As its season opens Sunday night at McArthur Court, the Oregon men’s basketball team will hoist a banner commemorating the Ducks’ 2001-02 Pacific-10 Conference Championship.
But once they step on the court against Grambling State, the Ducks’ thoughts will turn to the 2002-03 conference crown.
“We want to let people know we’re for real,” point guard Luke Ridnour said.
Oregon’s title defense starts in the second game of the annual John Thompson Challenge on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. The first game of the Challenge pits California-State Northridge against Jacksonville at 3 p.m. at Mac Court. The winners of both games will face each other in the championship game Monday at 7:30 p.m. after the consolation game at 5 p.m.
The Ducks should have no trouble making that championship game. Grambling State is known more for its band and its participation in the annual “Bayou Classic” than its basketball team. The Tigers, who play in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, finished 9-19 overall last season and seventh in the SWAC.
Still, Oregon will take the team seriously, the Ducks said. The Tigers have the SWAC’s preseason player of the year in Paul Haynes.
“I looked at their roster; they’re not very tall,” Oregon forward Ian Crosswhite said. “I think it’s going to be a very fast game.”
The Ducks would love a fast game. Their up-tempo offense led the
Pac-10 with more than 80 points per game last season, and the Ducks scored 135 and 132 points in their two exhibition contests.
Most of all, the Ducks said their season-opener will give them a chance to work on details and defense.
“The score of the game will take care of itself,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said. “We just need to be able to come out and play defense.”
“There’s a lot of little things to work on to get ready for big-time games later on,” Luke Jackson said.
Those big-time games are looming right around the corner. One big-time game, anyway.
Oregon and Kansas, Dec. 7.
The Ducks have only four games before their contest with the Jayhawks, a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight contest. The teams will play at a neutral court that will be far from neutral — the Rose Garden, in the
annual Pape Jam.
The Ducks start their conference schedule with a home game against top-ranked Arizona on Jan. 2.
But for now, the Ducks said they are just focusing on Grambling State, Cal-State Northridge and Jacksonville. Of that group, Jacksonville is the only squad that could potentially challenge Oregon. The Dolphins finished last season with an 18-12 record and gave Texas a good game before falling 96-90 last fall. The Dolphins’ starting five is composed entirely of seniors.
When it comes down to it, the Ducks’ biggest opponent this weekend could be a piece of white tape. The NCAA implements experimental rules in exempted preseason tournaments, and that means several new rules will be tested at the John Thompson Challenge. One of those rules is a new three-point line — nine inches behind the normal collegiate three-point line. The Ducks led the Pac-10 in three-pointers last season.
But as they count down to a game with Kansas and their defense of the Pac-10 title, the Ducks won’t let white tape or Tigers stand in their way.
“Every game is important,” Ridnour said.
Every game, starting with the first one.