean a whole lot but I'm betting this Oregon team will just be happy to get out on the court against competition that doesn't also wear a Duck uniform. Ernie has quite the task ahead of him in turning around a program that a horrible year in 2009. This game starts that journey and we'll see what kind of impact Mike Dunlap has had on the players. I don't see this game being competitive but I don't want it to even been in question. If this game is close, we should have grave concerns for the season, even against a down Pac-10 Conference.

BtB 2009-10 Pac-10 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:57:08 -0000

Last year, the Pac-10 was sneaky good on the national stage, sending 90 percent of its membership to the postseason with little preseason fanfare. However, the postseason ended up being a bit of a downer for the six teams who made the NCAAs, as only Arizona, who was probably the last team in the field of 65, made the second weekend. The College Basketball Invitational was a bigger success, as Oregon State and Stanford met in a semifinal. The Beavers won that matchup and ended up as champions--after they defeated UTEP in a three-game series. Oddly enough, Oregon State had to win the CBI to get to .500 for the year, which is a major accomplishment considering where the Beavers were before Craig Robinson's arrival.

All of that success came at a price for last year's contenders. Six Pac-10 players were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft: Pac-10 Player of the Year James Harden (Arizona State), All-Pac 10 first teamer Jordan Hill (Arizona), all-freshman selection DeMar DeRozan (USC), Jrue Holliday (UCLA), first team selection Darren Collison (also UCLA), and second teamer Taj Gibson (USC). Three more players, first-teamers Jeff Pendergraph (ASU), John Brockman (Washington), and Chase Budinger (also U of A), were selected in the second round. Of those nine, five were underclassmen.

That means the conference will have to try to replicate its success with only two all-Pac-10 first-teamers back (Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle of California) and just two second-teamers, including Freshman of the Year Isaiah Thomas (UW), returning. That means those two teams, who unarguably lost the least, start out as the favorites. UCLA should fit in right behind, though they'll be young. Arizona should also be able to contend, though. much like the Bruins much depends on newcomers, and late signings at that. Oregon State, who should be even better in their second season in Robinson's system, could surprise more than West Coasters this time around, especially as most of their roster is intact. Among the remaining five teams, things are muddled. That mess may become clearer during the non-conference season.

The league also turned over 30 percent of its coaches during the offseason. I'll discuss those changes in each team's individual write up after the jump.

First, here's a look at the final 2008-09 Pac-10 standings.

Pacific-10 Conference Standings

(updated 4.4.2009 at 12:56 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Washington Huskies	14	4	26	9
UCLA Bruins	13	5	26	9
Arizona St. Sun Devils	11	7	25	10
California Golden Bears	11	7	22	11
USC Trojans	9	9	22	13
Arizona Wildcats	9	9	21	14
Washington St. Cougars	8	10	17	16
Oregon St. Beavers	7	11	18	18
Stanford Cardinal	6	12	20	14
Oregon Ducks	2	16	8	23

Now here are my picks for the 2009-10 season, presented in reverse order. If a team's name is a link, click it to go to that school's SBN site, where you'll find in-depth, team-specific analysis during the season.

Stanford (last NCAA: 2008) Johnny Dawkins' task wasn't going to be easy this season, as he had to replace his two leading scorers (Anthony Goods and Lawrence Hill) and his starting backcourt (Goods and Mitch Johnson). His task was made more difficult when start recruit Andy Brown was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Today, Dawkins indefinitely suspended guard Jeremy Green (6.4 ppg, 45.6% from 3, 2.1 rpg) for violating team rules further reducing the Cardinal roster. The best news for Dawkins is that senior forward Landry Fields (12.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) is still around. He and 6-9 center Josh Owens (6.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will anchor the frontcourt, but inexperience in the backcourt could lead to Stanford spending a second straight year near the bottom of the league. The Cardinal will play in Cancun over Thanksgiving, where they'll face Virginia, then either Cleveland State or Kentucky.

USC (last NCAA: 2009) Tim Floyd left not long after he interviewed for the opportunity to be Lute Olson's replacement at Arizona. Replacing Floyd is...Kevin O'Neill, who was the coach-in-waiting in Tucson during the 2007-08 season. He faces a serious rebuilding project, as the Trojans second, third, and fourth leading scorers--Gibson, DeRozan, and Daniel Hackett of a year ago are all gone. Leading scorer Dwight Lewis (14.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) is back, however, to anchor a frontcourt that should be respectable, as 6-9 UNC transfer Alex Stephenson is newly-eligible and 6-6 Marcus Johnson will be back from a shoulder injury. They'll join returnees Leonard Washington (6.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Nikola Vucevic (2.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg). The backcourt is a major question mark though, as junior Donte Smith and freshman Percy Miller (aka Lil' Romeo) will compete with Charlotte transfer Mike Gerrity for the point guard spot that was supposed to be filled by Lamont Jones. The Trojans will spend Christmas in Hawai'i, which should be a winnable tournament, even in a down year.

Arizona State (last NCAA: 2009) The Sun Devils return three starters, most notably senior point guard Derek Glasser (8.8 ppg, 4.8 apg). However, the two starters who left are big pieces to replace, Harden and Pendergraph. Herb Sendek will have to rely on several returnees who saw little playing time last season and a boatload of newcomers, led by 7-2 Russian center Ruslan Pateev and 6-2 local product Demetrius Walker, to replace all of that production. Sendek's team should once again be one of the best in the country defensively (if the newbies buy into his system), but the big question will be can he get enough scoring. The Sun Devils host the West regional of the NIT, where Cal State-Northridge and TCU appear to be their biggest obstacles to getting to New York.

Washington State (last NCAA: 2008) Like the rest of the teams in what I'm projecting as the Pac-10's second division for this year, the Cougars lost significant scoring punch at the end of last season. In this case, their top two scorers are gone, Taylor Rochestie (13.2 ppg, 4.5 apg) and Aron Bynes (12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg). As you can see, the Cougs' former point guard and center brought more to the table than just points. So the challenge for former Portland State head coach Ken Bone in his first year as Tony Bennett's replacement is to find players who can fill those gaps, all while complementing 6-6 sophomore G Klay Thompson (12.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg), one of the best shooters in the conference. 6-8 sophomore and 6-9 Australian freshman Brock Motum will be called on to fill Bynes' spot, while Thompson will be supported by a couple of youngsters in the backcourt--Reggie Moore and Xavier Thomas. The Cougars head north for Thanksgiving. They'll compete in a Great Alaska Shootout group that includes hosts Alaska-Anchorage and Nicholls State. If they win both of those, they'll probably face Oklahoma in the final.

Oregon (last NCAA: 2008) Despite all the rumors to the contrary, Ernie Kent is still the head man in Eugene. Sure the Ducks only won 8 games during all of last year, including only two in the league, but that was with a team that featured eight freshmen. This year's Oregon outfit should be a bit more experienced, and may be even better next year, as leading scorer Tajuan Porter (15.4 ppg) and Joevan Catron (7.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) are the only seniors on the roster. There's also only one junior, 6-5 swingman LeKendrick Longmire (9.9 ppg. 3.7 rpg). Kent really needs to get someone to play at the point, however, with JC transfer Malcolm Armstead the best hope. One of his teammates at Chipola CC, 6-7 F Jeremy Jacob is also expected to be a major contributor to the frontcourt alongside Catron, Longmire, and 6-10 C Michael Durnigan (8.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg). The Ducks will host a four-team round-robin very early in the season, where Colorado State should be their main competition for the title.

Arizona (last NCAA: 2009) Sean Miller left Xavier to replace Russ Pennell who replaced Kevin O'Neill who filled in for Lute Olson. His first couple of tasks in Tucson have to be considered major successes, as he kept 5-10 guard Nic Wise (15.7 ppg, 4.6 apg) from joining Hill and Budinger in the NBA. Then, he snagged a late recruiting class that should help keep the Wildcats competitive in the Pac-10. 6-6 Solomon Hill and 6-10, 255 pound C Kyryl Natyazhko will provide support to Jamelle Horne (6.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) in the frontcourt. Two New Yorkers 5-11 Lamont Jones and 6-6 swingman Kevin Parrom could bring a whole new dimension to the Cats' game. The new look Wildcats get their first real test in Maui, where they open with Wisconsin and could face old tournament rival Gonzaga in their second game.

