Tyler Dorsey could do no wrong in Oregon’s season opener against Jackson State. Inking 18 first half points on 5-of-5 shooting, 4-of-4 from deep, the former Gatorade Player of the Year in California couldn’t have been any more efficient in Oregon’s 80-52 win over Jackson State last Friday.
With Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis out for an undisclosed period of time, Dorsey stepped up as the starting two-guard, making for a memorable college debut. He finished with a team-high 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
“It was great,” Dorsey said. “We came out with a lot of intensity. Everybody was excited. If we play the way coach wants us to play, execute what he wants, we can be really good.”
“We know he’ll make the right plays if we just get him in the right spots,” Oregon forward Dwayne Benjamin said. “He did that tonight: passing the ball, shooting the ball, being real aggressive. We expect everything from him that he did tonight. We know what he can do, just want him to go out there and show it.”
Before Oregon faces its first Division I opponent in No. 22 Baylor on Monday, it had to take care of business against the visiting Tigers. The main focus was better overall execution of the offense and getting as prepared as possible for a top ranked team.
Oregon head coach Dana Altman’s nine-man roster did just that and more behind a barrage of threes, finishing 10-of-24 from beyond the arc in the game. The Ducks shot a combined 6-of-35 from three-point territory in their first two exhibition games.
Friday, the Ducks opened with back-to-back threes — one from Dorsey, the other from center Chris Boucher — quickly putting behind their recent cold streak.
“We did better than last [game],” Benjamin said of Oregon’s offensive execution. “I wouldn’t say we’re at where we want to be at, but we’re getting better each day at practice. Everybody is starting to know the offense and not think about it, just reactions.”
With Baylor up next for the Ducks, Altman was relatively pleased with how his thin rotation handled its first challenge. In addition to successfully distributing the rock — boasting four guys in double digit scoring — Oregon played sound defense.
The main concern for Altman remains on the glass as they prepare for a rebounding-proficient Baylor squad. Oregon edged the Tigers 38-33 in rebounds on Friday.
“We’re not ready for [the Baylor game], I’ll just be real honest,” Altman said. “They’re maybe the best rebounding team in the country. We’re going to have a couple days here to get focused, but it will be a big challenge for us.”
Altman is well aware that Monday will be as tough as a matchup his team will confront in non-conference play.
The bottom line is that the nation will see what Altman’s limited rotation is truly made of on Monday, regardless of whether they’re ready.
At last Wednesday’s practice, Altman said he wasn’t sure if his team was ready for this type of game and his team’s rebounding performance in the season opener did nothing to help answer his concerns.
ESPN 2 will begin its coverage at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 at Matthew Knight Arena.
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim