This time, the No. 20 Oregon Ducks, much thanks to forward Maarty Leunen, took care of business, avoided the upset, and now will enter Pac-10 play unblemished at 12-0.
That’s quite a change from last season.
On Thursday at McArthur Court, the Ducks wrapped up the postseason and exacted some revenge with a 76-49 victory against the Portland Pilots, a team that beat the Ducks 80-72 last season just before the league schedule began and sent them into a tailspin that ended with a 15-18 record and a second straight year without postseason.
So, just how different are these Ducks from years past?
“Very similar, but better,” said first-year Portland coach and former Stanford assistant Eric Reveno. “I think in terms of how they want to play, preparing for it, it felt very similar to the Oregon teams I’ve seen over the years but just better, more weapons, very athletic, pretty unselfish … It definitely is an impressive Oregon team.”
But after a relatively easy non-conference schedule, the competition picks up for the Ducks as they enter Pac-10 play beginning Saturday with Oregon State in Corvallis.
“12-0 is important. I thought it was a great reward for these guys how hard they’ve worked,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “But they are fully aware that’s just the preseason. The conference is a completely different animal now and we’ll be ready on Saturday to play.”
Just how ready remains to be seen. As for comparisons to seasons past, Kent said the difference between this 12-0 squad and the one in 2004-05 that started 11-1 only to finish 14-13, losing six straight games in one stretch, is night and day.
“Realize that team two years ago started three freshman and played a sophomore point guard,” Kent said. “They’re at a point now where they’re juniors, they’re stronger, they can sustain longer mentally and physically. They’re just winning games now.”
One thing is for sure entering the Pac-10 schedule – the Ducks will be healthier after regaining a few more bodies Thursday against Portland. Oregon played last Saturday with only eight available players.
Guard Chamberlain Oguchi returned for the first time from an ankle injury suffered at Georgetown on Nov. 29 and finished with three points in 22 minutes of action.
Likewise, leading scorer and freshman point guard Tajuan Porter returned from a sprained big toe he sustained on Dec. 15 against Eastern Washington. Porter played 15 minutes and did not score but attempted only two shots.
“That’s huge,” Leunen said. “As I know, the Pac-10 season is a totally different thing. The competition steps up a couple notches. It was key for us to get Champ (Oguchi) and Tajuan back in the mix and get them ready for Oregon State.”
But Thursday night no doubt belonged to Leunen. One game after recording a career-high 18 rebounds, Leunen scored a career-high 24 points, including 21 in the second half, to help the Ducks shake a cold first half.
Leunen, who averaged 10.8 points per game entering the contest and whose previous season-high was 18 points, scored 17 straight Oregon points in a 5:57 stretch of the second half that helped the Ducks pull away.
“Maarty’s an excellent scorer,” said point guard Aaron Brooks, who scored 19 points and, along with Leunen, scored all but eight of Oregon’s 42 points in the second half. “It’s amazing watching him play. I was just excited to see him finally get off and start shooting the ball like I know he’s capable of.”
Leunen also grabbed 14 rebounds to complete his fifth double-double of the season and eighth of his career.
Forward Adam Zahn scored 10 points to round out those in double figures.
Joining Leunen on the boards was freshman Joevan Catron, a versatile forward who made his second start of the season and grabbed six offensive rebounds and 17 total boards on the night, one off Oregon’s season-high set by Leunen against Mercer.
The Ducks outrebounded Portland 54-33 but needed every one of those boards in the first half as they started the game 1-of-7 shooting. The Pilots were no better as they started 0 for 7. Nearly five minutes into the game, Oregon led just 6-0.
The Pilots eventually took its first lead at 9-8 lead and again at 18-16 with 6:43 to play before the Ducks closed the half on an 18-3 run to take a 13-point lead into the break.
“The first half was kind of shaky,” Leunen said. “We didn’t get in a rhythm and we didn’t play very well overall, but the second half we starting moving the ball, playing great defense and that led to transition and easier buckets.”
Oregon rode the back of Leunen in the second half and shot a much crisper 46.4 percent while holding the Pilots to 22.6 percent shooting and increasing its lead to 27 at one point late in the game.
Oregon held Portland to 25 percent shooting for the game on only 15 field goals, both season lows defensively for the Ducks.
Senior guard Darren Cooper was the only Pilot in double figures, leading the way with 12 points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field.
Injury Note:
Kent said junior guard Malik Hairston, last season’s leading scorer, is a “big, big question mark” for Saturday’s game against the Beavers after Hairston suffered torn soft tissue in his left heel in practice on Dec. 19.
Kent said Hairston is more likely to play next Thursday at home against USC.
“He’s a guy that, when we get him back, he’ll take us to another level,” Kent said.