 |
 |
|
| | Tuesday, November 2 | |||||||||||||||
COACH AND PROGRAM
A.D. SMITH (6-8, 233 lbs., SR, PF, #00, 13.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 32.9 minutes, .512 FG, .405 3PT, .769 FT, Churchill HS/Eugene, Ore.) One of the most improved players in the Pac-10 a year ago, Smith was a key ingredient in Oregon's ascension last season. "Along with Darius Wright, A.D. was probably the glue that held our team together last year," Kent said. "He was so consistent in his play. He's a guy who has great work ethic and is really focused. He's really looking forward to this year." Smith started every game last season, adding nearly three points and more than three rebounds to his per-game averages. He scored in double figures 24 times, including a 22-point, 13-rebound outing vs. Wyoming in the NIT. He followed that with 18 points and 12 boards against Texas Christian, boosting the Ducks into Madison Square Garden and the NIT semifinals. Those two games were among his eight double-doubles. He was one rebound shy of four more. Kent actually tried recruiting Smith to St. Mary's before taking the coaching job at his alma mater two years ago. "We liked him. We felt he was a good player for our West Coast Conference level," Kent said. "When we got here, he's really surprised me in what he's been able to do. His intelligence and his consistent play allows him to be a much more effective player at this level. Every team needs a player like that." DARIUS WRIGHT (6-0, 179 lbs., SR, PG, #4, 8.3 ppg, 4.7 apg, 2.7 rpg, 1.0 spg, 30.9 minutes, .419 FG, .398 3PT, .763 FT, West Valley JC, Calif./Sacramento, Calif.) An unknown thrown into a three-way scramble at point guard when last season began, Wright was good enough to not only secure the No. 1 job, but to chase away the competition. By the end of the season, Wright shared team MVP honors with Alex Scales. "His development was so important, because he's at the most critical spot on the floor," Kent said. "He's another guy [along with A.D. Smith] who we didn't realize how good he was until he got into the program. I felt down the stretch last season, he was one of the best point guards in the conference." Wright scored in double figures 13 times last season, all of them after the Pac-10 season began. He had 10 points, a school-record tying 13 assists and just two turnovers in 36 minutes vs. Arizona. He later scored 19 and 17 points in successive games against Washington State and Washington, earning Pac-10 Player of the Week honors for his performance. His assist-to-turnover margin of 150-to-78 improved as the season progressed. "I feel like we may have the best, if not one of the best point guards in the Pac-10," Kent said. "He is a prototype, a throwback point guard where he totally understands the game on the floor. We feel like if he can continue to stay consistent with his shot, he has the quickness and the knowledge you need." At West Valley JC, he made California All-State honors in 1998, averaging 17.0 ppg and 9.8 apg on a team that went 30-4. A former All-City selection at Center HS in Sacramento, Wright also played one season at Wagner College before transferring back to West Valley. ALEX SCALES (6-4, 185 lbs., SR, SG, #33, 14.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 29.6 minutes, .404 FG, .309 3PT, .738 FT, San Jacinto JC, Tex./Racine, Wisc.) Kent compares Scales to NBA bad boy Latrell Sprewell, and he means it as purely a compliment. "He's a very exciting, explosive player," Kent said. "His skills are similar to Sprewell's. He's probably the fastest guy in our conference getting up and down the floor." Scales glides down the court with the ball, changing directions almost with the grace and precision of an ice skater. He can slash to the basket or stop and hit the jumper off the break. Scales required little adjustment from junior college ball, scoring 19 points in his college debut vs. Coppin State. He went on to reach double figures 26 times, including four games of 20 or more. He had two double-doubles, including a 14-point, 11-rebound game vs. Wyoming in the NIT. His career high was a 22-point effort at UCLA. Kent saw marked progress from Scales as the season wore on. "From the first half of the season to the last half, he was greatly improved," Kent said. "He was putting up all-conference numbers down the stretch. His confidence has risen so much from the end of the season to now. He definitely has the athleticism." FREDERICK JONES (6-4, 210 lbs., SO, SG, #20, 9.