Beginning his 12th season as Oregon men’s basketball coach, Ernie Kent is still finding he has plenty to learn. Calling this year’s team the youngest he’s had at Oregon with six freshmen on the roster, he couldn’t answer all the questions about his team yet. Who will play point guard? How will his freshmen respond? What about the development of his returning players?
One he is pretty sure about, however, is who his team’s leaders are.
“The clear-cut leader on this group who has emerged out of the summer has been Tajuan Porter, for what he has done, and very close to him is Joevan Catron, and shortly following him is LeKendric Longmire,” Kent said. “Those three guys, I think they understand what it takes to be successful, how hard you have to work. Those guys have taken the challenge right now … they’ve really done a nice job with this basketball team.”
Although nine players return from last year’s roster, it seems as though Catron, Porter and Longmire are a few of the players who didn’t either leave or just arrive to Eugene. Kent said he doesn’t expect to redshirt any of the freshmen, believing they can all bring an addition to the team and play well early.
The three players believe their leadership will be crucial to development of the team’s considerable talent.
Porter is the most experienced of the group, entering his third season as a major contributor. Known for his long-range accuracy behind the three-point line, which has been moved back a foot in the offseason, Porter said working on his leadership skills was just as important as improving his shooting consistency in the offseason.
“I knew once the season was over I had to step up and be a leader,” Porter said. “I knew I was going to just have to step up and take on the challenge.”
Longmire would seem to be a curious fit for a leader, having only come on as a contributor during the final half of the season. On this team, with only Frantz Dorsainvil and Churchill Odia as its seniors, Longmire is a default upperclassman and one of the most experienced.
“We knew coming into the year that it was going to be big,” Longmire said.
The sophomore from Mississippi took notes on what the previous leaders did and is trying to emulate their roles.
“Just being there to help, to guide, pull people along when they need a little more assistance,” he said. “It’s just being there for the team.”
Catron has the most personal relationship with many of the freshmen, three of whom are coming from the Chicago area, where Catron himself played high school basketball. He admitted his recruitment of the players was a bit selfish, but he believes it will help the team.
“When I got out here, from my freshman year to now I was kind of lonely,” said Catron, who approached the coaches about recruiting players from Chicago and then was crucial during their visits. “I was like, ‘I need some Chicago guys out here.’”
Like Longmire and Porter, Catron said a meeting from his freshman year called by senior point guard Aaron Brooks has still stuck out to him as a ‘leader moment.’
“My freshman year we had a meeting and Aaron, he let all his feelings out,” Catron said. “He talked about how he didn’t want to lose, he had a family coming and he’s not a loser. That stuck with me all the way up to now. I can remember it like it was yesterday.
“Seeing that guy cry and seeing the type of season he had is a big inspiration for me.”
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