When it comes to the stat sheet at the end of any given Oregon basketball game, Joseph Young and Elgin Cook are the two names that lead the scoring column.
Young is the Pac-12’s scoring leader, averaging 19.8 points per game. Cook has averaged 15.3 points over his past seven games.
With those two men leading the way, Oregon can expect to make a decent Pac-12 and NCAA tournament run. But, according to Young, adding a third option would makes things even harder for opponents.
“It’s big for us when we get that third scorer because it makes us even that much tougher to defend,” Young said.
Dillon Brooks, Jalil Abdul-Bassit and Dwayne Benjamin have all shown potential as that third scorer.
“I think with Dwayne, Dillon and Jalil, we got guys who can step up and hit shots,” head coach Dana Altman said. “I think our balance is pretty good — we are playing eight guys right now and I think all of them feel like they can score a basket.”
Brooks was the leading freshman scorer in the conference in the first half of the season. His 11.4 points per game makes him the only other Duck to average double figures in the scoring column. He’s struggled as of late, scoring just nine points over his past three games.
Abdul-Bassit had a breakout performance when he went 7-for-12 from three-point range for 24 points in Oregon’s 72-63 loss to UCLA. Since that game though, Abdul-Bassit hasn’t been able to find his touch from the three-point line, going just 4-for-17 in Oregon’s last five games
Benjamin has arguably been the Ducks’ best player over the last month of the season. Using his length and athleticism to attack the hoop and grab rebounds, Benjamin has averaged 12.5 points and 7.6 rebounds over his previous eight games, which include two double-doubles.
“Big-time player,” Young said about Benjamin’s recent play. “Dwayne has been working day in and day out, before and after practice, so it’s really paying off.”
Most defenses will key in on Young and Cook, daring other Ducks to beat them. That will open the door for players like Brooks, Abdul-Bassit and Benjamin to get open looks.
If any of those three players can get going on the offensive side of the ball, it will cause a chain reaction in the Ducks’ favor. Opposing defenses will be forced to spread out and allow Young and Cook to take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities they’ll be getting.
Young and Cook will take Oregon as far as they can. But if the Ducks want to make some real noise, they’ll need to rely on somebody to step up. Who will it be?
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka