Oregon senior Cathrine Kraayeveld said the team’s preparation this week is no different than any other.
“Same stuff,” Kraayeveld said. “We just need to focus on what we need to do as a team to continue to get better, so that we are playing well going into our first game. We’re excited about it.”
But with a possible bid to the NCAA tournament to be announced Sunday, the mood of the Oregon women’s basketball team couldn’t be calm.
Could it?
“I think there is a certain amount of anxiety because we’ve done everything we can do to make our claim on being a tournament team,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “But now what we are trying to do is to avoid all the speculation and getting back into our practice gear and getting back to our fundamentals.”
Oregon finished the 2004-05 season with a 20-9 overall record and tied for second in the conference at 12-6. The last time the Ducks made the tournament was in 2001.
While receiving the actual tournament bid is the most worrisome element for the Ducks, geography is also a definite consideration.
ESPN’s bracketologist Charlie Creme gives Oregon the number seven seed in the Tempe Region, with a first round matchup against Louisiana Tech from the Western Athletic Conference on March 19 in Seattle.
“I think regionally it would be nice to stay in the Northwest,” Smith said. “It would create excitement for the tournament if you had a local team, and we’re pretty local. But really, our preference takes second priority to just getting into the tournament.”
Not all predictions concur though.
As of March 5, according to CollegeRPI.com, Oregon is the 10th seed in the Chattanooga Region with a first-round matchup against Boston College in Knoxville, Tenn.
Wherever the Ducks may be heading, the big point is that they should be going somewhere.
“I feel like we should (have a lock on a bid),” Kraayeveld said. “We feel that we’ve done well this year and that we should be picked for the tournament, and we have a lot of confidence that will happen.”
Oregon’s resumé includes two wins against top-25 Rating Percentage Index teams — top-ranked Stanford (27-2 overall, RPI No. 7) and Arizona State (22-8, No. 21). The Ducks have also beaten three other teams with an RPI above 50, including USC (19-10, No. 34), Arizona (19-11, No. 42) and George Washington (22-8, No. 38). Oregon also defeated Miami, who has an RPI of 51, earlier this season.
Oregon suffered only one loss to a team with an RPI ranking under 100 — its 81-57 defeat against Washington.
The Ducks will find out their tournament fate Sunday at a “parings party” at Mac Court, where the team and 500 fans will watch ESPN’s one-hour selection show at 2 p.m. The doors will open a 1:30 p.m., and fans will receive free soda and popcorn.

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