— The Oregon men basketball team came from behind to defeat No. 2 UCLA 89-87 on Wednesday night. Dillon Brooks, Oregon’s preseason All-American, drilled a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left to extend the Ducks’ home-winning streak to 34 games. The win was Oregon’s first victory over a No. 2-ranked team since 2007.
— Oregon women’s basketball team is off to start that is exceeding preseason expectations. The Ducks were predicted to finish seventh in the Pac-12 conference but enter conference play with a 10-2 record. Led by freshman Sabrina Ionescu and sharpshooter Lexi Bando, Oregon will look to make an early statement when three of its first six games are against squads ranked in the top-25.
— When it comes to football, Oregon’s defensive unit was one of the worst units in the nation last year. After the Ducks hired head coach Willie Taggart, one of his first moves was to find a new defensive coordinator. When his search was over, former Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt left Boulder to come take the same role with the Ducks. Leavitt will receive $4.6 million over four years, making him the highest paid assistant coach in the Pac-12.
— After Taggart Leavitt, Jimmie Dougherty joined the Oregon staff as wide receivers coach. He signed a two-year, $500,ooo contract with the Ducks. Both Dougherty and Leavitt are up for $125,000 in bonuses per year, depending on how Oregon performs during the regular season and postseason.
— With Wednesday’s victory over UCLA, the Ducks have turned their attention to undefeated and No. 22-ranked USC. Oregon faces the Trojans on Friday night, completing one of the tougher opening weekends in conference history for the Ducks. The Pac-12 conference is loaded with top talent as UCLA, USC, Oregon and Arizona are all ranked in the AP Top 25. The star power is big also as three of the top players in the conference all freshmen. Here’s a conference preview of what and who to watch in the Pac-12.