The House of Points: Both UO Ducks Basketball Teams Scoring at Record Pace

The House of Points: Both UO Ducks Basketball Teams Scoring at Record Pace

Originally posted on CampusAttic.com on December 26th, 2013

    Oregon basketball is scoring points on top of points on top of points, son! Following a cue from the Oregon football mentality, Ducks basketball has become a game of scoring at will, for both the men’s and women’s teams.

 

Men's Basketball coach Dana Altman (NBC.com)

    The men’s squad, undefeated on the year at 11-0 and ranked as high as 10th in one poll, the women’s squad 8-2. Both are slated to next play games this Sunday, Dec. 29th at Matthew Knight Arena in what should be an entertaining and fast-paced doubleheader. Both are led by high-profile coaches with distinct systems.

    Whatever the means, whether it’s the “Guru of Go”’s run-and-gun system by Paul Westhead having his women sprint and shoot within three passes, or Dana Altman’s movement system built on out-scheming opponents; both teams have a lot in common — flashy uniforms, the Pit Crew cheering them on, plenty of wins, and scoring lots and lots of points in the process.

    It is unprecedented territory for Oregon, and perhaps any program, to consider the equality in offensive production currently taking place in the cavernous and occasionally mostly-filled Matthew Knight Arena. The Oregon Ducks men’s team currently rank #1 in the country in points per game (90.3), and 7th in field goal percentage (.511). The women are also #1 in scoring per game at a whopping 106.2 points per game, almost six points per game higher than the 2nd-ranked team (Baylor).

Paul Westhead’s system is finally paying big dividends. (courtesy: GoDucks.com)

    For comparison purposes, the women’s team would rank third overall in the NBA behind only Portland and Oklahoma City in points per game, and 24 points per game higher than the top-scoring WNBA team in the 2013 season (Minnesota Lynx – 82.88).

    The University of Oregon athletic department is a program more than any other today that has become a marketing giant, a brand in of itself. Predicated on speed and flash across all of its sports, behind the glitz and glamour of Duck lore is the reality of performance. The University of Oregon may not have the banners that the traditional powers do, but in the 21st century nothing draws attention like scoring and winning, two things the Ducks have done often…now if only those things actually attracted a crowd to Matt Knight Arena.

    With both teams running and scoring at a breakneck pace, it will be interesting to see where the Ducks end up once Pac-12 play begins. Each team has been tested, the men surviving difficult battles in overtime vs. Ole Miss and Illinois, the women falling to the #1 ranked Connecticut Huskies in Hartford, CT.

    Coach Westhead and Coach Altman will of course give the typical coach speak, emphasizing fundamentals and areas to improve–defense, rebounding, passing, ball control–but the results speak for themselves. The systems are working, oh how they are working.

    Seven times out of ten the Oregon women have scored 100+ points in games, the men four times out of eleven have cracked the century mark. The women in three of those games have exceed 120 points, without going to overtime. Their opening day tally of 131 broke the team and Pac-12 scoring record for a single game, quite a feat considering the top-level play and dynasty long established on the west coast by the Stanford women’s basketball team.

Joseph Young has led the scoring
(courtesy: BleacherReport.com)

    Both teams have have gone into overdrive through new additions to the roster adding turbo to an already powerful engine. The men’s squad has survived in the Dana Altman era through transfers, and 2013 is no exception, with Joseph Young, Mike Moser, and Jason Calliste ranking 1-2-3 in scoring for the Ducks, Young leading the way at a whopping 19.8 ppg clip.

    For the women, the catalyst has been freshman Chrishae Rowe and a finally healthy roster. Westhead has brought in talent to Oregon since taking over the team five years ago, but the program has been as snake bit by injuries as any in the country, until now. Firing on all cylinders, Rowe and the lady Ducks are making buckets at an unbelievable pace.

     Rowe has been named the Pac-12 freshman of the week three times, impressive considering considering the season is barely seven weeks old. Rowe set a new team record for scoring in a single game back on December 4th, racking up 41 vs. Seattle. She is ranked 10th in the country in scoring per game (24.2), while inside post presence Jillian Alleyne leads the nation in rebounds per game at 13.8.

    With Oregon putting up so many points and the Pac-12 schedule looming, both teams just got a nitrous injection with the addition of more able bodies. Handcuffed for the first nine games due to the suspension of 2012 starting point guard Dominic Artis and much-needed big man Ben Carter, the men’s team seamlessly welcomed their two teammates back into the rotation, the two proving invaluable in the Dec. 21st 100-96 overtime win over BYU. After football season ends, come January a couple more players are likely to don Duck uniforms, last year’s redshirt Arik Armstead and freshmen twins Tyree and Tyrell Robinson probable to join an already very deep bench.

Chrishae Rowe has led the way in the Ducks’ onslaught of the scoreboard, named Pac-12
Freshman of the Week three times. (courtesy: GoDucks.com)

    On the women’s side, Oregon’s athletic equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife is back, four-sport do-everything and volleyball All-American Liz Brenner is back on the court following Oregon’s elimination from the volleyball NCAA Tournament. Brenner was Oregon 2nd leading rebounder in 2012-13, a big body to help in the paint.

     While Brenner for the women and Armstead for the men are not key cogs in the machine with Oregon’s teams already rolling, they are nice compliments to add to let Oregon only get stronger from here. Armstead could possibly bring a large body in the paint, the one chink in Oregon’s armor, a team that ranks a paltry 153rd in the country in rebounding.

    Whether or not the good times can be sustained will be tested when Pac-12 play starts in January. Always a strong basketball conference, the traditional powers in Arizona’s men’s team and Stanford’s women’s team are huge roadblocks that must be overcome to legitimize both Oregon teams as contenders.

  What they have proven thus far is that both are able to score, handily, on anybody. As long as they keep scoring, they should keep winning. For 2013, if Autzen Stadium is the House of Loud, then Matthew Knight Arena has become the House of Points. It may not be loud, it may often be close to empty, but the on-court performances more than justify a big audience.

The next opportunity to showcase their point prowess should be a fun one, with the men’s and women’s teams both playing at Matt Knight Arena this Sunday. Why not make a day of it? See if the scoreboard can keep up…First to 100 wins.

NEXT GAMES:

Oregon Ducks Men’s Basketball
Morgan State vs. Oregon
Sunday, December 29th, 2013 – 12pm (Pac-12 Network)
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball
Cal State Northridge vs. Oregon
Sunday, December 29th, 2013 – 4pm (Pac-12 Streaming online here)
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

Pit Crew has had plenty to cheer about in 2013, join in the fun this Sunday with back-to-back games. (courtesy: UOpitcrew.com)

Ducks Keep Getting Stronger: So Far So Good For UO Basketball, Tests Remain

Ducks Keep Getting Stronger: So Far So Good For UO Basketball, Tests Remain

Originally posted on CampusAttic.com on December 19th, 2013

Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman has had a lot to applaud so far in 2013. (courtesy: NBCsports.com)

    Just how good could the 2013-14 Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team be? At 10-0, so far so good. In the past four years since Dana Altman took over the program from Ernie Kent, Oregon has had to implement stop-gap measures to fill the roster, surviving on transfers to replace the constant departures from the program.

     At times it has felt like a tale of two seasons, as the team that starts the year barely resembles the squad that finishes it, with late additions to balance out players leaving. Familiar faces returned for the first time this year on Tuesday, when Dominic Artis and Ben Carter returned from a nine-game suspension, and in the near future yet more help could be on the way.

    Somehow, Altman has made it work. From the first recruit Altman ever signed, Johnathan Loyd — now a senior, to the masterful use of the graduate transfer rule that has allowed single-year stars to emerge like Devoe Joseph and Arsalan Kazemi, Altman and company have managed to find a way to keep the train on the tracks when so much could have gone wrong amidst a very fluid roster.

    Every year Oregon has improved on the previous season under Coach Altman. First there was the CBI championship in the inaugural season at Matthew Knight Arena, then the NIT, then reaching the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament; but now Oregon feels different. Before the Ducks were the overachieving up-and-comers, this year, they have officially arrived as a true west coast contender.

