Devoe Joseph’s voice was even softer than normal on Monday when he met with the media at Matthew Knight Arena, still just three days removed from a painful loss against Colorado that eliminated any chance Oregon had of making the NCAA Tournament. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&SPID=235&SPSID=4294@@
The Ducks (22-9) will have to make do with hosting the LSU Tigers Tuesday in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), and though it’s not the Big Dance, it’s still a chance for them to prove their worth in a national spotlight. @@http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/BasketballM/Standings.aspx@@
“Obviously, it’s a letdown not making it,” said Joseph, the senior transfer from Minnesota who led Oregon in scoring this season. “But we kind of knew after that Colorado game that it was going to be tough for us to make it. So I think the guys are ready to take advantage of what we have left. The NIT is a great tournament, and we’re proud to be in it.”
The Ducks and Tigers have never met, and neither the coaching staff nor the players know exactly what to expect tonight. Oregon head coach Dana Altman did watch LSU once during the regular season, and what stood out to him immediately was the team’s athleticism.
“They’re talented,” Altman said. “I do remember their athleticism; they’re big inside. We’ll have to get on the boards. Their athleticism is something we’ll really have to work at trying to offset.”
In an uneven season that saw them finish 18-14 (and just 7-9 in the SEC), the Tigers did average 37 rebounds per game as opposed to Oregon’s 34.4, and Joseph, too, noticed their athleticism during a brief film session Monday. @@http://www.secdigitalnetwork.com/SECSPORTS/SPORTS/BASKETBALLM.aspx#bottom_tab_3@@ @@http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/mb/12stats/teamcume.htm@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/MBasketball/2011-12-stats/HTML/ORE.HTM@@
“I haven’t seen them much,” Joseph said. “They looked athletic and quick, that’s all I’ve really seen from them so far. They look like they have quick guards. They look like a good team.”
Perhaps foremost on Oregon’s mind heading into the matchup will be dealing with 7-foot center Justin Hamilton, who led the team with 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds on the year. Yet at their best, the Tigers have a balanced attack that does not rely on one primary scorer. In a 60-51 loss to No. 1 Kentucky in the SEC Tournament last week, four different players scored in double-figures. @@http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=5200&SPID=2166&SPSID=27829@@ @@http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205394851&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=5200@@
Of course, Oregon will also have to take care of things on its own end and hope that a scoring drought against Colorado doesn’t extend to Tuesday night.
“We’re going to have to hit some shots,” Altman said. “We didn’t shoot the ball very well; I didn’t like our ball movement against Colorado. I thought we were a little hurried. We’re just going to have to play better.”
The Ducks will also have to shake off the disappointment of failing to make the NCAA Tournament after coming tantalizingly close. In that sense, last year’s CBI Tournament championship could serve as something of a talking point. As Altman says, you have to want it.
“It’s how you approach it, and how your guys approach it,” Altman said. “I know the coaching staff wants to play, we’re excited about playing. I think we’ll be ready to go.”
For seniors like Joseph, Garrett Sim, Jeremy Jacob and Olu Ashaolu, motivation certainly won’t be a problem. The NCAA Tournament may have been their stated goal, but any chance to keep playing can’t be taken lightly — especially when it’s their last shot.
“I wanna try to play this up to the last second,” Joseph said. “So as long as we can go, the better.”
“The more games we play in, the more exposure we have,” Jacob added. “And it helps the younger guys get more experience for next year.”
In a loaded NIT bracket that includes fellow Pac-12 teams Washington (the top overall seed), Arizona (also a No. 1 seed) and Stanford (a three-seed), as well as Seton Hall and Tennessee, the Ducks have a real chance to prove their worth. @@http://www.ncaa.com/championships/basketball-men/nit@@
“If you look at the field, it’s a lot of names, a lot of big schools, a lot of competitive programs,” Altman said. “So we know we’ll have our work cut out for us (Tuesday) and if we want to advance, we’ll have to play well.”
Oregon men’s basketball looks to set aside NCAA disappointment in NIT opener against Louisiana State
Patrick Malee
March 11, 2012
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