PORTLAND — A simple rebound and a stare was all it took for the Chris Christoffersen Project to finally take shape.
Against Louisville on Dec. 30, 2000, Christoffersen gained a much-needed confidence boost when he snared the ball away from a Cardinals player and gave him a look as if to say, “Don’t even try to challenge me.”
At that moment, a 7-foot-2 center was truly born.
“That was the turning point,” Christoffersen said last season. “I said, ‘You know what, I can actually play with these guys.”
Christoffersen became a spark off the bench throughout the Pacific-10 Conference season and is now a senior starter for this year’s Ducks.
Against Louisville on Saturday night at Portland’s Rose Garden, Christoffersen showed the Cardinals glimpses of what he’s become, as his 13 points helped lead Oregon to a 90-63 victory.
“I feel a lot more comfortable,” Christoffersen said. “We had more size than they did and they were probably
hoping they’d be quicker than us.”
Combined with 6-foot-9 center Brian Helquist and 6-foot-8 forward Robert Johnson, Christoffersen helped patrol the paint and force Louisville to make just 37.5 percent of its shots.
Johnson grabbed 10 rebounds and scored eight points, while Helquist scored 10 points in his 22 minutes of action that all came with Christoffersen on the bench as the two rotated in-and-out together.
“Every time we can get Chris, Brian and Robert to come out and have a good night, then we feel we’re going to be really hard to stop that night,” said Freddie Jones.
Six-foot-10 forward Mark Michaelis didn’t play Saturday because of back spasms, but he’s also involved in the revolving big men, including Jay Anderson, the head coach Ernie Kent is excited about using in different situations.
“We have five big guys that allow us a lot of freedom and a lot of miles there if needed,” Kent said. “They’re effective right now as a group.”
And a big reason why is Christoffersen, who admits that he’s a long way from where he wants to be. He missed five of the six free throws he shot. He wants to move his feet quicker on defense. And he wants to stay out of foul trouble.
New Louisville head coach Rick Pitino came away impressed with Christoffersen, but saw another area that the Oregon center can improve on.
“I think when the big guy learns to pass the ball better out of the post and pass to the weak side rather than just to the top, it’s going to make him really difficult to play against,” Pitino said. “He’s 7-2.”
Yes, that’s tall. But height without confidence isn’t useful.