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 21.1 minutes, .512 FG, .410 3PT, .676 FT, Barlow HS/Gresham, Ore.) A dynamic young talent, Jones may be the most important recruit Kent has landed so far. The only two-time winner of Oregon's state player of the year award, Jones' decision to join the Ducks gave Kent's program invaluable credibility. Jones did not disappoint anyone as a freshman, either. Kent broke him in slowly, before Jones erupted for 18 points against Vanderbilt in late December. That triggered a string of seven consecutive double-figure scoring games, including a 23-point, 10-rebound performance at Washington State. A slick and powerful backcourt player, Jones wound up with 14 double-figure games. He also scored the game-winning points vs. Cal, tipping in a missed shot by Smith at the buzzer. "He had a typical freshman year up and down. But he finished the year real strong for us," Kent said. "He has a pro body on him, and a pro game. He's probably our best all-around basketball player. He just had to go through some growing pains last year, and I felt like he handled it well. "Having the success we had last year really highlighted his game, too. It's going to be great for him to be in a program where he doesn't have to be 'the man.' He can do his thing. "If anything, we need him to be more selfish. He gave the ball up too much last year." As a senior at Barlow HS, he led the state of Oregon in scoring at 29.9 ppg, including a single-game high of 58 points. JULIUS HICKS (6-8, 235 lbs., JR, C, #11, 14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, .727 FG, .644 FT, West Valley JC, Calif./San Francisco, Calif.) Hicks is something of the "X" factor for the Ducks. He will try to provide them with the low-post presence they lack, complementing the versatile Smith in the frontcourt. Kent compared him to Steve Johnson, the efficient, no-frills center who starred for Oregon State in the 1980s. "He can score the ball from the low post, and that was a weak spot for us last year," Kent said. "We've solidified that now. At his (junior college) level, he was double- and triple-teamed a lot. When you give him the opportunity to score, he will score. He won't miss the chipper, the layup, the jump hook." A one-time teammate of Darius Wright at West Valley JC two years ago, Hicks helped the school compile a 52-14 record the past two seasons. He prepped at St. Ignatius HS, one of the strongest high school programs in Northern California.KEY RESERVES FLO HARTENSTEIN (6-9, 265 lbs., JR, F, #54, 3.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 15.9 minutes, .464 FG, .551 FT, Thurston HS/Springfield, Ore.) The 22-year-old native of Maintz, Germany, gives Oregon some valuable muscle off the bench. Still not a polished offensive player, Hartenstein begins his third season with the Ducks, having started 14 times in his first two years. He scored in double figures twice last season, going for 11 points and seven rebounds vs. USC, and 10 points with five rebounds against Washington. He also had an eight-point, seven-rebound effort vs. Cal. "Flo Hartenstein is greatly improved," Kent said. As a freshman in 1997-98, Hartenstein logged a career-high 16 points vs. Arizona State. He also had a 12-rebound performance that season vs. Washington State. One of Hartenstein's problems is foul trouble. He accumulated 97 fouls last season, an average of nearly three-and-one-half a game, despite playing fewer than 16 minutes per outing. DAVID JACKSON (6-3, 210 lbs., JR, G, #21, 3.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 14.0 minutes, .420 FG, .773 FT, 14.0 minutes in 1997-98, Utah & Wilson HS/Portland, Ore.) Two years removed from playing in the national championship game with Utah, Jackson makes his home-state debut with the Ducks. A former third-team Parade All-America, Jackson sat out last season after transferring from the Utes. His experience and leadership should only enrich the Ducks' backcourt capabilities. "One of the things we've talked about was not having a 'go-to' guy for down the stretch of games," Kent said. "We've tried to develop a 'go-to' team. David is, by far, at that point where he can already do that. He can break you down and go to the hoop and get fouled. He's a very good perimeter shooter and has very good knowledge of the game. "Defensively, his toughness is there. He's a big, strong wing player who can score the basketball." One of Utah's first players off the bench in its run to the 1998 Final Four, Jackson equaled his career high with 10 points in the West Regional upset of defending national champion Arizona. Last season, even while sitting out games as a redshirt, Jackson aided the Ducks in practice. "His knowledge, work ethic and ability in knowing what it takes to succeed at this level were a big plus for us behind the scenes," Kent said. "He definitely has the game and the toughness necessary to elevate our team to another level." BRYAN BRACEY (6-7, 215 lbs., JR, F, 22.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, Malcolm X College, Ill./Chicago, Ill.) Bracey is expected to provide the Ducks with an athletic forward who can play the post or step away from the basket. "He's an athletic 'four' man, an ingredient we don't have," Kent said. "He can run the floor, play the wing or dunk out of the 'four' spot. We felt like A.D. [Smith] wore down some last year, and Bryan allows us to give A.D. some time off." Bracey earned All-Conference honors last season at Malcolm X College. As a senior at Oak Park HS, he made the Chicago suburban all-star team, averaging 20.