INSIDE THE NUMBERS

2000-01 record: 26-9; 14-4 in Pac-10 (1st) Postseason: Lost to Kansas 104-86 in NCAA Midwest Region final. RETURNING LEADERS Points: Jackson 16.2 Rebs: Johnson 7.5 Assists: Ridnour 5.1 FG: Johnson 53.9% 3pt: Ridnour 43.3% FT: Ridnour 86.7% 01-02 Stats: Oregon | Pac-10 KEY LOSSES Fred Jones | 18.6 ppg C. Christoffersen | 8.2 ppg Anthony Lever | 6.3 ppg PROJECTED STARTERS G | Luke Ridnour | Junior G | Luke Jackson | Junior G | James Davis | Junior F | Rob Johnson | Senior C | Brian Helquist | Senior Player to Watch Luke Jackson Senior Guard Half of "Luke & Luke Show" impossible matchup at 6-7 shooting guard. DATE TO REMEMBER Dec. 7 A rematch of last year's Elite Eight game will be played in Portland. If the Ducks can avenge 104-86 defeat to Kansas, they can play with anyone this year.

 

OREGON DUCKS

An encore of last year's breakthrough season -- Pac-10 champions, 26-9 record, Elite Eight finish -- won't be easy. But the Ducks are more than capable of putting a major scare into Arizona atop the league standings and then holding their own come March. Most are raving about the backcourt, where the two Lukes --a pair of juniors with the last names Ridnour and Jackson -- will again be a handful. Ridnour averaged 15.5 points and 5.0 assists last season, while Jackson went for 16.7 points and 5.4 rebounds. Get this: Oregon scored a school-record 2,994 points last year and head coach Ernie Kent thinks his team can play even faster. It won't be easy, not with the loss of athletic wing and leading scorer Frederick Jones to the NBA. The Ducks should be better defensively, an important step when you score at such a brisk pace. The biggest key comes inside, where Oregon must find a replacement for departed giant Chris Christoffersen (7-foot-2). The first nod goes to senior Brian Helquist, who lost more than 20 pounds over the summer and should be improved at both ends.

TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
Ridnour and Jackson will carry this team in different ways. The former has tried adding a mid-range game to already versatile skills, ones that include solid passes, a long-range jumper and the ability to attack off the dribble. Jackson, meanwhile, should score even more now that Jones is gone. He also isn't afraid to live among the trees when flying to the rim. "These are the guys," says Kent, "who must set a pace for us on and off the floor. They are more than capable."

TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Don't be fooled by Christoffersen's average numbers of 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds last season. His frame provided the kind of intimidation a good interior defense needs. It also allowed Oregon's perimeter players to gamble more. So now it is up to Helquist, returning power forward Robert Johnson (started all 35 games last season), junior Jay Anderson (6-9, 230) and newcomer Ian Crosswhite (6-11 freshman) to offer that same level of intensity.

BOTTOM LINE..............................
Remaining a Top 10 team is a difficult task, especially when you play Kansas, North Carolina State, Pepperdine and Minnesota in the season's first six weeks. But the Ducks should again sit at or near the top of the Pac-10. Everyone has to score a little more without Jones, and there is no guarantee the shots will fall as often. But it's still a Sweet 16 roster for now.