| 16 March 2011
It may not have been the biggest story that came out of Selection Sunday, but the Oregon Ducks are going to the post-season.
Well, the College Basketball Invitational, anyway.
As Oregon sets to host Weber State from the Big Sky at Matthew Knight arena tonight, Dana Altman's team will be the only major conference team in the tournament, and some are questioning why the Ducks even accepted the bid. Quite frankly though, when a team has not played in any postseason tournament since 2008, it’s not really in a position to decline any invitations.
Austin Peay, Boise State, University of Central Florida, Creighton, Davidson, Duquesne, Evansville, Hofstra, James Madison, Miami (Ohio), Montana, Rhode Island, St. Bonaventure, and San Jose State comprise the rest fo the field, with Boise State, Davidson, Creighton, and Evansville already advancing in CBI play to the quarterfinals.
The Postseason Factor
It might not be the career ending highlight JR Strowbridge and Jovean Catron had wanted, but the CBI still gives the Ducks an opportunity to end their season on a win, and as cheesy as that may sound, it’s still a great feeling. Looking at the CBI field, the Ducks definitely have more than a decent shot at winning the CBI, especially if they can continue to play like they did in the first two games of the Pac-10 Tournament against Arizona State and UCLA.
Oregon vs. Creighton: A Compelling Storyline To Root For
It’s a little hard to tell from reading the bracket on the CBI website, but Oregon could play Creighton in either the semi-finals or the finals of the tournament, meaning Dana Altman would face his old school. There are certain stories sports media love to root for, and a coach playing against his former team definitely qualifies.
But even Creighton poses a tough match-up for any team: they enter the CBI at 19-14 record, and another win this season would give the Blue Jays 20 wins or more games in 12 of the previous 13 seasons -- a successful mark the team once achived under Altman. And even in this post-Altman era at Creighton, the Blue Jays are in the postseason for the 14th consecutive season, the longest streak of postseason bids in Missouri Valley Conference history. Credit Altman for helping build that program, the same goal he is trying to acheive at Oregon.
20 Is The Magic Number
If somebody told you at the start of the year the Ducks would win 20 games, chances are you wouldn’t think very highly of their sports IQ. But, if the Ducks manage to win the CBI, or even if they lose in the best-of-three championship series—no need to adjust your computer screen, the CBI actually uses a best-of-three format—two games to one, the Ducks will finish the year with 20 wins.
Like the “finishing your season with a win” factor, this is purely psychological, but it can’t be discounted just because it doesn’t have a tangible benefit.
Isaac Rosenthal is a contributing writer to Beyond the Beat and previously served as a freelance reporter with the Oregon Daily Emerald
photo: uwsports
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