    At 10-0, Oregon is ranked 13th in the country, but easily playing at a top-10 level. It is the first 10-0 start for Oregon since the 2006-07 season, the last time the Ducks reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. Despite being shorthanded due to the nine-game suspension of 2012 starting point guard Dominic Artis and big man Ben Carter, Oregon in 2013 has not only reloaded but grown stronger. Senior point guard Johnathan Loyd has expanded on his 2012-13 Pac-12 Tournament MVP performance to become an early season Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, while transfers Joseph Young and Jason Calliste have made the Ducks one of the top scoring teams in the country.

    Every test has been passed so far, with the team surviving the Carter and Artis suspensions with flying colors, to the point where concern was raised that the return of the two sidelined Ducks this past Tuesday vs. UC-Irvine might actually upset team chemistry. After a 91-63 win over a tough Anteater squad that had beaten UW earlier in the year, that proved unfounded, but will reduced minutes for some result in inconsistent play in the future?

    Oregon hasn’t just reloaded like past years, but expanded the roster of an already-proven-to-be-very-good team to an elite level. If this team had one flaw, it was their size in the paint, a problem (hopefully) resolved with the addition of Ben Carter, and with Dominic Artis back in the point guard rotation it allows Loyd to bring even more energy to the floor. With one game done, sharing the ball between Artis and Loyd doesn’t appear to be an issue.

Dominic Artis’ return to the lineup Tuesday should pay great dividends going forward. (courtesy: CSNNW.com)

    There are many tests yet to come in a still very young season, the Pac-12 is as stacked with talent as any conference in the country this year. Proving the best team out west could perhaps come down to the last game of the year, when Oregon hosts the #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats in March before the Pac-12 Tournament.

    Joseph Young, Jason Calliste, and Mike Moser are all capable scorers added to last year’s leaders Dominic Artis and Damyean Dotson, while Artis and Loyd are both extremely capable and proven point guards. The only thing that could be lacking in this year’s version of the Ducks is a dominant rebounder/defender with the loss of Arsalan Kazemi and Tony Woods from last year’s squad. So far Oregon has been able to outrun and shoot past any inside presence hindrance, with so many quality role players able to take over a game any shortcomings seem more than possible to be overcome.

    Scary to think then that this Oregon team could actually still get deeper and stronger. Come January, once the football season ends, several Oregon football players may join the already deep basketball squad. Arik Armstead is a big body who redshirted last season, but could add another post presence off the bench backing up Carter and Waverly Austin.

    Then there is the matter of Tyrell and Tyree Robinson, freshmen on the football team who have expressed interest in also playing basketball, and the possibility that 2013 signee Jordan Bell, delayed in arrival due to a NCAA clearance issue, is scheduled to enroll next term and could add even more depth, though he seems a likely redshirt candidate.

    That brings the body count up to 19! 19 players on the Oregon roster — if Armstead, the Robinson twins, and Bell all join Oregon for the winter 2014 term. For a sport where teams rarely go deeper than a 10-man rotation, that’s tremendous depth and talent to keep legs fresh, allowing Oregon to run and play press defense, just the way Altman likes it.

    It’s an odd position for Altman to be in, who has had to scramble in the past just to be able to fill a roster, now having too many athletes than he knows what to do with. Only so many minutes to go around, so perhaps down the line the plethora of talent may in fact become an issue as had been speculated prior to the UC-Irvine game Tuesday, but if the positive results continue then nitpicking over minutes may be the only flaw anyone can find.

    Ask the coach though, and there is always room for improvement. Altman has made it known he expects better rebounding, more defensive intensity, better overall effort…ya know, typical coach-speak. Yet with areas to improve, even Coach Altman has to be smiling over the great start to the 2013-14 campaign.

    Before the 10-0 euphoria gets too big, however, it is important to remember that this Oregon team has yet to prove they can consistently play well on the road. Seven of the 10 wins have been in the friendly confines of Matt Knight Arena, with one neutral site game in South Korea, one overtime win at Ole Miss, and a very pro-Oregon “neutral site” game in Portland. The Ole Miss game in Oxford, MS proved the most difficult matchup so far, and Oregon barely survived, so does that show enough cause to be concerned for future road contests?

What size disadvantage? Oregon didn’t have a problem contending against UC-Irvine’s big men Tuesday.

