Joseph Young did everything right Wednesday night as he led Oregon (7-3) past visiting Cal State Northridge 79-56. After struggling from the floor for the past few games, Young shot efficiently and filled up the stat sheet.
Young finished with a game-high 18 points along with eight rebounds and four assists as he went 7-for-14 from the field, 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
“The last two games he’s done a great job of picking and choosing what shots he wants and because of that, his percentages have gone up,” Dana Altman said.
Against a struggling Matadors team (3-8), Young and Co. pieced it together. Despite a rough start to the game, the Ducks eventually got everyone involved. They shot 44 percent as a team, with three players finishing in double-figures.
“We had a pretty good shot selection,” Ahmad Rorie said. “But it’s got to be straight from the start.”
From a general standpoint, the Ducks played their game. The emergence of underclassmen like Dillon Brooks (12 points) and Ahmad Rorie (nine points) have helped ease the early offensive worries that come with a new roster, but that hasn’t negated the fact that their offense runs through Young.
Tonight, Young not only led the team in scoring, but he also acted as their main facilitator.
On another note, Michael Chandler, Oregon’s tallest listed player at 6-foot-10, made his debut as a Duck after missing the first nine games with a left knee injury. Chandler, who played just seven minutes, contributed 13 points, going 4-for-6 from the field.
“We tried to feed him, this was his first game,” Rorie said. “I think he still needs to work on his conditioning, but he was playing real hard, so looking forward to him being back on the team.”
For a team that has been at a height disadvantage for every game up until this point, the Ducks were happy to see Chandler active.
“Well, he gave us a big lift,” Altman said. “Did a good job, posted up strong, guys did a good job looking for him. He’s a presence in there (paint area).”
Oregon’s next game will be against Delaware State on Saturday at home. 
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim