Start the presses!
Spotting Ra’Heim Moss trying to pick him up just inside half-court, the guard made his move.
Dribbling past the Oregon guard, Montana’s Kai Johnson appeared to have Moss beat by half a step on his way to the basket.
Nope.
Sprinting from the right side, Moss closed with superhero speed. He leaped to his right to contest the dribble, his right arm swatting the ball into Jadrian Tracey’s arms as Johnson went flying to the floor.
Moss didn’t have a moment to celebrate or give a stare-down after getting the steal – one of the Grizzlies 14 turnovers on the night. Not with Tracey and the rest of the offense gliding down the court for a shot attempt. The next possession didn’t result in points, but the message was sent.
Perhaps no string of possessions better represents how the Ducks played in their win over Montana Friday night than the full-court effort of Moss forcing Johnson, and the entirety of the Montana team out of its comfort zone.
Oregon beat Montana 79-48 Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks shot 45% from the field, 36% from range and won or dominated in every meaningful statistic, and it was like just the tip of the iceberg of what this notably deeper and more balanced team can accomplish.
Oregon won easily on a night when Evans Jr., expected to be one of their leading scorers, struggled to get into an offensive rhythm and scored just six points on 2-5 shooting.
“Again, we’ve gotta have some guys that are looking over their shoulder,” Altman said. “Everyone wants to play 40 minutes but they are going to have to play a lot harder to get the minutes.”
Altman, a defensive junkie who has always had the desire to press, once again has the roster to realize his ambitions. Nine different Ducks tallied 16 or more minutes, every player who saw action added a positive plus-minus.
At some point, maybe later this season in highly-contested games, Altman will likely have to cut his rotation down to a smaller number, but for now, a complete assortment of players showed they can compete at a high level.
“This year we have a deeper bench,” Evans Jr. said. “We don’t have to conserve our energy anymore, we have guys that can come in and do the same thing and we just flip-flop and play hard.”
“We had two guys carrying the ball last year, and you know this is a different team,” Altman said. “Jackson’s gotta play differently, Bam’s [Tracey] has gotta play differently… we’ve got some guys that can break out each night.”
The Ducks’ rotated offense was plenty prolific. TJ Bamba showed impressive physicality, finishing with a team-high 14 points and getting to the line five times. Jackson Shelstad blew past defenders and created good looks. Nate Bittle tied a career-high hitting three times from range.
But the Ducks’ defense impressed the most on the night. Six different Oregon added steals, TJ Bamba grabbed one for himself, hit two 3-pointers and made some highlight reel plays.
“To be honest, I’m a competitor, I’m a dawg,” Bamba said. “If you put me on the guy’s best player… I’m just trying to have the mentality that he’s going to have a long night.”
“He’s got the potential to be a really good defender,” Altman, ever the stickler, said of Bamba. “Right now he’s taking too many plays off.”
The Ducks will have two easier home non-conference tuneups against the University of Portland and Troy before games against Oregon State, San Diego State and Texas A&M set the slate for better Big Ten opponents. If all goes well, the Ducks’ speed and attacking style will make them ungracious guests.
The defensive acumen of a team with new players this early on in the season has been remarkable. The Ducks had a goal to hold Montana under 20 points for the second half of action, with six newcomers — not including transfer center Supreme Cook who Altman said could play on Tuesday — tallying minutes.
“The ball is moving and everyone is unselfish,” Evans Jr. said. “I feel like anyone can end the possession off with a good shot, and we can all pass to each other and the chemistry is a lot better.”
“We all really like each other, Bamba added. “It’s an important ingredient to have.”
