The Arizona Wildcat's are the last Pac 10 team standing in the NCAA tourney, and will take on the number one overall seed, the Louisville Cardinals this Friday. I'm giving Arizona a shot in this game. I feel that if Jordan Hill, Nic Wise, and Chase Budinger can get a little help from the the Wildcat's supporting cast then the Cardinal will be in for a much tougher match up than your typical #12 seed would present. Arizona has the starting 5 that can compete with anyone in the country...and they should match up nicely with the likes of Louisville's Clark, Williams, Sosa, and Samuels.
Regardless of the outcome of Friday's game, I expect this to be the end of Arizona's amazing run of 25 straight NCAA appearances. Because of the turmoil and uncertainty of the head coaching position over the last couple of years, Arizona has essentially lost out on its last two recruiting classes. If Budinger and Hill leave, as I expect, then the talent level in Tuscon will be as barren as the Southern Arizona landscape. Arizona will bring in a big name coach next year (potentially Rick Pitino).. but the next few years could be rough for Wildcat fans, so they should enjoy this 2009 NCAA tourney run to the fullest.
In the next couple of weeks Oregon AD Pat Kilkenny will be faced with a difficult decision; whether to retain or release Oregon Basketball Head Coach Ernie Kent. Kilkenny and crew are much closer to the situation than I am, so instead of me telling you what I think Oregon should do, I will instead present both sides of the argument and let you make the call.
Those who want Kent gone: It has long been said that Kent isn’t a top of the line in game coach, and that he doesn’t make the proper adjustments following halftime. I have seen the Ducks look confused, uninspired, and at times completely lost in second half’s, so maybe there is some merit to these remarks. Another common complaint used when describing Kent’s coaching, is that his players don’t develop over their four years on campus. I believe this argument has the most merit, looking at the careers of players like Malik Hariston, Bryce Taylor, Chris Christofferson, and many others. Not one of those players was significantly better on senior night than they where when they first arrived in Eugene. Due to the new arena, that is currently being built as we speak, the expectations will be raised for Oregon basketball, and losing seasons will not be acceptable. Along with these raised expectations, financial pressure could soon follow, because nobody in this economy is going to pay top dollar to see a .500 team. Many Duck fans feel Kent’s time is up, and he isn’t the man to lead them into Matthew Knight Arena. These fans have been longing for Mark Few to come home to rest in the Willamette Valley and lead the Ducks to the bigger and better things. Only time will tell.
Those who want Kent around: Emotions certainly play a role for all of us when looking at the Ernie Kent situation. The 2008-2009 season is still fresh in our minds, and if it weren’t for the 2008 Beavers, Oregon’s season this year would be one of, if not the worst in Pac-10 history. So I ask you to step back from the fire, and look at Kent’s body of work. He has the most wins in Oregon history, and has lead his teams to the NCAA’s 5 times, two of them being Elite Eight trips. The only other school on the West Coast to do that this decade is UCLA, and sorry Duck fans Oregon isn’t exactly on UCLA’s level when it comes to basketball tradition. The reason so many Duck fans are on Kent’s ass is because of the expectations he has created. Ernie is the only coach I have known as a Duck fan, but I am very familiar with Oregon basketball history, and to be honest there is very little of it. Pick up a media guide and take a look at the top career stats for Oregon players. The record books are littered with players Kent recruited. Names like Ridnour, Jackson, Jones, Brooks,and Luenen will live on forever at Oregon. Teams like the 2001-02, and the 2006-07 were legitimate national title contenders. This is Oregon basketball folks, and the only reason people around the country know anything about it is because of the players and teams Kent has assembled.
Conclusion: I understand that for every great season Oregon has had, there have been two disappointing ones to follow. That must change because Oregon can’t go into the new arena with a team that makes the tourney every two or three years. Let me know what you think about the Kent situation. I tried to be impartial and present both sides to the argument; I hope I was successful at doing so.
Many annalist across the country felt the Pac 10 was only a shell of the league it was last year.While the conference did lose first found talent such as OJ Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Jared Bayless, and the Lopez twins to the NBA, it was still able to get 6 teams into the NCAA tournament. USC got the conferences automatic bid after winning the Pacific Life Pac 10 tourney, something they had to do if they wanted to take be part of March Madness.Washington, UCLA, ASU, California, and Arizona will also represent the conference in the NCAA tourney.Looking at the match ups I feel the only them that will make it past the first weekend and into the Sweet Sixteen is Washington.The Huskies will be playing in Portland for the opening rounds, meaning the crowd will be extremely pro-Husky.What separates the league this year from last, is the inability of the other 5 teams (Washington aside) to make a deep tournament run.Stay tuned for more March Madness coverage.
The Oregon Ducks finished their season Wednesday night in LA with a loss to the Cougars.As a Duck follower, this season was more agonizing to watch than any other I can recall.However when Thursday or Saturday night rolled around, I was always there in front of the TV or radio following this team till the bitter end.I don’t want to talk about the future of Coach Ernie Kent right now, his future will be evaluated by people much closer to the situation that I am.I will instead break down the team, position by position and give you my quick analysis of this team’s future.