    Dominant big man be damned, the other major concern for this year’s team, as Oregon quickly neutralized UCI’s 7’6″ monstrosity, Mamadou Ndiaye. So far that concern has also proven unfounded, but could an elite center or power forward be Oregon’s kryptonite come tournament time? The jury is still out.

    Oregon next hosts BYU, once again playing at Matt Knight Arena, this Saturday at 7:30pm (Pac-12 Network). Another home game to follow vs. Morgan State wraps up the 2013 portion of the season before the holiday break and Pac-12 play begins. Come January the true tests begin, with road games at Utah and Colorado commencing Pac-12 conference games. If Oregon proves they can win on the road in the Pac-12, only then should realistic expectations be raised that Oregon can and should exceed last year’s Pac-12 Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 finish.

    Consider BYU and Morgan State the last opportunities to polish fundamentals, dust off the rust on Artis and Carter, and solidify the team’s position as one of the top contenders out west before conference play begins. BYU can’t be overlooked though, at 8-4 the Cougars have suffered three losses to top-25 teams, while holding wins over Texas and Stanford already on the young season. BYU is top-10 in the country in points, rebounds, and assists per game, a difficult opponent that once again will go a ways in showing how well this deep Oregon lineup can play together.

    The early tests have been passed, with many more yet to come. The legitimacy of Oregon as a championship contender can’t be overlooked with the talent on the roster and undefeated start, but it is still very premature to start dreaming of nets being cut down.

    Finding consistency in the rotation, proving they can win on the road, surviving a difficult Pac-12 schedule, defeating an able-bodied BYU, proving they can overcome size disadvantages in the paint — these are the tests that still await Altman’s Ducks. With the recent additions and more reinforcements on the way, the Ducks just keep getting stronger. It’s a long season yet to come, but so far so good.

Oregon Ducks celebrate their win over UC-Irvine Tuesday. The team next hosts BYU on Saturday. (courtesy: GoDucks.com)

Ducks Are Finally a Go: After Some Hard-Luck Years, The System Is Working

Ducks Are Finally a Go: After Some Hard-Luck Years, The System Is Working

Originally posted on CampusAttic.com on December 13th, 2013

    When Matt Knight Arena was built, there were two high-profile University of Oregon basketball coaching hires. Dana Altman has led Oregon’s men’s program to heightened expectations over his four years, but on the women’s side the results have been a mixed bag.

    Oregon women’s basketball has quite a storied legacy since its first official season (1973-74). 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, three times in the WNIT, two Pac-10/12 championships, and an all-time win/loss record nearing .600 in the very difficult Pac-10/12. Oregon legends such as Debbie Adams, Bev Smith, Stefanie Kasperski, Lauri Landerholm, and Debbie Sporcich have all added to its storied place in the Pac–all Oregon Ducks Hall of Famers. Recent Oregon Ducks Taylor Lilley, Amanda Johnson, and Catherine Kraayeveid, among others, have played in the WNBA.

    Legendary coach Paul Westhead was brought in a year before Altman to lead the women’s basketball program, the sixth coach to lead Oregon’s women’s basketball program, part of the new identity to Oregon basketball amidst the construction of a new arena. Profiled as “The Guru of Go” by ESPN films, Westhead’s stellar career over four decades includes coaching NBA, WNBA, and college teams to the highest of levels, famously teaching a system predicated on speed, press defense, and quick shots. He won a NBA championship as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, and his LMU basketball squad retains the NCAA record for the highest-scoring team in history.

    The hire seemed to make sense, what school after all is more directly associated with running and speed than Oregon? If nothing else, Westhead’s system would bring great excitement to Eugene, and a brand name in a hall of fame-caliber coach to sell. And early on, true to his reputation, points were exactly what he brought. In his first two seasons at the helm, Oregon finished top-15 in scoring and led he Pac-10/12 in three-pointers. While buckets were being made though, wins were hit and miss.

Katelyn Loper is leading the NCAA in 3-pointers per game. (courtesy: Lanetoday.com)

    A program that had won just nine games the year before Westhead’s arrival finished the 2009-10 season with an 18-16 record, reaching the WNIT Tournament. But in year two Oregon finished with a losing record, and year three managed 15-15 with once again no postseason play. The 2012-2013 season hit a record low — the team finished a dismal 4-27. Ravaged by injuries, the team was a shell of what it could have been, but still there was something wrong. For whatever reason, the Guru of Go’s system didn’t go.

