Around this time last year, the Oregon men’s basketball team was in desperate need of a victory. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?SPSID=4294&SPID=235&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&Q_SEASON=2010@@
Having lost six straight games in late December and early January — including their final three at historic McArthur Court — the Ducks were off to a winless start in Pac-10 play, with a visit from the Los Angeles schools looming.
Yet, the opening of Matthew Knight Arena and a rare sold-out home crowd fueled Oregon to its first conference win over USC, 68-62, and ultimately turned around the season. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=235&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205077049@@
This week, however, it’s the Trojans’ turn; they’re entering Eugene having lost six straight games and nine of their last 10 outings. With USC eager to climb out of last place in the league standings, second-year head coach Dana Altman surely doesn’t underestimate a team in dire need of a victory. @@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/usc-m-baskbl-sched.html@@ @@http://pac-12.org/SPORTS/BasketballM/Standings.aspx@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4293&SPID=235&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204936844&Q_SEASON=2011@@
“Everybody said the same thing about us a year ago when were struggling: that we weren’t going to win a conference game,” Altman said. “Those are dangerous teams and USC will be dangerous on Thursday night.”
When the Ducks (13-5, 4-2 Pac-12) meet the Trojans (5-13, 0-5) tonight at 5:30 p.m., there will be plenty of questions surrounding the morale of this struggling USC team. But Altman has no reservations about the way USC head coach Kevin O’Neill will have his team prepared defensively. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4294@@ @@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/usc-m-baskbl-mtt.html@@
Through their five conference games the Trojans have held opponents to a league-best 57.8 points per contest. Conversely, they’ve scored a league-worst 47.6 points each night due to a number of glaring offensive struggles. @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/MBasketball/2011-12-stats/HTML/CONFONLY.HTM@@
USC ranks second-to-last in the Pac-12 in free throw percentage (55.7), last in field goal percentage (34.3), offensive rebounds per game (27.2), assists per game (6.8) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.68). @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/MBasketball/2011-12-stats/HTML/CONFONLY.HTM@@
Not to say Oregon hasn’t had its fair share of struggles at home this year, though there was an added sense of urgency to have a strong showing at home this week after sweeping the Arizona schools for the first time since 2006 last weekend.
“I think we’re playing good on the road right now,” senior guard Devoe Joseph said. “We’ve just got to have that same effort at home. I think we’re very focused when we’re on the road on just coming back with a win. We just have to have that same energy and focus at home.”
Since returning to the court in early December, the 6-foot-4 Joseph has led the Ducks in scoring six times in 12 games, most notably was his 30-point, seven-rebound performance in a home win over league-leading Stanford on Jan. 5. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=235&SPSID=4295@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=235&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205356768@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/MBasketball/2011-12-stats/HTML/ORE.HTM#team.ind@@
Had Joseph participated in at least 75 percent of Oregon’s games this season (he’s only played in two-thirds up to this point), his 15.5 points per game would be the 10th-highest scoring average in the conference. That’s less than four points behind Pac-12 scoring leader Jared Cunningham of Oregon State.
“He’s got a full feel for what we want,” Altman said of the Minnesota transfer. “That’s why he’s been able to add so much so quickly. He was here since last year and he’s been so well coached that he gives us an instant lift.”
How the Trojans choose to contain Joseph defensively figures to be an interesting matchup, especially if sophomore guard Maurice Jones draws that assignment. The 5-foot-7, 155-pounder started 25 games as a true freshman last season, and although he’s a consistent scoring threat each night (averaging 12.4 points per game this season), Jones’ defense is the difference maker. @@http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/jones_maurice00.html@@
His 69 steals last season were a USC freshman record, and was the seventh-best total ever by a Pac-10 freshman.
For a somewhat turnover-prone Oregon team, Jones’ play could prove to be a handful early on.
“We know we’re a good team if we don’t turn the ball over,” senior forward Jeremy Jacob said. “That’s our main problem. (If we don’t turn it over) we’ll beat any team we think.”