With only minutes remaining in the game, the lyrics to Shout roared inside Matthew Knight Arena. From the student section to the upper bowl, the packed arena stood on its feet.
Oregon men’s basketball (9-3, 1-0 Pac-12) was close to sealing its first victory of the conference season over USC (6-6, 0-1 Pac-12). From the appearance of the crowd, no one was likely to guess that it was held during the university’s winter break before a majority of students returned to campus.
The attendance on Thursday was a stark difference from the game the Ducks hosted last March. Failing to reach the NCAA Tournament last season, Oregon instead played in the National Invitation Tournament. By the time it faced Wisconsin in the quarterfinals, the program struggled to attract fans.
The Ducks tumbled out of the tournament with a 61-58 loss to the Badgers. It was the final straw in what was overall a season without the sizable crowds the team is used to. Head coach Dana Altman aired his grievances about the lack of support after the defeat.
“We should’ve had more people here tonight,” Altman said after the loss to Wisconsin. “These guys play hard. 3,300 people is not good enough.”
Whether or not it’s been a result of Altman’s comments, the Ducks’ home-court advantage appears to have returned. Through the USC game, Oregon is undefeated in seven home outings.
“We’ve had a couple of big wins, Michigan, and now this one, where the crowd’s just been tremendous,” Altman said after the win over the Trojans. .
The matchup versus USC garnered the second-largest crowd of the season at 8,934 fans. It trails only the 11,241 fans present against Michigan.
People showed up nonetheless and they were enthusiastic throughout the entirety of the game. When USC sparked some momentum out of the halftime break, the fans played a part in maintaining the Ducks’ lead.
“The people who were here were really good,” Altman said. “In the second half when [USC] made that run, they kept our energy level going.”
Some of the loudest cheers of the night occurred on an acrobatic and-one finish by freshman Jackson Shelstad. Matthew Knight Arena erupted as Shelstad swished the free-throw to push Oregon’s lead back to double-digits with 13:39 left in the game.
Only eight players were healthy enough to see the floor on Thursday, as the Ducks have struggled with injuries. It was the freshmen duo of Shelstad and Kwame Evans Jr. that led them to victory against the Trojans. The pair have been two of the constants for the team so far this season.
When Altman displayed his frustration last postseason, he expressed his feeling that the low attendance was sending the wrong message to recruits watching. Without a top-of-the-conference team, programs need star talent to attract lots of fans.
The problem is that Altman and Oregon haven’t been recruiting for the big-name players. In recent years, Ducks’ teams have consisted of mostly former junior college players and veteran transfers.
Oregon’s shot at an NCAA Tournament berth is still far from guaranteed, but this season it has a top-10 recruiting class that has attracted the attention of the local fans.
The hype surrounding Shelstad has steadily grown since his debut. Every time the ball was in his hands against USC, the increased excitement in the crowd was noticeable.
Meanwhile, Evans has been reliable for the Ducks, starting in 11 games. Against the Trojans, he achieved career-highs in seven statistical categories. If Evans and Shelstad continue the uphill trajectories of improvement they’ve shown, the attendance numbers aren’t likely to decrease any time soon.
If Oregon is to make a run at another NCAA Tournament appearance it may need continued showings from the fans like it had against USC. Next up, the Ducks play UCLA at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“We need a full house and need a great atmosphere,” Altman said. “See if we can get back on track against UCLA.”