    It wasn’t for a lack of talent either. Individual talents such as Amanda Johnson, Nia Jackson, and Taylor Lilley earned all-conference honors, while Westhead has also coached multiple academic all-americans — Amanda Johnson was even named the 2012 Toyo Tires Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

    But it all couldn’t be blamed on injuries, and there were rumblings of Westhead’s job being on the line if Oregon didn’t produce in 2013 following such a dismal 2012, maybe the system just wasn’t right for women’s collegiate basketball.

    So far in 2013, Oregon women’s basketball and coach Westhead have proved all the doubters wrong. The team is 5-2 on the year, one loss coming to #1-ranked and perennial national title contender Connecticut in Hartford. The Ducks haven’t just been winning, but the system is working, as Oregon racks up astounding scoring totals each game, eclipsing 100-points four times so far on the young season.

     During Westhead’s five years, Oregon has cracked the century mark 11 times, going 10-1 in those games. Oregon’s return to relevance was announced loudly in the opening game of the season November 9th, when the Ducks scored a mind-boggling 131 points vs. CSU Bakersfield, a Pac-12 single-game scoring record.

Freshman Chrishae Rowe has revitalized Oregon women’s basketball in 2013. (courtesy: GoDucks.com)

    Leading the charge for the rejuvenated Ducks has been freshman Chrishae Rowe, who set a new single-game school scoring record with her 41 point performance vs. Seattle Dec. 4th. For her efforts, Rowe was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, the third time she had received the honor in the first five weeks of the season. She ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring average.

    It hasn’t been Rowe carrying the team by herself however, some of the talent that suffered through injuries last year are healthy and contributing to the go. Katelyn Loper is leading the nation in three-pointers per game, while Jillian Alleyne has racked up five double-doubles so far in her sophomore campaign.

Liz Brenner will rejoin the basketball team this Saturday now that volleyball season is over. (courtesy: USAtoday.com)

    Now that the volleyball season is over, basketball is set to get a boost, when Oregon’s most multi-talented athlete in school history, Elizabeth Brenner, rejoins the team. Brenner, who has played softball, volleyball, basketball, and thrown javelin for the track team during her time at Oregon, is set to return to the court this weekend after Oregon was knocked out of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament last weekend by Nebraska. She plans to add sand volleyball to her vast resume, when Oregon adds the sport in spring 2014.

    With the athletes healthy and in place, fans are finally getting the opportunity to see what was promised when Paul Westhead was hired five years ago — “the system” working. It is fast-paced, high-energy, quick-hitting basketball at its best, redefining the way the game is played, much like how the Oregon football team’s style of play has sparked a similar revolution on the turf. When the system is running and shots are falling, the Ducks are as entertaining and tough to play as any women’s college basketball team in the country.

    It’s been a lengthy break for the Ducks, a 10-day stay in games happening in the schedule due to finals. Saturday Oregon finally returns to the court, hosting Portland State at 2 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena. It’s a chance for in-state revenge, as Portland State added to last year’s misery with an 87-85 win over the Ducks in November last year on the Matt Knight floor.

Sophomore Jillian Alleyne already has five double-doubles on the young season. (courtesy: uwire.com)

    This won’t be the same team PSU faced last year though, Oregon is second in the country in scoring, racking up 98.3 points per game, behind only Baylor. The Ducks have already exceeded their win total from the 2012-13 campaign, looking to wipe away all memories of the lost ’12 season, showcasing Westhead’s fully-functional system firing on all cylinders.

    With Pac-12 play still to come, more tests await the 2013-14 Oregon women’s basketball team, but with the 5-2 start and amassing amazing scoring totals, there is no doubt that after a lengthy wait the Guru of Go’s system has arrived. These ladies are running, and it is a sight to see.

NEXT GAME:

Portland State at Oregon
Saturday, December 14th, 2013 – 2 p.m.
Matthew Knight Arena – Eugene, OR
Tickets Available Here
Game will be livestreamed on Pac-12.com