This has been a season of ‘firsts’ for this season’s freshman-heavy men’s basketball team – first practice, first game at McArthur Court, first road win – and Thursday night will mark the freshman class’ first Pacific-10 Conference road game, at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz., against the Wildcats.
“Here’s another stepping stone for these guys. They’ve got to figure out life on the road in the Pac-10 and it’s going to be an eye-opener for them,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said. “It’s going to be a tough environment for them to play in, but that’s OK because it’s going to force them to grow. To have success in these two environments we’re going to have to grow as a basketball team and that’s OK.”
Both teams will be looking for another first, as both are without a win in Pac-10 play. Arizona dropped road games against Cal and Stanford in the opening weekend of the conference schedule, while Oregon fell at home to USC and UCLA.
“We’re both going in there 0-2 and needing a win. The intensity of the game needs to be at a very, very high level,” Kent said.
Intensity and energy will indeed be crucial against the Wildcats, who play a large measure of full and half-court pressure mixed with zone on defense to keep the flow of the game fast and free-wheeling.

Kent’s teams have been known for their up-tempo style in seasons past and the coach said he is eager to see this season’s squad play a little more free and loose against Arizona.
“They really take the game and make it more of a wide open game,” he said. “You’re going to have to really make a lot of basketball plays, more than running a set play, you’re are going to play with a little bit more freedom and a little bit more wide open and that’s OK for us.”
That tempo is usually more than ‘OK’ for a scorer like Arizona junior forward Chase Budinger, who currently stands fifth in the conference in scoring at 16.6 points per game. But the shots haven’t been falling for Budinger of late, as he shot just 24.0 percent (12-of-50) from the field in the Wildcats’ last four games. Kent said that with a scorer of Budinger’s ability, he doesn’t anticipate the slump to last.
“I really, really don’t think that he’ll be slumping down there, at home. I really don’t,” Kent said. “With them 0-2 and needing a win, I really just don’t see that. I would be surprised if he didn’t play well down in that environment.”
For Oregon freshman center Michael Dunigan, the opening weekend of conference play ended in a disappointing three-point, two-rebound performance Sunday against UCLA in a game where Dunigan played just six minutes because of foul trouble.
“That’s my fault. That was just my fault. That’s really all I can say about it is the way some plays were called, those calls didn’t go our way,” Dunigan said. “It’s always refs but you just have to anticipate the calls and just go with the flow.”
In his absence, fellow freshman Josh Crittle picked up 22 minutes of valuable experience against UCLA senior center Alfred Aboya.
On Thursday night, Oregon’s men in the middle will meet junior center Jordan Hill, who leads the Pac-10 in rebounding with 12.1 rebounds per game and is third in scoring at 18.7 points per game. Hill has recorded 10 double-doubles in 14 games this season.
“Mike and Josh are getting baptism by fire here because they’re just going to find big guy after big guy after big guy,” Kent said. “The good thing about it is, again, it’s going to force them to grow up quickly because they’re going to have to battle again this weekend to have success.”
At practice Tuesday, Dunigan seemed undaunted.
“It’s all a learning experience for me,” he said. Then, with a smile, added: “I’m just a freshman in here trying to get my feet wet.”
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