Point Guard:Duck fans often like to blame Tajuan Porter for the team’s struggles.I understand he isn’t the ideal point or shooting guard, but I love the kid’s intensity and mindset. Tajuan wants to be the one to take the last shot, or have the ball in his hand at the end of the game, and I appreciate that.Most players don’t share the same will to win that Tajuan does.On a side note, Porter may end his career as the Ducks all time leading scorer, so maybe some duck fans should back off him a bit, he has done a lot for this program.Freshman Garrett Sim certainly tailed off toward the end of the season, but he has the potential to be the Ducks starting PG for the next 3 years.Kamyron Brown either needs to make great strides this off season, or find himself a seat next to the coaches. Brown’s development has been slow to non existent and his erratic play makes it hard for his teammates to get in any sort of a rhythm throughout the game.
Shooting Guard:Freshman Matthew Humphrey improved as the season progressed, and if that continues I find it hard to imagine he wouldn’t be vying for more minutes next fall. Humphrey reminds me of a more energetic Bryce Taylor, the emotion Humphrey shows on the court was clearly contagious in wins over Stanford and OregonState. Junior to be LeKenderic Longmire was the teams best defender, and plays with an intensity I truly enjoy.While his offense is still raw, he shooting improved over last year, and I look for him to develop his ball handling skills this off season to make him a more complete player.Freshman Teondre Williams didn’t play much this year due to injuries, but his athleticism is second to none, and he has the potential to be a big time player for the Ducks next year.This group has an array of talented players; I think the big key at this position will be finding someone that can score consistently throughout the season instead of in a game here or there.
Small Forward:The small forward position is one of great intrigue for the Ducks going into next season.Big time recruit Jamil Wilson from Wisconsin will be a contributor immediately.From what I have seen of him, he appears to have a good stroke, and bounce similar to that of an Alex Scales (I’m not just saying that because their both from Racine, Wisconsin).Drew Wiley came on strong at the end of the year, and he has the three point ability to really stretch a defense.Wiley must improve his own defense, and inside game but that should come with more time in the weight room this spring.Incoming freshman EJ Singler and Jeremy Jacob could also see minutes next year, although I would expect at least one of them to redshirt. Once again the small forward position will be young, but the talent is in place for years to come.
The Beavers season came to an end on Wednesday night, but the loss to Stanford certainly does not define this team’s season.OregonState was picked last in the Pac 10 at the start of the year, and they exceeded any imaginable expectations Beaver Nation set forth before the year.With all the Beavers accomplished on the hardware this year, the lasting effects of this season will be felt next October when they gear up for the 2009 campaign. This team returns nearly everybody, and Robinson has a top 25 recruiting class coming to Corvallis for the first time since Corey Benjamin laced them up for the Beavs.
The reason the Beavers experienced success this year was because they bought into Robinson’s system.Robinson was the first to admit his team was outmatched athletically nearly every time they took the floor, however his players accepted their roles and grew into them as the season progressed.The Beavers smothering 1-3-1 defense was able to keep them in games by slowing their opponent’s tempo this year.Scoring was where OregonState struggled, and incoming recruits Roberto Nelson and Jared Cunningham should give the team an immediate shot in the arm on offense.
Big Rue returns to run the point/center position once again; if he can become a more physical presence on the inside the sky will be the limit for this talented European. Gunner Calvin Haynes should once again lead the team in scoring, and I’d imagine he will be scoring his points as a starter, not reserve next season.With valuable pieces such as Seth and Josh Tarver, Daniel Deane, and Lathan Wallace all coming back I expect the Beavs to make strong push for the postseason next year, with the NCAA tournament a real possibility. Beaver Nation hasn’t sniffed March Madness in nearly two decades, but if the Beavers progress like I expect them to, the March Madness dreams may come to fruition sooner than anyone ever expected.
Wednesday Games: #8 Oregon State vs. #9 Stanford – It’s extremely difficult to beat a team three times in a season, and OSU will find that out the hard way. #7 Washington State vs. #10 Oregon – Oregon hasn’t been competitive against the Cougs all season, little will change in a Cougar blowout.
Thursday Games: #4 ASU vs. #5 Arizona – The Wildcats need a win to secure their spot in March Madness, but Harden and company will be to much once again for Jordan Hill and crew. #1 Washington vs. #9 Stanford – The Huskies will blow away the hapless Cardinal, behind All Leaguers Brockman and Dentmon. #3 California vs. #6 USC – USC has the talent to win this game, but Cal is a better team top to bottom. #2 UCLA vs. Washington State – The Bruins will be looking for revenge after WSU knocked them out of at least a share of the conference title with a win at Pauley last month.
Friday Games: #1 Washington vs. #4 ASU – The Huskies beat the Sun Devils twice in the regular season. ASU looks to change that trend, and they knock off the regular season Pac 10 Champions. #2 UCLA vs. #3 Cal – UCLA’s defense will bother the Cal three point shooters, and the Bruins will move on to the Championship round behind the All-American play of point guard Darren Collison.
Championship game: #2 UCLA vs. #4 ASU – While UCLA didn’t win the regular season conference title for the first time in three years, a conference tournament championship will have to do as they look to enter March Madness on a high note.
