No doubt about it – this was Oregon’s best game of the season.
The Ducks did nearly everything well in their quarterfinal trouncing of Arizona in the Pac-10 Tournament Thursday.
They got to the rim with ease, they passed crisply, they shot well from the inside and outside, saw signs of a return to form from Malik Hairston, got the type of performance they need from senior leader Aaron Brooks, the confidence from Tajuan Porter, and the spark off the bench from freshman Joevan Catron.
About the only potential negative, a twisted ankle from Maarty Leunen, turned out to be quite insignificant, much like Arizona’s very potent starting five.
Put it all together and what transpired on the Staples Center floor was a thing of beauty for the Ducks.
And to make matters more impressive is that Oregon’s 19-point victory didn’t just come against a Pac-10 doormat – it came against a tournament-bound and very dangerous team, indeed.
The Ducks have now won four straight, including back-to-back victories by double digits after not recording a single double-digit victory in 17 previous Pac-10 games.
What a time to start playing your best basketball, with Selection Sunday of the NCAA Tournament and the madness of March right around the corner along with a, now, wide-open Pac-10 Tournament after UCLA bowed out early.
Win or lose against Cal today, Oregon’s resume is as solid as most any in the country. One more win in the Pac-10 Tournament and that could equate to a fourth or fifth seed and, based on Oregon’s last NCAA Tournament appearance when the Ducks were seeded eighth and lost by two to ninth-seeded Utah in Nashville, Tenn., we all understand how important seedings and locations are.
To be certain, Sacramento and Spokane are much more appealing destinations for Oregon and its fan base, but if Oregon can shoot better than 50 percent from three-point range as it did against Arizona, or duplicate its defensive effort from Thursday, it won’t matter what arena the Ducks play in; that’ll win a lot of ball games.
Not that Oregon’s success in the Pac-10 Tournament should come as any surprise. Even last year when the Ducks limped to a 15-18 record, they still won impressively in two games of the tournament. The Ducks are the only current Pac-10 team never to lose a first-round game since the tournament started up again in 2002.
So, the key for the Ducks as they proceed past the Pac-10 Tournament and on to the NCAA Tournament is to harness the free spirit and aggressiveness they’ve displayed in their last two victories. Of course having that NCAA Tournament bid in your back pocket always helps to relax tension, but what happens to this Oregon team when the stage opens and the bright lights of the big dance shine down on them? When it’s one and done, season over, no more?
Will we see that Oregon team that looked tired and dragged itself through a tough road stretch against what are mostly tournament-bound teams? Or will that team from Thursday – a team that undeniably can play with anyone, emerge.
At least given Oregon’s performance on Thursday, there’s reason to hope for the latter.
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