The Oregon men’s basketball team (22-8, 10-8 Pac-12) finished the regular season on a seven-game winning streak and recently received the seventh seed for the upcoming Pac-12 tournament. Oregon guard Joseph Young spoke to reporters before practice on Monday about facing in-state rivals Oregon State for the third time this year and continuing the momentum they’ve built in the last stretch of the season.
So you made the all-Pac-12 second team?
“It’s a team game. I’ll just go for the next question.”
Thoughts on Oregon State? 
“We’ve got to come out and execute. Like I said, it starts today in practice, everybody need to come with it today and get ready to beat Oregon State on Wednesday.”
They took care of you guys at home, you guys took care of them over here. What’s going to be the key on a neutral court for you guys to match up with them? 
“Just about us. We’ve got to execute on our plays, play good defense and defensive rebounding.”
You guys are on a seven-game winning streak. How much does that help you guys heading into the Pac-12 tournament?
“It helps a lot. It tells you what kind of team we have and what kind of character we have. We’re not a team to just give up, we’re going to play through it, we’re a team that overcomes adversity and expect a lot out of us.”
Johnathan Loyd said you were a little frustrated because defenses have been keying you a little more. Is that what’s been happening recently?
“They’ve been doing a good job defending me, but I’m not going to let that harp me. Just stay in here getting better, the team staying with me so I can get better and the main thing is we got Oregon State on Wednesday.”
Does it encourage that you can still beat a team like that when you have an off night?
“Of course. We’ve got scorers like Jason Calliste. He stepped up and that’s what we needed him to do.”
Waverly Austin’s improved so much on defense, but offensively he seems very active, confidently going to the basket a couple times. What’s made him a better offensive player?
“Just his chemistry around us. The team (has been telling him) to attack the glass and be confident with your game. He has been confident with his game recently and we’ll need him.”
How important is that given Oregon State’s size?
“We’ll definitely need him (Austin) just for the back side press and for him to rebound. It’s always good use to have a big body in the back.”
Loyd said that he had talked to some guys who were on the team last year about the experience from Vegas last year when they won it. Has he said anything to you about what to expect in the conference tournament?
“He didn’t say anything, but just being a basketball player, I know everybody has to come in with a good focus. I know we beat Oregon State before, but it’s a different ball game. It can go either way, but if we come out and execute and do what we have to do, then it goes our way.”
Have you ever played four games in four days before?
“Never did, but I feel like with the work I did in the offseason, it pays off, so I’ll be ready to play four games.”
Is the Pac-12 tournament the perfect opportunity for Dominic Artis to get back into things? 
“Oh yeah. It’s a good rhythm. Four games, we need everybody to bring their A game and DA is going to be a good prospect for us to win this tournament. He comes out with his head up and focused, he’ll be pretty good.”
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim