It’s the final homestand for the seniors on the men’s basketball team. Fittingly, it may determine their legacy at Oregon considering that if they don’t win their final two regular season games, the Ducks won’t receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Because of that, the seniors are more concerned with their present situation rather that reflect on what they’ve gone through in their career when they enter McArthur Court in what could be the final time in an Oregon uniform.
“It’s going to be sad to see them go,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “That’s why it’s so important to send them out of here on a positive note.”
That’s why the players are trying to keep that fact in back of their minds for the time being.
“I’ve tried not to think about it too much just because I don’t want the emotion of my last games at Mac Court affecting how I play,” senior forward Maarty Leunen. “It’s going to be tough knowing that I’m kind of moving on in my career.”
But they’re not happy with how the season’s gone thus far and they hope it’s not the lasting impression they give to Duck fans, or their lasting memory as a player at Oregon.
“You can’t say (the season’s) gone the way we thought it would, or way that we wanted to, but right now we have a chance to get two big wins for our team with hopes of going to the NCAA Tournament,” senior guard Bryce Taylor said.
The Ducks (16-12 overall, 7-9 Pacific-10 Conference), however, aren’t the only team that needs two big wins. Both Arizona State (18-10, 8-8) and Arizona (17-12, 7-9) come to Eugene this week in the same shape as Oregon. The Sun Devils and Wildcats both need wins to boost their hopes of reaching the tournament and are just as eager as the Ducks to win this weekend’s games.
In Kent’s view, it may be the most important pair of games the current roster has ever faced.
“It’s three teams needing two wins and they all come through Mac Court,” he said. “There’s a lot on the line this weekend and I don’t know if there’s been a bigger weekend for us with this group.
“We need to get it done. It’s as simple as that.”
Taylor, though, is optimistic that should the Ducks falter this weekend, they’ll be able to make up for it by winning the Pac-10 tournament again.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to win the tournament and then guarantee it,” Taylor said. Without that guarantee, the Ducks will have to rely on the NCAA Tournament selection committee, who will be the ones to decide if Oregon deserves an at-large bid.
Should they lose, the Ducks don’t want to go quietly like they have at times earlier this season. They’re not going to hold anything back if this is to be their last game inside of Mac Court.
“If we’re going to lose, we’re have to lose having left everything on the floor,” Taylor said.
Leunen, Hairston named to All-District team
The National Association of Basketball Coaches released its 15 All-District teams for Division I colleges.
Leunen and senior forward Malik Hairston were named as second team members of the District 14 squad.
Hairston leads the Ducks, averaging 16 points a game, while Leunen is second with 15.7.
Leunen’s 52.9 three-point shooting percentage currently leads the Pac-10 and would be an Oregon record at the end of the season.
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