| 14 March 2011
The Oregon Ducks aren’t ready for their season to end. After an impressive run in the Pac-10 tournament, they accepted an invitation to play in the College Basketball Invitational and will host the Weber State Wildcats of the Big Sky Conference on Wednesday at Matthew Knight Arena.
Weber State University, located in Utah, went 18-13 during the regular season to finish third in their conference behind Montana and Northern Colorado. The Wildcats enter having lost their past two games, to NCAA Tournament snub St. Mary’s and Montana, but they have the pieces to end Oregon’s season.
They are fairly experienced, starting three juniors, a senior, and a sophomore, and are very big compared to the Ducks. They have three starters taller than 6’6”, but their smaller players are their leading scorers: Lindsey Hughey, 6’3”, averages 12.5 points per game, and 6’2” Scott Bamforth averages 12 points per game. Weber State’s attack is balanced, shooting the three-ball extremely well with a solid inside-outside game.
Forward Kyle Bullinger, who was named to the All-Conference first team along with Bamforth, is perhaps their most dangerous threat. He shot poorly in their final two games, making just three of 21 field goals, but he, like many on the Wildcats roster, is capable of scoring 20-plus and living comfortably from three-point range.
Bamforth shot 42 percent from deep - which is just above the extraordinary team-mark of 41 percent that ranks fourth in the nation- and Hughey, 38 percent, flank him and could give Oregon fits, especially if the Ducks defense has difficulty closing out on shooters as they have at times this season.
It’s not as if those percentages are misleading due to a lack of attempts. These players let if fly: Bamforth averages five attempts per game, while Hughey and Bullinger each take four.
The talent doesn’t stop there. The inside presence of senior Terence Morris, who has played in a school-record 121 games, was their lone bright spot against St. Mary’s, scoring 12 points and grabbing six rebounds. He has put up similar numbers on the season, as the fourth starter to average double figures in points.
For his 6’9”, 240-frame, an average of four rebounds per game is underwhelming, but the guards consistently clean the glass as does fellow forward Darin Mahoney, who snags five per game. Boxing out their athleticism will be crucial for the Ducks.
Oregon has defeated teams with a big frontline and an arsenal of shooters. And they have a lot going for them, despite their loss to Washington. E.J. Singler blossomed in the tournament. To counter Weber State’s talent, fellow forward Joevan Catron as well as guards Malcolm Armstead and Jay-R Strowbridge will need to be consistently productive.
Those four make up Oregon’s core. Not all of them have had to score for the team to be successful, but each must bring something to the table against Weber State. And, notably, no matter who is shooting three-pointers the Ducks have to be successful in this category, especially since the Wildcats are prolific from long-range.
Weber State thought they would be playing at home, but the Ducks will instead have the honors. Albeit disappointed, the Wildcats are excited just to still be playing.
"We knew we were going to draw a good opponent, because that's all that's left in the country to play postseason,” said Wildcats head coach Randy Rahe said, as reported by the Standard Examiner. “We get a chance to go over to a Pac-10 school on their court and hopefully play well and see what we can do."
Weber State enters 2-15 all-time against the Pac-10. Oregon looks to add a 16th loss to that record and continue their own version of March Madness.
photo: weberstatesports.com
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