Third place in the Pacific-10 Conference is not a bad place to be as the league season sits at its midway point.
It’s not bad considering Oregon had lost its starting point guard for all but two games of the Pac-10 season. It’s not bad figuring the Ducks used just eight players against Stanford, and the three reserves combined to score no points.
It’s not bad considering the collective Pac-10 is down this season, ranked at or below the Atlantic Coast, Southeastern and Big 12 Conferences.
Or is it?
“With everything that this team has been through, losing Matt (Short), Mitch (Platt) and Jordan (Kent) and Aaron (Brooks) still not back, for us to be sitting here in third place, and we were playing for second for two weeks in a row, I think that says a lot about this team,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said after the Ducks’ loss to Stanford on Saturday.
Oregon is tied for third with California and UCLA, and all three teams sport identical 5-4 records in conference play. The wild card, however, may be the fact that Oregon will play two fewer games than the Golden Bears and Bruins this season. That came about because the Ducks played one more game than allowed last season, forcing Oregon to pay the price this season.
At 10-6, the Ducks are in a precarious situation. The NCAA Tournament can be selective in the teams it chooses for the Big Dance, and the Ducks will have to prove they are worthy. A 6-3 second half would net the team only 16 wins on the season, probably not enough for a postseason bid.
The second-half schedule, though, could help Oregon in the long run.
Oregon hosts UCLA, getting a shot at the Bruins, who defeated the Ducks by seven in Los Angeles in early January.
The Ducks will get to see Arizona at McArthur Court before that, hoping to solve the problems the team faced in a 24-point blowout to the Wildcats two weeks ago. Kent called that game a “disaster,” but it may have been the only one of the league season.
Oregon almost knocked off No. 2 Stanford on Saturday and was outdone in the end by Oregon State in January.
Those are four losses that, with just a little luck, could have been whittled down to two.
“I think the key thing for us right now is to just regroup, take a couple days off and let our legs come back,” Kent said. “Then get ready for a great Civil War game and start the second half of the Pac-10 season off on the right foot. We have a chance now to sustain and continue to get better. We’re one of the few teams I say that can get better because we’re learning more, we’re getting more comfortable and we’re getting our point guard back.”
The Ducks are expected to welcome Brooks back into the lineup in late February. Kent said last week he is expected to begin some rehabilitation later this week, and if all goes well Brooks will have a chance to return as the Pac-10 regular season gets into its final weeks.
At this point, Stanford is in control of the conference at 9-0, followed by Arizona (6-3), then the trio at 5-4.

Guards
Luke Jackson has done everything the Ducks have asked and more. He’s been close to or at the top of the Pac-10’s scoring list and leads Oregon in points, rebounds and assists per game.
Oregon has been buoyed by the continued emergence of James Davis on the perimeter. One of the most deadly three-point shooters in the nation, Davis has been consistent is keeping opposing teams at bay from the outside.
Otherwise, getting Brooks back into the lineup will be a boost for Oregon, which has seen Jackson carry the ball up the court on a continual basis.

Forwards
Ian Crosswhite and Platt have been impressive down low, adding an element to Oregon’s offense the team was missing last season.
“Our big guys are really good,” Kent said. “Granted, we shoot a lot of threes. Those big guys are good and are getting better. I think that’s the thing people underestimate. Last year, they could kind of lock up the three and dared you to throw it in there. Well, we want to throw it in there now.”
Jay Anderson has been a key reserve for the Ducks, providing valuable minutes. Adam Zahn and Matt Short have seen little or no action in most of the conference games.