The Pacific-10 Conference coaches picked Oregon to finish eighth in the conference this season in a preseason poll.
But the number is merely a number.
“If we take care of our things everyday in practice, and everyday in a game and we finish everything, every drill and every game effectively, then I don’t think we should be eighth,” point guard Tamika Nurse said. “They pick us wherever they want to pick us. When it matters is at the end.”
“We’re not here to prove people wrong,” forward Jessie Shetters said. “We’re here to prove that we can do it for ourselves.”
Oregon is switching to a quicker, more up-tempo offense run by Nurse, who spent the off-season working on her jump shot and harnessing her lightning quick speed. Teams last season could slack off Nurse and let her fire away at a .295 clip.
“I’m not going to stop on it,” she said. “This is an ongoing process and I’ve got three years to play here and so that’s what I’m going to keep working on.”
Nurse is one of a collection of players who are trying to erase memories of last season’s 14-15 record that followed an NCAA tournament appearance the previous season – a plateau this year’s team is hoping to reach.
“I think the NCAA Tournament is not out of reach for our team – without a doubt,” Nurse said.
Point guard Micaela Cocks has emerged in the first two exhibition games as a reliable backup, if not a future starter. The freshman from New Zealand poured in 17 points off the bench in the first exhibition game against the Australian Institute of Sport and followed that with five points and three assists in 18 minutes against Vanguard University.
Oregon’s already garnered its share of attention – much of it away from the court – with the season starting today at UC-Santa Barbara.
Gabrielle Richards, last year’s starting center, left in the beginning of September. Forward Kristen Forristall quit the team on Monday, Nov. 6, citing “irreconcilable differences” with coach Bev Smith, and soccer star Nicole Garbin joined the team on Nov. 9.
On the court, Oregon’s new look is relying on more from guard/forward Cicely Oaks, who played her way into regular minutes midway through 2005-06 before falling out of Smith’s rotation at the end of the season.
The new offense, Oaks says, focuses less on pounding the ball inside to the post.
“I feel more free in this offense,” Oaks said. “I don’t know how to explain it really, but I’m not scared to shoot.”
Oregon’s offense is designed to utilize its guard-dominated lineup, including newcomers Taylor Lilley and Cocks. Kaela Chapdelaine, who shared point guard duties last season with Nurse, is moving over to the two-guard position.
Lilley, a pure shooter, and Cocks, smooth from deep, are helping offset the loss of long-range threats Chelsea Wagner and Brandi Davis to graduation.
“You can’t ever replace a Chelsea or a Brandi but I have complete faith in all my guards,” Shetters said. “I know that they can get out there and rip it up like anybody else.”
Forward Eleanor Haring, a smooth shooter who scored 22 points in the Ducks first exhibition game, is Oregon’s closest thing to a go-to scorer. Against the AIS she showed an affinity for taking the basketball on the wing and either posting up her defender or driving by them for her patented mid-range jump shot.
Oregon performed unevenly in its two exhibition games. The Ducks needed a second-half surge to breakaway from the AIS and struggled with 31 turnovers in a 64-60 loss to NAIA Vanguard.
The early schedule begins with difficult road contests at UCSB today and Long Beach State on Sunday. The Ducks return to play forward Jamie Hawkins’ former school, Boise State, on Friday, Nov. 24 and one of two NCAA Tournament teams in Pittsburgh or Utah the next night.
Should Oregon survive that stretch, the Ducks dive into Pac-10 Conference play where many teams welcome back several of last year’s stars.
Stanford showcases stars Candice Wiggins and Brooke Smith. Arizona State welcomes back Emily Westerberg. Noelle Quinn suits up again for UCLA.
Oregon starts conference play on Dec. 21 with a home game against Washington and two days later against Washington State. The Ducks season ends with visits to the same schools and with it, an understanding of whether or not their postseason lives are intact.
“My expectation is that we’re going to compete for the top half of the Pac-10 and we’re going to compete for a tournament (berth) and that’s what our motivation is,” Smith said. “That’s why we’re playing aggressively and boldly and unafraid because we have to give it this year.”
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