The best possible outcome emerged for the University Pit Crew on Friday night.
E.J. Singler hit the running bank shot with two seconds left. Oregon won the 2011 College Basketball Invitational on its home court. The students were elated, and proud of their Ducks.
So they rushed Kilkenny Court, after shaking Matthew Knight Arena to its core. The Duck surfed through the crowd, along with Johnathan Loyd.
It was a raucous celebration, the likes of which haven’t been seen by the notorious student section since … since …
No. 1 UCLA, Jan. 6, 2007. Aaron Brooks hits a jump shot with 13 seconds left, No. 16 Oregon goes up 68-66 and holds on for dear life. McArthur Court, bless it, can barely hold in the enthusiasm and the volume. The Pit Crew rushes the floor with a fervor seen all too rarely these days.
Consider: At one point in the second half, the noise and motion within the building somehow tripped a fire alarm. Not a single person in the sellout crowd budged as the siren blared.
That’s the kind of dedication Oregon has seen all too infrequently over the past three years. Granted, the men’s basketball team has been impotent offensively and generous defensively; Ernie Kent’s last actions as the Ducks’ head coach have caught the attention of the NCAA, which is reportedly investigating the program.
The Pit Crew has suffered a lack of interest and public scrutiny after verbal taunts against Kevin Love in a Jan. 24, 2008 loss to UCLA. Love received death threats in his cell phone voicemail, and family members were harassed as they sat in the opposing parents section at Mac Court. GQ revisited that incident in naming Oregon basketball fans the 14th “Worst Sports Fans in America” a few weeks ago.
Mac Court’s friendly confines are no longer with the student section, as the vocally and physically supportive must now resort to shaking Matt Knight — a virtually impossible task, given the concrete foundation. Furthermore, the new arena has proven to get loud as this season has progressed, but it has not acquired the feel of a college home gym, and may not for quite some time.
Pit Crew President Alex Horwitch and several student leaders have dug in and attempted to rekindle passion with fan interest. They have studied other successful student sections — Utah State is a direct inspiration — and borrowed from a wealth of supportive or mocking chants.
The new Pit Crew seating includes a large section behind one basket, making inclusiveness an issue. Good chants can still dissipate quickly. Opposing team free throws in the second half are difficult, but not truly hostile.
Does Oregon need a feared Pit Crew in Matthew Knight Arena? Dana Altman and the Ducks received infrequently loud noise on defense but saw an increase in numbers, an increase in passion and an increase in volume as time goes on.
Homemade signage is not as prevalent yet in Matt Knight. Dirt on the opposition is still used, but not in large-scale attacks on players. No one has slept over in anticipation of a game the following day.
Many Pit Crew members have openly mocked the CBI over the course of the tournament, and they were well within their right to do so. Nevertheless, winning a postseason tournament gave them a shot in the arm to a lesser magnitude than the Oregon players received.
Student sections have good games, bad games, good seasons, bad seasons, rallies and moments of lackluster effort. Confidence can be seized or swiftly taken away.
What will the Pit Crew look like next winter quarter? One hopes to see it stuffed like a sardine can, energy and anticipation thickening the air. As the season progresses, Oregon’s once-feared student section should find its voice.
And scream into the opposition’s ears.
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