Pac-10 Midterm Report Card
Midway through the Pacific-10 Conference schedule, Oregon’s NCAA Tournament chances are on the bubble as the team enters its second run through the conference with a 13-8 record overall and 4-5 in conference games. The Ducks hope to get more out of their defense for a second-half surge but until that happens, Oregon’s chances aren’t too bright.
Offense: B+
Oregon’s offense leads the Pac-10 Conference in points per game (80.3), but that hasn’t exactly helped them win league games. While the Ducks’ defense has taken most of the blame for the team’s losses, the offense has sputtered in the closing minutes in some of the close conference losses like Washington and UCLA.
Particularly, Oregon’s free-throw shooting percentage (68.5) has them ranked sixth in the conference, though it hasn’t directly affected Oregon in its losses.
What is certainly hurting them on offense is the inconsistency from the point guard position (Oregon is last in turnover margin per game (-0.90). Both Tajuan Porter and Kamyron Brown have shown they’re capable of great things, but haven’t established themselves routinely.
Once the position has settled down, the Ducks should become the well-oiled machine we’re used to seeing.
Coaching: C+
With three senior starters, coach Ernie Kent shouldn’t need to tell his team what to do all the time. However, Kent has continuously had to stress the importance of having a defensive mindset to his Ducks and it hasn’t become evident whether the message has gotten through yet.
Oregon has had lapses in games where opponents are seemingly able to score at will and it has affected the Ducks’ ability to keep pace toward the end of the game when the starters are on running on their last reserves of energy.
Kent was able to hammer home that point last year down the stretch of Oregon’s regular season games and, after a better defensive effort against Oregon State late in the second half, the point may be finally coming across to his players.
While Kent has utilized his bench better (read: more) than last year, he hasn’t gotten the production desired from four returning starters. They’re still looking for someone to give the ball to when a big shot is needed.
But if Tajuan Porter’s resurgent performance against Oregon State was any indication, maybe the Ducks already have everything they need to make a second-half run. They’ve just needed their big shooter’s shot falling to find their mojo from last year. If not, the coaches need to start getting more creative, or start playing the guys willing to play defense throughout the entirety of the game.
Defense: D+
The Ducks have been far short of solid on defense through the first half of the Pacific-10 Conference schedule, allowing 74 points per game to their opponents, and ranking as the worst in the Pac-10 by nearly three points.
Oregon also sits in the lower half of the conference, statistically, in several other defensive areas including field goal percentage defense (seventh, 44 percent), blocks (eighth, 2.95 per game), and steals (eighth, 4.95 per game).
Kent said that defense is his main concern with this team, and several of the players agreed recently that defense is the area in which they need the most work.
The good news, according to Kent, is that playing winning defense isn’t about getting bigger, stronger or faster, but making a mental commitment to stopping the opponent from scoring. He said that good defense comes down to heart, grit, and determination.
“If we can continue to improve defensively the second half of the season should be good for us,” said Kent.
Junior transfer Frantz Dorsainvil looked to be a defensive presence and a shot-blocking factor for the Ducks in the preseason, but has yet to establish himself in conference play.
Bench: B-
Oregon’s bench has been solid, and improving, most notably in last week’s win over Oregon State.
Senior Mitch Platt played a productive eight minutes and coach Kent said he thinks that Platt can help this team off the bench down the stretch. Freshman guard LeKendric Longmire has also seen some playing time, averaging 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in 11 minutes of action per game.
“I think our bench did a great job tonight allowing our starters to rest and have fresh legs down the stretch,” said Kent of his bench play in the win over the Beavers.
Kent said he will be using sophomore Joevan Catron off the bench in the second half of the season, as part of his effort to limit his seniors’ early minutes to leave them fresh for the final minutes of close games. Catron has missed much of the Ducks’ Pac-10 schedule so far with an injured foot, but has been effective since his return, averaging 11 points, three rebounds, and 1.7 assists in three Pac-10 games.
“With Joevan coming off the bench it will give Maarty (Leunen) a chance to rest with out losing the scoring and production from that position,” said Kent.
Freshman guard Kamyron Brown has started some games, but will most likely come off the bench this week in the Bay Area, as the death of his grandmother has left him “fragile” in the eyes of coach Kent, and coaches also want to be careful with his injured ankle. Brown provides a nice spark off the bench as he is the team’s assist leader at 4.1 per game, while adding 6.1 points and 2.3 rebounds.