Sharing is just in Devoe Joseph’s nature.
On the court, Oregon’s senior point guard registered 25 points and six assists while leading the Ducks to a 96-76 victory over LSU in the first round of the NIT. Nearly ninety minutes after the final buzzer, Joseph plopped down in a courtside seat to share takeout with a female companion. @@http://www.lsusports.net//ViewContent.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&CONTENT_ID=188639@@
A generous soul indeed.
No one could blame Joseph for wanting to hang around Matthew Knight Arena after Tuesday night’s game. The Minnesota transfer shot 11 of 17 from the field, including three of six from three-point range, and hit several big shots down the stretch as Oregon turned a 10-point lead into a full-scale blowout.
One of those baskets had the Oregon bench in stitches.
With 2:16 remaining in the game and the Ducks leading 88-74, Joseph grabbed a defensive rebound and sped up the court. As the Tigers’ defense parted like the Red Sea, Joseph put his head down, charged through the lane and elevated for a powerful one-handed dunk. As the crowd roared, Oregon’s bench went nuts.
“They are always joking around with me, saying I can’t dunk,” Joseph said after the game. “And that’s the first time I’ve dunked in a while. I had knee problems a little bit so I’ve been taking it easy on the dunking.”
“He always says he’s saving himself,” head coach Dana Altman said. “It got the team going.”
Not that Oregon needed it. On a night when the Ducks shot 58 percent from the field, including 61 percent in the second half, everything on offense seemed to be going. Usual suspects like Joseph, Garrett Sim (15 points on 5-of-8 shooting) and E.J. Singler (11 points) filled their normal quotas. But the real standout for the Ducks was junior big man Tony Woods.
After averaging only 6.5 points per game during the regular season, Woods has turned it on during postseason play. Last Thursday he went for 14 points against Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament, and on Tuesday Oregon fans saw much of the same. Against LSU, Woods used an array of soft jump hooks and lay-ins to go 6 of 8 from the field for 14 points in only 20 minutes of action. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205335431@@
“He’s got more aggressive,” Altman said. “We noticed it at times we moved the ball to the basket. He finished plays. I really liked his execution, taking the ball at the basket. When he does that he’s actually a pretty skilled offensive player.”
Joseph said he thought Woods gives the team a distinctive swagger when he throws his body around down low.
“We’re a way better team (when he plays aggressive),” Joseph said. “Tony has been capable of it, and he’s really good in the post and he makes strong moves. When he’s playing with confidence, he lifts our team and we play with more confidence.”
Even against an LSU squad featuring a stable of big men — including 7-foot center Justin Hamilton — Woods was able to get quality shots or to the line consistently.
“I think he could be a very good offensive player,” Altman said. “Just cause he’s got a soft touch with that jump hook; it lays on the rim pretty nice. And because of his size it’s really hard to guard. He’s athletic enough to get low and get in the paint.”
According to Woods, the difference has been the mental edge he’s gained in the early going.
“It’s confidence,” Woods said. “That’s the biggest thing. Since I had a good game, I felt comfortable.”
For an Oregon team that attempted the second most three-pointers in the Pac-12, a reliable inside presence could be huge moving forward, even to next season. Woods has been battling a shoulder injury the past couple weeks and said that while he isn’t 100 percent he has still been able to be effective with some attention from the Oregon medical staff.
“It was still pretty bad, it still hurts,” Woods said. “But it’s good. They got a lot of treatment going too.”
“He’s a soldier,” Joseph chimed in.
When asked if the time off gave Woods an opportunity to refine his post game, Altman laughed.
“I’m not sure if he had a revelation while he was sitting there and figured it out,” Altman said with a smile. “Whatever it is, I like it.”