Oh, what could have been.
That’s an easy summation of Oregon’s season, a statement that describes basically every aspect of the Ducks.
Imagine what could have been if Luke Jackson had a little more help.
Imagine what could have been if Ian Crosswhite had been a bit more consistent during Oregon’s recent four-game slide. Imagine what could have been if any member of the bench aside from James Davis — and even Davis in recent weeks — had shown any kind of consistency during the losing streak.
Better yet, imagine what the Ducks would be if they had the services of Aaron Brooks for the entire season.
“I thought Aaron Brooks did a tremendous job,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said after Oregon’s loss to Stanford on Saturday.
Kent has said all season the Ducks are a different team with Brooks and even went into that a little bit after the blowout to the Cardinal.
The Ducks don’t otherwise have what Brooks brings to the table. It was Brooks who broke Stanford’s 13-0 scoring run to begin the game, tossing in a tough reverse layup seven minutes into the first half.
It was Brooks who took over the second half of Oregon’s game against California, scoring all of his 16 points.
Curiously, after going 5 for 5 from the field — four shots of which were three-pointers — in the second half, he took just two shots in the overtime session.
Brooks may be recognized most for failing to get off a shot as regulation came to close against California. So Jackson was wide open. Crosswhite may have had a better look at the basket than Brooks.
Chalk it up to a rookie mistake.
Oh well.
Against the Golden Bears, Brooks was the difference. Against the Cardinal, nothing he could have done would have made a difference.
But the season as a whole would have been different with the Seattle native in the lineup.
Do the Ducks lose to Oregon State on Jan. 10? Do they lose earlier this season to Stanford at McArthur Court after allowing the Cardinal to come back from 19 down?
Better yet, do the Ducks stand more of a chance of making the NCAA Tournament?
My guess: No, no and no.
Oregon probably doesn’t lose those two games. The presence of a true point guard would have kept the Ducks from turning the ball over as much, which has been of central concern all season.
The Ducks probably don’t make the NCAA Tournament with him healthy the whole season, although it doesn’t seem as do or die as it does now.
The Stanford cheering section made sure to welcome the Ducks with chants of “NIT, NIT, NIT,” as Oregon took the Maples Pavilion floor Saturday.
With Brooks, those chants ring true. Without him for most of the season, as the Ducks have found out, those students are probably giving Oregon the benefit of the doubt.
Oregon just might be on the bubble for the NIT.
And that’s if the Ducks can get to the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament two weeks from now.
With Brooks, the Ducks are in the driver’s seat this season. Without him, they’ve instead been pushed, pulled and bullied around from Pac-10 opponents, that, according to most rankings around the nation, are not up to snuff.
So what does that make the Ducks?
This week, lucky. If anything, they should be thankful he came back in time for the games against Southern California and UCLA this week.
Imagine otherwise.