Throughout Jeremy Jacob’s time with the Oregon men’s basketball team, the month of January has been an uphill battle that only seemed to get steeper.
After two years of fighting their way up from the conference cellar, the Ducks find themselves in the thick of the Pac-12 race on the heels of a monumental sweep over the Arizona schools last weekend.

According to Jacob, a 6-foot-8 redshirt senior now in his third year with the program, the Ducks feel good about their 4-2 start to conference play, but there remains a sense of urgency that’s been a constant presence with the team this season. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4295@@
“Knowing that we’re in the hunt for top seeds of the Pac-12 (tournament) — that’s way more exciting than being at the bottom just trying to get yourself to the middle,” Jacob said.
Oregon currently sits fourth in the Pac-12 standings and will try to improve upon that mark when it hosts the Los Angeles schools in the fourth of eight Pac-12 doubleheaders scheduled for the Ducks this season.
Having played one of their best all-around games of the season against Arizona State last Thursday and holding on for a two-point victory over Arizona in a nationally televised CBS broadcast, the Ducks have plenty of momentum heading into the weekend.
“It starts in practice,” senior guard Devoe Joseph said. “It starts here, just staying humble and staying focused, knowing that this weekend is big, if not bigger than last weekend.”
Head coach Dana Altman turned to a veteran lineup in Arizona with Jacob, Joseph and Garrett Sim starting as seniors and experienced juniors E.J. Singler and Tony Woods completing the starting five. Fellow seniors Tyrone Nared and Olu Ashaolu contributed high-quality minutes off the bench as well. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4295@@
As for Joseph, who’s started in nine of the 12 games he’s appeared in since regaining eligibility in December, Saturday’s win in Tucson could certainly be considered a high point this year. Joseph paced the Ducks with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go along with three rebounds and three assists, doing so in a full 40 minutes of playing time — the first Oregon player to do so this season. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=235&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205361149@@
“I knew coming into the season I was going to have to be in pretty good shape to play heavy minutes, and that’s what I prepared for,” Joseph said. “When I wasn’t playing, I did 40-minute workouts, which were very intense — just 40 straight minutes instead of timeouts and stuff. I prepared myself for that, and I was doing all right out there.”
Altman also pointed out the CBS timeouts were nearly twice the length of regular television timeouts, which gave Joseph and other players a few extra minutes of downtime.
“I can’t talk for two and half minutes during a timeout,” Altman said jokingly. “I didn’t have anything to say, so we opened it up for conversation. Usually those timeouts seem so quick. You’ve got a minute; you’re trying to get everything in.”
Aside from the lengthy timeouts, Altman and the players were also pleased with Oregon’s composure when they had the ball in pressure situations. The Ducks won the turnover battle in both games, but were also outrebounded in both, which is something the coaching staff has tried to emphasize throughout the season.
With three starters over 6-foot-6, Altman said he’s tried to set a goal of holding a plus-five rebounding advantage in each contest. How’s it coming so far?
“We’re not even close to that,” Altman said.
In the Pac-12, Oregon ranks eighth in offensive rebounds (33.5) and ninth in defensive rebounds (33.6) per game this season, with the conference’s 10th-best rebounding margin (with -0.1). The Ducks don’t have a player in the league’s top-20 list for individual rebounds.  Singler’s 5.2 per-night average is the closest. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205335431@@