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The Ducks need to speed up their waddle

Sporting News, The, Dec 2, 2005 by Mike DeCourcy

The curious thing about Oregon last season was not that it wound up scraping along the .500 line nor that the Ducks finished eighth in the Pac-10 and found themselves sitting out another NCAA Tournament. It's that it all happened at a pace better suited for a Jane Austen movie.

The slow drip of agony began with a 77-51 win over Idaho State. A victory, sure, but also an omen. The coaches had spent the preseason emphasizing their "speed kills" philosophy, and the Ducks instead waddled to a 70.9 scoring average that hardly thrilled.

So when they opened this season by ringing up only 75 points in an exhibition against Southern Oregon, coach Ernie Kent had to concede, "It's just not where we want to be yet."

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Oregon was one of the youngest teams in Division I last season, with 85.6 percent of its (not so many) points scored by freshmen and sophomores. Inexperienced players must be taught to play with greater effort and defend at a higher level--and also how to run.

With wings Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor and point guard Aaron Brooks, Oregon has enough players who should be effective at greater speeds. But the progress is coming gradually.

* Rhythm. That's Kent's term. Although some high school games feature fullcourt presses and plenty of layups, true fast breaks are not prominent because courts are smaller and the expertise required is beyond average high school point guards. Players such as Hairston and Taylor become more comfortable looking for shots in a halfcourt setup when they could be devastating on the break. Hairston can wreck defenders with a bounce or two, and Taylor's long-range shooting provides another option against a scrambling defense.

Most regulars have been in Oregon's system at least a year, so Kent now can teach more than the basics. One exception is Ivan Johnson, a 6-8 junior college transfer. He gives the Ducks a prime low-post option in transition.

* Distribution. Brooks averaged 4.6 assists as a sophomore, roughly half of what he should manage surrounded by solid scoring options in a fast-paced attack. Kent believes Brooks' experience trying out for the U.S. under-21 national team--Brooks was one of the final cuts--helped him mature as a point guard.

* Energy. The team's primary energy guy is the coach's son, wing Jordan Kent. He spent the fall as a Ducks wide receiver and only now is getting back to basketball. He'll return to football 10 days before the team's bowl game.

* Defense. Kent says the fast break is not an offensive tactic--it's a philosophy that dictates how a team shapes its entire game. "Defense gives you the opportunity to run," he says. "When this team understands that getting stops means blocking out, rebounding and getting in transition--those become easy buckets for you."

Pace and productivity--that's what the Ducks need to book a trip to the NCAA Tournament this season. The slower they move, the further the journey will seem.

speed read

Perhaps Missouri's administration had the future in mind when it brought back Quin Snyder for a make-or-break season. Mizzou's coaches were banned from off-campus recruiting until earlier this November; a new coach would have been bound by those restrictions. If a change is necessary next spring, Snyder's replacement will start fresh.

INSIDE DISH

Washington has found an ideal role for transfer G Ryan Appleby, who struggled to perform consistently at Florida. Appleby, who is slight at 61, 170, is being used primarily as a shooting specialist. He has been sold on the role with comparisons to Steve Kerr, John Paxson and Craig Hodges. In the Huskies' first three games, Appleby played 21.0 minutes per game and shot 15 3-pointers. * Wake Forest PG Justin Gray struggled with turnovers in his first four games after converting from shooting guard and was an obvious victim of officials' early emphasis on calling palming violations. He also wasn't able to find many good 3-point opportunities for himself, and the Deacons need his long-range shooting. The good news is that Gray consistently is getting the ball to C Eric Williams. Feeding the post isn't easy, even for established point guards. * Maryland is pleased with the early results from sophomore PF James Gist, probably the program's most talented player and a strong candidate to become the team's leading scorer. Gist can help himself in that department by becoming more active on the offensive boards. He should be able to put his athleticism to better use. * Ohio University coach Tim O'Shea was excited about bullish freshman PF Jerome Tillman (6-6, 237), who performed well in the Bobcats' scrimmage at Boston College. O'Shea figured Tillman might become a starter by the Mid-American Conference season. Now, because of a bout with mononucleosis, he'll just be getting back to action about the time MAC play begins. O'Shea plans to bridge the gap with senior Jeff Halbert, a selfless, tough player.

The Ducks need to speed up their waddle

Sporting News, The, Dec 2, 2005 by Mike DeCourcy

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