I know many Duck fans are eagerly awaiting Saturday’s matchup with the highly-ranked Bruins and Kevin Love, but let me remind you of something that should always be first in a college student’s mind.
Never forget the Trojans.
Because the game tonight in Los Angeles between the Ducks and Trojans might be the game that starts to clear up the postseason picture, and act as a possible turning point, for each of the teams involved.
Both teams have been mercurial in nature, backing up impressive wins with ugly losses, and falling flat just when the pieces looked to be falling together. Both teams have also rebounded from bad stretches of play to put up wins against quality opponents.
And both have their tournament hopes resting on a late surge, starting with tonight, in a game that could be the most compelling matchup between sixth- and seventh-place Pacific-10 Conference teams in recent memory.
It started with the last meeting between the teams, a 95-86 Trojan win in overtime at McArthur Court. Oregon played about as poorly as possible deep into the second half, but awoke in time to make a late comeback to force overtime.
The Trojans went 5-of-5 from the field, all three pointers, in the extra period to seal the win.
The Ducks came out of this game feeling like no matter how poorly they played early, the game was there for them to win. The Trojans felt like they dodged a bullet, snatching the win despite their own defensive breakdowns and missed free throws down the stretch that allowed the Ducks to get back in the game.
Combine that dramatic ending with both teams’ postseason possibilities at this point of the season, and great theater, or at least passionate basketball, is almost assured.
The Trojans’ inconsistency this season can be attributed to their youth. Their leader on the floor is a freshman, O.J. Mayo, and the rest of their lineup is also incredibly young. They shouldn’t really be expected to play as consistently as guys who have been in the conference a few years.
Which is exactly why the Ducks inconsistency is so frustrating. This team knows what it takes to win from its wealth of experience. A team with the level of experience, talent and basketball intelligence that the Ducks possess shouldn’t lose the games they have.
But thankfully for both teams, their flashes of brilliance and hair’s-breadth losses have kept the jury out on their respective potentials, even to this late juncture in the season. The NCAA selection committee loves a team that ends hot, and a team playing its best basketball late should certainly get consideration from the committee, regardless of early-season foibles.
Finally, this game will be nationally broadcast on Fox Sports Net and, despite the fact that it will air at close to midnight Eastern time, it represents a chance for one of these two teams to establish themselves as a true tournament-quality team to television viewers.
Face it, with the Pac-10’s less-than-desirable TV contract, many casual fans don’t know who these teams really are. Then again, those of us who follow Pac-10 basketball closely aren’t too sure, either.
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USC game the key whether Ducks will make postseason
Daily Emerald
February 20, 2008
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