| 05 January 2011
The Oregon Ducks entered Pac-10 play on a sour note, losing to Idaho in difficult fashion, 69-65. Still, they ended their non-conference schedule with a 7-5 record, succeeding in large part because of the performance of center Joevan Catron and forward E.J. Singler, their leading scorers.
Built around perimeter scoring, however, the Ducks failed to mount any sort of consistency.
Their lack of size came back to bite them routinely, as their perimeter shots failed to fall at a regular rate. Living and dying off jump-shots, especially with such an inexperienced and undeveloped core, slimmed the chances of exceeding expectations within the Pac 10. And, as their play on the road against Arizona and Arizona State illustrate, these Ducks aren’t equipped to compete over the long-haul.
Oregon had difficulty stopping 6-6 sophomore reserve guard Kevin Parrom, who scored a career-high 20 points on 8-9 shooting, and the rest of the Wildcats. Their opponent shot 55 percent from the field, with wide-spread contributions. Oregon’s defense struggled at times during their non-conference schedule, and their inability to quell the opposition continued in their Pac-10 opener.
Despite being outmanned and losing by 19, there was a significant bright spot. Junior forward Jeremy Jacob fell two shy of his career high in scoring 17 points on 7-13 shooting. He had contributed minimally in limited action before breaking out with increased aggressiveness. Jacob looked for his own shot continuously, and filled the stat-sheet with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal. But he recieved little help.
The lack of balanced scoring has hurt Oregon throughout the season. Facing a quicker, more physical, and more talented team in the Sun Devils, they put up little resistance without the crisp ball movement and consistent offensive threats needed to sustain success. Only seven assists were amounted, compared to ten turnovers. Guards Malcolm Armstead and Johnathan Lloyd didn’t dish a single assist. As a team they made just one of 17 three-point attempts and shot 34 percent overall.
They improved in their final game at McArthur Court, but only slightly in an emotional and disappointing farewell to the famed arena. They made just two field goals over the final nine minutes, a direct result of lacking options offensively, and shot only 32 percent overall. But they did outrebound Arizona State by five and were active on defense. Singler’s aggressiveness on the boards was a big reason why, as he complimented his team-high 19 points with nine rebounds.
The Ducks, following his lead, were also active on defense, collecting ten steals for their efforts. Armstead struggled from the field, but improved drastically over their previous contest, compiling half of those thefts, four assists, and three rebounds.
Oregon may be on a four-game losing streak and may have difficulty putting the ball in the basket, but this season is all about trying to get better game by game. Though some statistics weren't flattering, they made progress in Mac Court’s finale. Another loss may be in the cards against their next opponent, the 10-3 Washington Huskies, but if they right a few more wrongs, the Ducks will have even more positives to build off of.
photo: daylife
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