— All the odds were stacked against the No. 23 Ducks just 8:24 into their game against No. 18 Arizona. Not only was Oregon playing in Tucson, a place where the Wildcats had won 49 consecutive games by an average of 22 points; the Ducks were down 26-13 after Arizona hit 12 of its first 13 shots. Thanks to Dillon Brooks and his double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds), Oregon came from behind to win 83-75 and move into first place in the Pac-12.
— Pitcher Cole Irvin made a few pointed statements in his interview with the media to open the Oregon baseball season on Wednesday:
“We are going to Omaha this year,” Irvin said. “I want to make that statement clear.”
Irvin is expected to be joined by fellow left-handed pitchers Matt Krook and David Peterson to form what should be one of the best starting rotations in college baseball.
— Emerald reporter Jarrid Denney wrote a good story about incoming tennis star Ty Gentry from Tumwater High School in Washington. Gentry is rated the No. 21 senior in the nation in high school tennis. But before he steps onto the court for Oregon, he will first finish his career on the basketball court in Tumwater. Gentry averages 17 points and five assists for Tumwater, one of the top teams in Washington.
— The Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team is two weeks away from beginning its season and hoping to end it differently than last year. Last year was one of the more stressful and saddening times of the athletes’ lives. Lauren Jones, a teammate, passed away on Feb. 17, 2015. Then after losing three of their first four meets, the Ducks rebounded to make the national championship, only to fall to former Oregon head coach Felecia Mulkey and Baylor, thus ending Oregon’s run at four consecutive national championships.
— Former Oregon football athletes Bralon Addison and Vernon Adams Jr. have been invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis from February 24-29. Potential top-five pick DeForest Buckner and Tyler Johnstone are expected to be chosen as well.
— Bleacher Report published an article detailing the 25 fastest players in college football, and a few Ducks made the list. It’s not surprising an Oregon athlete made this list given the speed that the Ducks play at, but the fact four players were chosen is impressive. The four Ducks chosen were running back Tony Brooks-James (No. 16), wide receiver Kirk Merritt (No. 12), running back Thomas Tyner (No. 11) and wide receiver Devon Allen (No. 3). Taj Griffin and Charles Nelson received honorable mention nominations.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka