Forward Mark Michaelis lands a dunk for his enraptured teammates. Michaelis is a transfer from Brigham Young University and scored six points during Tuesday’s scrimmage.
There were two Pacific-10 Conference referees on hand, clad in their black-and-white, zebra-striped uniforms.
There were the basketball sounds of the buzzer, of sneakers on hardwood floor and of head coach Ernie Kent encouraging his players.
While there were no fans in attendance, nor a real opposing team, the Oregon men’s basketball team were playing in a game-like atmosphere for the first time this season.
The Ducks held their first scrimmage Tuesday at McArthur Court and played three separate 20-minute games against each other.
“For only practicing eight or nine times, I thought everyone did very well,” Kent said. “It’s a great experience for everyone to play in a controlled setting with referees calling their fouls.”
In the first game, one of the less-talked-about newcomers shone. Freshman shooting guard James Davis, who stands five-foot-10, connected on both three-pointers he took for a game-high 12 points.
Davis’ accuracy from long-distance didn’t surprise Kent, but it certainly pleased him.
“James played really well,” Kent said. “He brings a lot to that shooting guard position. He’s one of those guys who can play the point if we need him to, but he’s such a great shooter.”
Guard Anthony Norwood and forward Bryan Bracey each scored seven points in the “Green” team’s 23-22 victory over the “White” team. Bracey looked just fine after taking some days off last week with a sprained ankle.
In the second game, junior guard Freddie Jones led the way. Jones, coming off a summer in which he admits he worked his “butt off,” led the White team to a 34-23 victory as he poured in 12 points. The Portland native drilled all four of his three-point attempts. Freshman forward Luke Jackson finished the game with seven points, followed by junior transfer forward Mark Michaelis with six points.
Davis showed up again in the final scrimmage game, as he knocked down three more threes for a game-high 11 points in the Green team’s 26-25 win. Senior forward/center Julius Hicks looked solid in the post and finished with six points.
Seniors Flo Hartenstein and David Jackson did not participate as they both are still recovering from off-season knee surgery.
The Ducks scrimmage again next week before taking on the Basketball Travelers in an exhibition game Nov. 6 at Mac Court.
