Many college basketball pundits said the University of Oregon men’s basketball team was better than it showed last season, when the Ducks finished 15-18 and in seventh place in the Pacific-10 Conference.
But few believed that Oregon would be quite this good.
The Ducks (16-1) are tied with UCLA for first place in the Pac-10 at 4-1 and are ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press poll. The Ducks won at Arizona on Sunday, a week after upsetting No. 1 UCLA. Earlier this season, Oregon won at No. 18 Georgetown.
So what happened between last season and this one?
Many Pac-10 coaches point to the fact that Oregon is a more experienced team now and knows how to win some of the games it lost last season.
“They’re a veteran ballclub,” Arizona coach Lute Olson said. “They came in here Sunday and they were not bothered by the crowd at all, and I don’t think they will be.”
A year ago, the Ducks lost nine games by four points or fewer. This season, Oregon beat both Arizona and UCLA by two and Oregon State by three, going 3-1 in games decided by three or less.
“We’re a better conditioned team,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “Our kids are a year older, very similar to Washington State’s kids. We’re bigger, we’re stronger, which allows us to sustain longer mentally and physically. … All the adversity they’ve gone through, they’ve weathered the adversity.”
Oregon has been good despite struggling through injury issues. Malik Hairston and Chamberlain Oguchi have missed time with injuries, with Hairston, the team’s leading returning scorer, just recently getting back in the lineup. His return provided a spark, as he scored 18 points in the win over Arizona.
“I’m not sure there’s a more explosive team in the country than Oregon,” said Stanford coach Trent Johnson, who’s team plays the Ducks on Thursday. “This is a team that’s a veteran group that’s playing well. They cause a lot of problems for you because they’re so explosive, so skilled.”
“They’re really sharing the ball,” Olson said. “The open man is getting the ball. It doesn’t look like anyone is concerned about their points, and they have someone who is next to impossible to handle with (Aaron) Brooks with his quickness.”
Brooks, a senior point guard from Seattle, is second in the league in scoring at 18.2 points per game and junior Bryce Taylor averages 16.2. Junior Maarty Leunen leads the league in rebounding (10.2).
Kent said it’s not as though the team took a huge step this season given the number of close losses it had a year ago. He credits a preseason trip to the Bahamas with helping bring the team closer together, and said that winning the games it lost last year solves a lot of problems.
“It allows you to have better chemistry because winning gives you better chemistry,” Kent said.
Gibson better than advertised: He got lost among the Spencer Hawes, Chase Budinger and Lopez Twins talk, but USC forward Taj Gibson has been as good as any freshman in the Pac-10. Gibson is averaging 13.3 points, shooting a conference-best 63.9 percent from the floor and ranks fourth in the league in rebounding at 9.2 and second in blocks at 2.0.
“He’s exceeded our expectations,” USC coach Tim Floyd said. “He’s been a better low-post scorer than we thought we were getting. He’s an exceptional rebounder. … He’s been a big difference-maker on our team.”
Gibson had a wayward trip to USC. The Brooklyn native spent his first prep season at Telecommunications High in New York before spending two years at Stoneridge Prep in Tarzana, Calif. and last season at Calvary Christian Prep in San Fernando, Calif. Calvary Christian only played in one tournament last year, having its season abbreviated and stunting Gibson’s recruiting. The only other school that went after Gibson was Louisville.
Disappointing start for Giles: Former Rainier Beach star C.J. Giles’ first week as a member of the Oregon State basketball team didn’t go particularly well, as Giles sprained his thumb at the beginning of his first scrimmage and has been out with the injury.
Giles transferred to OSU after a tumultuous career at Kansas but Beavers coach Jay John said Giles has been welcomed by his new team.
“Within our own team, having C.J. around has been a giant boost of energy,” John said.
Shipp getting better: UCLA coach Ben Howland said Josh Shipp, who missed last weekend’s win over USC with injury, is back to practice but is still questionable for this week’s games.
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