The time had finally arrived.
Freshman Carolyn Ganes was about to step onto McArthur Court in front of thousands of screaming fans for the first time.
Her nervousness had reached a climax, but she was ready. All the anticipation had led up to this point.
But something was wrong.
“I was like, ‘oh my gosh, my dad is not here to give me the talk,’” Ganes said. “I had to borrow Dan’s (assistant coach Dan Muscatell) cell phone. I had to call my dad before the game.”
It’s a ritual for the Ganes family. Through all her years of playing, since the fourth grade, Ganes needed that comfort from her father, Roger Ganes, and her usual pep talk.
Even though Ganes knows the exact words, she said it’s just not the same without hearing them from her father.
“‘Carolyn, just go out and play hard, ’cause that is all you can do,’” Ganes said, imitating her father. “‘Make sure you play defense and rebound the ball.’”
And that is how it all began. For Ganes, her first experience in The Pit was an unforgettable moment.
“The fans were all cheering and the band was playing,” Ganes said. “I was like ‘oh my gosh, this is amazing,’ because I had never experienced anything like that — where people are so into the games.”
These are praises coming from someone who has quite the track record, considering she’s only 18 years old. Ganes played two years for the Canadian junior national team, where she met fellow Oregon teammate Yadili Okwumabua, also a freshman. Ganes was the youngest member of the Canadian national team in summer 2001.
And now she brings her 6-foot-3-inch presence to the post for Oregon. Through her beginning months as a Duck, Ganes has made her presence known and is continuing to become a dominating force.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native continues to put up solid numbers for the Ducks, and, through the team’s adversity, holds a starting position.
Ganes leads Oregon in scoring, averaging 11.6 points per game, ranking her 12th in the Pac-10, and she is bringing down four rebounds per game.
She also shows her poise from the charity line, as Ganes ranks third in the conference with a .833 percentage from the free-throw line.
“More than anything, it is her
determination and ambition that I think are very important,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “Her basketball-playing ability is very good and it is because of those two qualities.”
Fellow teammate and roommate Okwumabua has had the chance to become good friends with Ganes and watch her game grow over time.
“She has a really beautiful shot,” Okwumabua said. “She is getting better every day and she just has the ability to pound people on the inside. She has only good stuff to come and her whole game has been developing.”
Ganes knows that there is still room for improvement, and, despite her success thus far, it hasn’t been an easy road to travel.
She finished her high school career as a four-year letterwinner and helped lead her team to a 30-0 record and the Saskatchewan Class 4A provincial championship.
Ganes’ move from Canada to Oregon has required adjustments, but has been enjoyable and interesting for her, from culture to basketball.
“Americans are so outspoken and they will just tell you exactly what is on their mind,” Ganes said. “I love it down here, and of all the places I have been in the States, (Oregon) is the most like Canada.”
Yet despite being from out of town, Ganes brings a familiar presence to the team. She fits in well, and her style and attitude resemble Oregon’s center from the 2000-01 season.
“Everybody says I remind them of Jenny Mowe,” Ganes said.
Ganes has her own individual characteristics, though, and her own nickname. Around the dorms and the locker room, Ganes is known as “Big Red,” because on occasions of nervousness or embarrassment, her face turns beet red.
Through all the experiences, and the redness, Ganes says she is having a blast and feels very much at home here at Oregon. If Ganes can continue her scoring spree, she will set the highest average for an Oregon freshman since the 1997-98 season.
And Ganes is well on her way, given that she has scored in double figures in five straight games, and eight of the past nine. But she has quite the distance to set Oregon’s all-time average for a freshman, 15.2 points per game, held by head coach Smith.
Ganes’ quest continues tonight, as Oregon faces off with Arizona State (12-6, 4-5 Pac-10). Even though the Sun Devils have won the last four of the series, the Ducks have confidence being at home tonight.
“They have controlled us over the past couple of years, but now is our opportunity to make a difference,” Smith said. “If we play better defensively, we have a very good chance. Arizona State says they love playing here, and we are going to have to change that statement a little bit.”