It took awhile, but the Oregon men’s basketball team finally had a player honored by the Pacific-10 Conference.
Freddie Jones was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week on Monday for the first time in his career following his dominating performances against the Washington schools.
Every Pac-10 team besides Oregon had a player recognized by the league entering the weekend, a fact that never escaped the attention of head coach Ernie Kent. In recent weeks, Kent would lament the fact that none of his players had received the award despite “being on their ‘A game’ for so long.”
The Ducks’ three-game win streak has propelled them to the No. 13 spot in both the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll and the Associated Press writers’ poll released Monday.
A big reason Oregon is the highest ranked Pac-10 team and is in sole possession of first place has been the play of Jones. The senior has now scored in double figures in 21 straight games and has become a favorite of ESPN’s SportsCenter, which featured a selection of Jones’ best dunks during its Monday afternoon program.
Jones contributed 18 points in a 115-77 win over Washington State on Thursday, and then capped the weekend in style against the Huskies. His barrage of three-pointers, powerful dunks and leaning jumpers accounted for a game-high 33 points in the Ducks’ 90-84 victory.
“Fred’s game was just real emotional for him,” Oregon sophomore Luke Jackson said Saturday. “He’s been here so long and given these fans so much to appreciate. He was just showing them one last time how good he is and how much he loves to play here.”
What made Saturday even more special for Jones was that he was able to end his senior season at home with a perfect 16-0 record and do so with many family and friends in attendance.
“That’s special,” he said of the undefeated home mark. “Can’t nobody take that from us now. This is a great place. The fans are unbelievable. They come out and support you win or lose.
“I just wanted to play my best.”
And for his efforts, he was rewarded.