By now most of you have probably seen, or at least heard, Oregon has a revamped men’s basketball program.
The diehards showed up for a pair of lackluster exhibition games, while others may have heard about a competitive loss to then-No. 7 Vanderbilt in Nashville last Friday.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4294@@ But the overall theme is simple: For the first time in years, the Ducks have the depth and athleticism to contend in the Pac-12.
A handful of explosive forwards fill the running lanes, and the 6-foot-11 Tony Woods@@roster: http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4295@@ will alter most every team’s game plan to some extent. The more we see of Woods, the higher our expectations for his Pac-12 debut become.
But in Dana Altman’s@@CE@@ fast-paced offense, guard play will orchestrate Oregon’s success this season.
Former Duck Malcolm Armstead@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=3748525@@ did an admirable job of running Oregon’s offense the past few seasons, but turnovers plagued the point guard more often than not. He committed 183 turnovers in 70 games played (2.6 per game),@@season stats: 102 TOs in 38 games + 81 TOs in 32 games=correct@@ which is relatively impressive considering how often he handled the ball, generating offense essentially on his own.
Today, Oregon moves at an increased pace that will surely force a handful of turnovers simply by the nature of the offense. Eliminating those unnecessary turnovers will fall on the shoulders of point guards Garrett Sim,@@roster@@ Johnathan Loyd@@roster@@ and Jabari Brown.@@roster@@
Through three games (counting the two exhibitions) Sim has been the consistent senior with only four turnovers,@@2+2@@ while Loyd, a sophomore, has eight,@@2+3+2@@ and the true freshman Brown has a team-high 14 giveaways.@@6+6+2@@
26 combined turnovers feels like a lot at this point, but the number is somewhat deceiving. Sure, plenty of Brown’s turnovers have been rookie mistakes, like errant passes sailing into the second row of bleachers. But when he’s been on, there’s an undeniable court vision that gives hope for an incredible open court passer with a handful of raw athletes on the receiving end.
Then there’s Loyd, arguably the fastest point guard in all of the Pac-12. He too had trouble staying in the game last year due to costly turnovers, but an offseason later he’s on the way to being the standout facilitator he was at Bishop Gorman High School.@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4295&SPID=235&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204965535&Q_SEASON=2011@@ This couldn’t have been more evident in Oregon’s loss to Vandy, where Loyd provided a major spark with eight of the Ducks’ 15 assists@@downloadable stats: http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=235&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205332115@@ and committed just three turnovers in 22 minutes off the bench.@@see previous@@
Loyd can knock down the open three and finish at the basket when he needs to, but any scoring is simply extra icing on the cake.
Sim remains the most developed of the three — no surprise given his extensive game experience. He’s the surefire starter who is just as active on defense as he is on offense, which couldn’t make Altman happier.
Between the three, there’s a dangerous mixture of size (Brown is listed at 6-foot-5, 205),@@roster@@ speed and court vision most teams would envy. The only question at this point is who will separate themselves as the outright leader on the court — an absolute must for Altman’s style of play.
Sim has made a conscious effort to be more vocal. Loyd forces the issue with his unbelievable speed in transition. Brown has the physical tools to do most anything he pleases.
But who will put together the complete package? Who will be the court general?
With 14 games remaining before the Pac-12 season opener against Washington State@@schedule@@ — including trips to Nebraska and BYU — these questions will hopefully iron themselves out.
The talent is there, and the work ethic seems to be too.
Altman won’t use a three-headed point guard all season, and each will get an opportunity over the coming weeks to make his case. At this point, your guess is as good as mine for who comes out on top.