Oregon sophomore Jordan Kent helped lead the Ducks past New Mexico Monday night with 14 points. He and the rest of the Oregon squad face Marshall Saturday in Huntington, W. Va.
The Oregon men’s basketball team travels to West Virginia during Thanksgiving break for its first road game of the season to face Marshall Saturday at 4 p.m. PST.
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said the team now must prove itself on the road after a victory over a good New Mexico team Monday night.
“I think it is important for us to take this show on the road,” Kent said. “I’m hoping that the character of this team allows itself to step up and come together on the road.”
The Ducks defeated the Thundering Herd last season at the Papé Jam easily, 90-61. That game was with a different Oregon cast. This year’s version is looking forward to matching up with Marshall.
“We get a chance to bond on the road,” sophomore Jordan Kent said. “This is where the young guys get the experience because these road games are brutal.”
Marshall lost its first game of the season by one point to UNC Wilmington, 58-57. Much like the Ducks this season, the Herd has had a freshman infusion including Joe Miles at the point guard position. He led the team with 18 points in his first-career college game.
The Herd played late Tuesday night and defeated East Tennessee State 80-76 in its home opener.
The Ducks have been an impressive defensive team thus far in the season and hope to continue that trend against Marshall.
It will be the first road trip for a young team and Ernie Kent said it will be key to the team’s development.
“Next thing for us is to go on the road and face the adversity,” Kent said. “It’s going to do two things. It’s going to force you to grow up and it’s going to help you deal with that adversity.
“You can’t simulate that here (McArthur Court).”
One thing Oregon does hope to improve is its road record from last season. The Ducks were 5-6 away from Mac Court compared to 11-3 at home last season.
“Hopefully we can get a lot more mature and better on the road,” Jordan Kent said.
Unfortunately for the Ducks, their road trip begins early Thanksgiving morning and they will arrive in an Atlanta airport later that day to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. Later they catch a flight to Charleston, W. Va., and stay the night.
Sophomore Aaron Brooks, who scored a career-high 22 points against New Mexico, said it will be a bonding experience for the team, but they have one goal in mind.
“All of our focus will be on Marshall this week,” Brooks said.
Ernie Kent knows it will be a different experience for his team in Oregon’s first trip to West Virginia.
“It’s a long trip to go back to West Virginia to play Marshall,” Kent said. “There’s not going to be a lot of Duck fans back there. It’s just going to be us and their fans.”
