Someday, the Ducks are going to have to figure out a way to beat those guys.
If Oregon wants to get a top 5 seed in the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament — and it does — today would be a good game to start.
Oregon heads to California for a 7:30 tip tonight in hopes of ending a three-game losing streak at Haas Pavilion. The Ducks haven’t won in Berkeley since the 1999-2000 season.
There’s just something about playing the Golden Bears in California that gives the Ducks fits.
“They’re hostile environments, Cal and Stanford,” Oregon forward Ian Crosswhite said. “The crowds are loud there and in a way, they are similar to us because they play well at home. The last two years I’ve been here, we’ve been beaten pretty well down there, except in one case. We’ll have to be ready to go.”
Crosswhite mentioned Oregon’s game against Stanford on Saturday in Palo Alto, but team members say need to take each game one at a time — yes, that’s a cliché. But it’s a cliché that stands true if Oregon wants to get a postseason bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Aside from a 107-103 overtime loss in 2002, the Ducks have given in to the Golden Bears, and in a big way. The Ducks lost by 16 in each of the other two losses. Oregon’s last win came by four points in 2000.
The game could be a preview of things to come in the Pac-10 Tournament. Both teams sport 7-7 records in conference play, placing them in the No. 4 and 5 seeds for the tournament if it started today. Technically, Oregon would be the fourth seed by virtue of defeating the Bears in February at McArthur Court.
Not as though that would matter.
“If we go in there with the mindset we’re going to defend people, everything else will take care of itself in these ball games,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said. “We are a team, I feel, that can play with anybody in the conference. We’ve shown that. We just haven’t been able to sustain that.”
The Ducks and Golden Bears match up well. California’s Amit Tamir is a lesser-known version of Oregon forward Luke Jackson. California’s Leon Powe and Oregon forward Mitch Platt are two of the league’s more high-profile freshmen.
The Ducks (12-9 overall) will be buoyed Aaron Brooks’s return to the lineup. Oregon was without the point guard earlier in the season when the teams met. He will be a key component in stopping a Golden Bear (11-12) offense that averages almost five points more per game at home during Pac-10 play.
“(Brooks) is quicker and gives you another, quicker defender on the ball,” Kent said. “Defense is a priority to him. He loves to play it, he loves to pick up the ball. He loves to stick people and lock them up. So just his mentality will help us somewhat.”
Most important, however, will be Oregon’s play in the post. Ike Diogu walked all over Oregon’s defenders in Arizona State’s win on Saturday. The Golden Bears present a different kind of challenge than Diogu, who is primarily an inside player.
Tamir is like Jackson. He can post up or shoot from the perimeter. He is sixth all-time at California with 126 three-pointers.
That’s not bad for a 6-foot-10 forward.
He was, however, held in check by the Ducks earlier this season. He scored two points after connecting on two free throws. He was 0 for 8 from the field.
“Of course he’s going to be fired up,” Crosswhite said. “He’s going to want to have a good game, especially since he’s had good games against us before. It’s his last year. He’s got five more guaranteed games and he’s going to be playing his hardest.”
Powe represents the newest breed of Pac-10 freshmen and is a potential future all-conference player. He already leads the conference in rebounding with 9.2 per game and averages 14.6 points.
That number, though, is a bit skewed — he has not scored more than 10 points in California’s past three games. Coincidentally, the Golden Bears have lost their past three.
“He’s tough,” Platt said. “He’s a man under there, he’s not your average freshman. He bangs and he’s decent from 15 (feet) on in and can shoot it out there. We just need to play solid and we’ll probably get the trap on him and try to force it out of his hands.”
After the Ducks play California, they visit Stanford. Much like Haas, the Ducks have had very little success at Maples Pavilion. Oregon hasn’t won in Palo Alto since 1986.
Oregon has four games left this season. It will be interesting to see if the Ducks can find a way to beat those guys.