On the heels of the Ducks’ Pacific-10 Conference season-ending loss to Arizona State comes a question: What’s next for Oregon?
Do the Ducks, who finished 17-12 overall and 10-8 in Pac-10 regular season play, have an invitation to the NCAA Tournament extended to them, or do they fall to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, possibly hosting a first round game?
The answer to that question will come next week, but Oregon is already looking ahead.
“I’m looking forward to it and the opportunity to play in front of these fans again,” junior Shaquala Williams said about the possibility of starting the WNIT at McArthur Court. “I think we have a young team and a lot of people coming back next year, so (we have) the opportunity to play again and maybe improve for next year. I’m looking forward to it.”
A year ago, Oregon finished 17-11 after the completion of Pac-10 play but was defeated in the first game of the NCAA Tournament by Iowa, 89-82.
With two wins in the inaugural Pac-10 Tournament this season, Oregon hopes the NCAA Tournament selection committee takes notice.
“We want to go forward, and we want to play,” said first year head coach Bev Smith.
After taking out an overmatched Washington State team, 85-67 on Friday, the Ducks took on a tough Washington squad, seeded No. 2 in the tournament, a day later.
The Huskies, who advanced to the Elite Eight of last season’s NCAA Tournament, were well versed with the pressures of playing in a single-elimination tournament.
But so were the Ducks, who for the last eight seasons have made it to the Big Dance. Oregon abruptly ended the Huskies’ Pac-10 season, 78-64, and went into the Arizona State match with momentum.
But it was not to be, with Arizona State earning a victory over the Ducks for the third time this season. Arizona State now takes on Stanford, winners over Oregon State, in the Pac-10 Championship at McArthur Court tonight.
The winner of that game receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon, who failed to make it to the championship face-off, now awaits its playoff fate.
The Ducks finished as the seventh seed in the conference but were only two games behind No. 2-seed Washington. They hope the powers that be in the NCAA Tournament selection will look down on Oregon with golden eyes.
“I think given the way we’ve played, we’re open to the possibility, and if that were to happen, it would be a great, great thing for us,” Smith said about the team’s tournament chances.
The WNIT may be a more likely destination, but Oregon does not plan on squandering its chance should the team make it to the field of 64 for the ninth straight season.
“We will wait and keep working hard and take advantage of whatever opportunity presents itself,” Smith said.