Oregon State (last NCAA: 1990) The Beavers edged toward respectability last year, claiming the CBI crown, beating Stanford in 3 or 4 meetings (the one loss was arguably the most crucial, in the Pac-10 tourney), and sweeping Cal (though they did provide the Ducks one of their two league triumphs). When I saw them play in their first game of last season, I thought it would be a very long season for Craig Robinson's squad. But they grew throughout the year and now they'll try to take the next step nationally. Point guard Rickey Claitt (7.4 ppg, 2.5 apg) is gone, but point center Roeland Schaftenaar (10.5 ppg. 4 rpg, 3.3 apg) is back. So is leading scorer Calvin Haynes (13 ppg, 3 rpg) and the Tarver brothers, starting PG Josh (3.9 ppg. 1.5 apg) and Seth (8 ppg, 5.4 rpg). The newcomers are a promising group as well. They include two Aussie forwards, Angus Brandt and Rhys Murphy, 6-7 forward Joe Burton, and guards Jared Cunningham and Roberto Nelson. Richmond transfer Chris Richard is also eligible this season, and he'll help bolster the backcourt. The Beavers will open their regular season in Lubbock as part of a four-team tournament. They'll challenge host Texas Tech for the title.

UCLA (last NCAA: 2009) A team that lost four of its top five leading scorers probably shouldn't be rated third in this league, but considering the roster changes and inexperience that hound teams four through 10, the Bruins sit here for the moment. Of course, Ben Howland's team could start slowly, as they've turned into the walking wounded during preseason practices. Forward Nikola Dragovic (9.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and G/F Michael Roll (6.7 ppg) are the Bruins two leading returning scorers, and Drew Gordon (3.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) will undoubtedly get better with more time on the court. This season, Howland's freshmen, led by 6-9 swingman Tyler Honeycutt, 6-8 F Reeves Nelson, and 6-8 Mike Moser, are going to have to carry a lot of the load. The Bruins will anchor the 76 Classic, where they'll open with WCC contender Portland before facing a tough second opponent, Butler or Minnesota.

California (last NCAA: 2009) Mike Montgomery started to earn the trust of Cal fans last season, but if he can bring a Pac-10 crown to Berkeley, Golden Bear fans maybe, just maybe, able to stop seeing him as a Stanford guy. In a league decimated by player departures, Cal only lost only center Jordan Wilkes (4.7 ppg, 4 rpg). Their four leading scorers are back: Randle (18.3 ppg, 5 apg), Christopher (14.3 ppg, 2.1 apg), 6-6 F Theo Robertson (13.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.5 apg), and 6-8 F Jamal Boykin (9.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg). Montgomery's biggest challenge is getting more out of his bench, which is led by hardworking guard Jorge Gutierrez. He also needs to find a replacement for Wilkes. That could be 6-7 JC transfer Markhuri Sanders-Frison, but 6-10 Sudanese prospect Bak Bak could be an intriguing player for the Bears. Cal heads east for the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, where they'll open with a Syracuse team who will have homecourt advantage at MSG. The winner of that tilt faces North Carolina or Ohio State. A trip to Lawrence to face Kansas also looms large.

Washington (last NCAA: 2009) Lorenzo Romar lost two key players off last year's Pac-10 champs, Brockman and G Justin Dentmon (14.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg), but he recruited well. 6-3 Tacoma product Abdul Gaddy should slide into Dentmon's spot on the roster. Gaddy will focus on the point, while Thomas will play more in the 2 slot. Inside, 6-7 Clarence Trent will support senior Quincy Pondexter (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg), and 6-9 junior Matthew Bryan-Amaning (6 ppg, 4 rpg) should increase his contributions. The main challenge for UW will be replacing Brockman's prowess on the boards. He averaged nearly 12 a game, and it will be no small feat to replace them. The Huskies host a four-team round-robin tournament to open the season, featuring Belmont, Portland State, and Wright State. They also play Georgetown in this year's edition of the Wooden Classic.

It was a tough choice, but I'm picking Washington to edge Cal in the league race this season. The Huskies will hold Pac-10's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Tune back in then to see my first guess at the number of bids the conference could receive in what might be a down year. Now, to wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Pac-10 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Pac-10 Team

Player of the Year: Jerome Randle, 5-10 G, Sr. (California)

Remainder of the Team
Patrick Christopher, 6-5 G, Sr. (California)
Quincy Pondexter, 6-6 F, Sr. (Washington)
Isaiah Thomas, 5-8 G, So. (Washington)
Nic Wise, 5-10 G, Sr. (Arizona)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Pac-10 this season?

Arizona

8 votes

Arizona State

4 votes

California

28 votes

Oregon

2 votes

Oregon State

5 votes

Stanford

1 votes

UCLA

36 votes

USC

1 votes

Washington

363 votes

Washington State

4 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed

Quack Fix: Hoops media day; Steele still predicts Emerald Bowl for Ducks.

JConant — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:00:42 -0000

Well, ready or not, it's time to start putting some focus on the upcoming Pac-10 basketball season. Today's Quack Fix is a little soft on football coverage - no surprise halfway through a bye week.

Ernie Kent is fairly candid about the pressure he feels to right the ship following last year's 8-23 record. The Ducks start practice Friday night, and Kent had a lot to say about the growth of his team when he sat down with the R-G's Ron Bellamy.
Bellamy offers a few other notes from Oregon's media day.
Evidently Bellamy was winning the day among local beat writers. He writes that post players Nicole Canepa and Ellyce Ironmonger are learning to find a place in Paul Westhead's up-tempo system.
Bob Clark of the R-G gives us an in-depth introduction to E.J. Singler. The freshman from Medford has a lot of things going for him, including a well-established comfort zone for playing at Mac Court.
Of course, we're not completely lacking football news. Rob Moseley gives us links to the latest bowl projections. I would normally pass on this stuff, but I see Phil Steele still isn't a believer. He predicts Oregon will go 2-4 in the second half. What's odd is he has Cal running the table starting this week. Seriously, Phil? Are you even considering how these teams look on the field week to week? Cal's going to beat Oregon State, Arizona, and Stanford, but Oregon will lose to all three?
Gary Horowitz of the Stateman Journal caught up with Chip Kelly, who says the Ducks will remain focused week-to-week right through the civil war. Funny...Kelly said he congratulated the team Wednesday for being half-way-through Pac-10 champs. Evidently some of the guys clapped in celebration, until they realized Chip was being sarcastic.
In case you missed yesterday's practice notes.
Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian reports that former Duck lineman Mark Lewis has been signed to the Seattle Seahawks' practice roster.

As always, if you stumble upon some good, please share in the comments. [UPDATE -jtlight] I've added some videos after the jump, incliding a bunch of basketball team interview and Chip Kelly on PTI, so make sure to check them out.

Chip Kelly on PTI

Coach Kent Media Day Interview

Tajuan Porter Media Day Interview

Michael Dunigan Media Day Interview

Drew Wiley Media Day Interview

LeKendric Longmire Media Day Interview

Media Wednesday - A Season To Forget

dvieira — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:00:47 -0000

2008 was a hard year for a young Men's Basketball Team. Before we can go forward, we have to look back and remember the mistakes of the past. Today's Media Wednesday goes back to the end of the 2008 Hoops season as LeKendric Longmire, Tajuan Porter and Ernie Kent comment on the season finally, mercifully coming to an end during the Pac-10 Tournament.

Here's to hoping that Juju will look favorably on us in basketball this year.

Oregon Men and Women's 2009-10 Basketball Season Brings Hope and Optimism... Maybe Even a Little Change

dvieira — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:21 -0000

A little less than 3 weeks left. That's how much longer we have to endure football season before we can finally get to some real college sports discussions around here. We can stop talking about Jeremiah Masoli's knee or whether or not LeGarrette Blount is coming back or how Chip Kelly gives funny answers to the media. After all of this time, we can finally get back to talking about our true love...college basketball.

Maybe not the one true love, but maybe a tempting mistress we don't tell the misses about.

While most fans focus on football, the men's and women's basketball teams are both in training camp, getting ready for the season and both teams are looking towards the 2009-10 campaign with questions looming over them. Bev Smith is out as Oregon Women's coach. Enter Paul Westhead who, after swapping stories with Joe Pa and Andy Rooney about the "good old days", is looking to put in his own high-tempo offense that should make the Lady Ducks run like the wind. You like the football high tempo offense? Wait until you see Westhead's team. A new offensive mindset, new expectations and hope for moving the Oregon Women's Basketball Team into the upper tier of the conference. If you haven't seen Paul Westhead's style of run and gun, you should be in for quite the show. We all should be in for quite the show.

For Ernie Kent and the Men's Team, expectations couldn't be higher. Most everyone thought we would be looking at a new coach this season after a dismal display in 2009. Enter Mike Dunlap from Arizona who has said to have been "challenging things" for the team with a renewed emphasis on fundamentals. They're still young and mistakes will happen but the opportunity for success is there to be had. The Pac-10 is relatively down this year with many of the stars of last year heading out into the NBA Draft. If Ernie can't get the young Ducks into the post season this year, Mike Bellotti may start asking Chip if he can be quarterbacks coach again.

Will Tajuan Porter step up in a similar vein to Aaron Brooks? How will Paul Westhead's system translate to the Oregon Women's Team? Will Mike Dunlap go from Associate Head Coach to just straight up Head Coach?

So go ahead, enjoy your football but just remember to get your popcorn ready for November.