Emerald
Sophomore forward Luke Jackson and head coach Ernie Kent hope to bring Oregon back to postseason play this year. Jackson was named to the Pac-10 all-freshman team last season.
The leaves fall from the trees. The trick-or-treaters roam the neighborhoods. The rain falls in buckets instead of Dixie cups.
Freddie Jones rains dunks.
It’s fall in the state of Oregon, and that means the return of men’s basketball. The Ducks are less than a week away from the start of the exhibition season, and only two weeks from the start of the regular season.
Oregon will open the regular season at home against the Basketball Travelers on Tuesday. The Ducks will face Global Sports on Nov. 11, then open the regular season with the America’s Youth Classic at McArthur Court Nov. 15-17.
“Our goal in the preseason is definitely to get some ‘Ws,’” said senior guard Anthony Lever, who was formerly Anthony Norwood until he changed his name this summer. “The mood of the team is positive. We’re looking to have a good year this year.”
Lever leads a backcourt battery of guards that should be Oregon’s strength this season. Sophomore point guard Luke Ridnour was last season’s Pacific-10 Conference Freshman of the Year, sophomore Luke Jackson was named to the Pac-10’s All-Freshman team, and senior guard Jones was the team’s second-leading scorer last season. Jones averaged 14.8 points per game.
“We have a lot to prove,” Lever said of the Ducks’ backcourt.
Scrimmage scramble
Jones and Jackson made a statement already this season, in Oregon’s first open scrimmage Saturday at Mac Court. In three 20-minute periods, Jackson led all scorers with 21 points and also grabbed eight rebounds, while Jones scored 20 points.
Several new team members made their first public appearances in Saturday’s scrimmage. Robert Johnson, a junior transfer from Santa Rosa Junior College, snagged nine rebounds. Junior transfer Brian Helquist grabbed six boards. Ian Crosswhite, a 6-foot-11 forward from Australia, did not play because of a nagging ankle injury.
The Kent connection
When Churchill High School standout Jordan Kent announced his intent to attend the University of Oregon — where his father, Ernie, coaches the Ducks’ basketball team — a proud family member beamed from the seat next to Jordan.
Yes, Ernie was there, but the proudest family member that day was Marcus Kent, Jordan’s older brother and the Oregon basketball team’s newest walk-on.
“It’s amazing,” Marcus said of Jordan’s announcement. “I always hoped he would come here. I sort of knew he would, but I just really hoped he would.”
Marcus, now a freshman, could get a chance to “live a dream” of playing with his brother while being coached by his father. Marcus will redshirt this season before deciding whether to continue playing basketball.
Marcus said playing for his father won’t be easy.
“If anything, it will be tougher for me than the other guys,” Marcus said. “When I’m on the floor, I don’t refer to him as ‘dad,’ I refer to him as ‘coach Kent.’”
Jordan was a highly-recruited track and basketball prospect before committing to Oregon last month. While Jordan announced he would redshirt for basketball his freshman season and only run track, Marcus said even sitting on the bench with his brother would be an experience worth treasuring.
“Before, we were on the outside looking in on this life,” Marcus said. “Now we have a chance to see firsthand what our dad does.”