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg as a senior. ANTHONY NORWOOD (6-3, 185 lbs., SO, G, #34, 19.5 ppg, 7.0 apg, Collin County CC, Tex., Canyon Del Oro HS/Tucson, Ariz.) Norwood arrives as the backup and understudy to Wright at point guard. After signing with Southwestern Louisiana out of high school and immediately redshirting, Norwood transferred to Collin County CC, where he was named North Texas Junior College Freshman of the Year. "A lot of people haven't seen Norwood play," Kent said. "He is just outstanding. He's a big combo guard who can play the point [or] go to the wing. He's very smart, very athletic and can really score. "He gives us depth, so our speed game can kick in even more so this year." As a senior at Canyon Del Oro HS, he averaged 29.0 ppg to break Mike Bibby's single-season state scoring record. He averaged 33.0 ppg in the state playoffs that year, earning USA Today honorable mention All-America honors.OTHER RETURNEES CHRIS CHRISTOFFERSEN (7-2, 275 lbs., SO, C, #25, 1.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 5.9 minutes, .425 FG, .381 FT, Nordhoff HS/Ojai, Calif.) A native of Roenne, Denmark, Christoffersen is a major work in progress. He saw no action in 10 games last year and was scoreless in 12 others. Christoffersen scored a career-high seven points vs. Cal in the semifinals of the NIT, after scoring six in a second-round win over Wyoming. Oregon's coaches hope his late-season improvement will provide Christoffersen more confidence entering this year. He averaged 15.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 5.0 bpg as a senior in high school, after compiling marks of 17.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg and 6.0 bpg as a junior. That season he once had a triple-double with 33 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.OTHER NEWCOMERS BEN LINDQUIST (6-4, 180 lbs., SO, G, #24, 8.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg in 1997-98, Utah Valley State College/St. George, Ut.) Lindquist arrives with three years of eligibility, having used his redshirt last season at Utah Valley State. A wing player who received a partial scholarship from Oregon after signing on late in the summer, Lindquist figures to see fairly limited duty in the club's deep and talented backcourt.NOTABLE REDSHIRT MARK MICHAELIS (6-10, 230 lbs., JR, F, 2.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 9.1 minutes, .433 FG, .417 FT, Brigham Young University/Taylorsville, Ut.) Michaelis transferred into Oregon just before the start of the school year and must sit out this season as a redshirt. He will have two years remaining for the Ducks. The Ducks saw Michaelis at his best last season, as he scored a career-high 14 points in 22 minutes in a 93-62 Oregon victory over BYU. He also had a season-high eight rebounds in a loss to Cal. Michaelis played one season of junior college ball at Utah Valley State College right out of high school, averaging 8.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg. He then took two years off to complete his Mormon mission. Michaelis, who will be 23-years-old by the time the 2000-2001 season begins, is a good mid-range shooter who will benefit from the redshirt year to get stronger physically and accustomed to the Ducks' system.STARTERS NOT RETURNING TERIK BROWN (6-1, SG, 12.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.9 apg, 32.9 minutes, .399 FG, .350 3PT, .765 FT) Brown closed out his career as one of the most dangerous long-distance shooters in Oregon history. The son of former Seattle Sonics sharpshooter "Downtown" Freddie Brown, Terik made 223 three-pointers in his career, second on the Ducks' all-time list. With 1,152 points, he became the 20th Oregon player to top 1,000 points for his career. Brown scored in double figures 23 times last season, giving him 40 games of 10 points or more the past two years. He scored a season-high 23 points in a win over Portland State and matched that vs. Arizona State. He had 22 points as the Ducks knocked off Wyoming in the second round of the NIT. MIKE CARSON (7-0, C, 7.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 21.0 minutes, .488 FG, .647 FT) Plagued by injury much of his career, Carson started 30 of 32 games last season and was productive, if not spectacular. Carson scored in double figures seven times, including a season-high 14 points against both Alcorn State and Arizona. He had 12 rebounds against Minnesota, 10 against Portland State and had eight or more on five other occasions. Carson also finished his career sixth on Oregon's all-time list with 53 blocked shots.OTHERS NOT RETURNING YASIR ROSEMOND (6-1, G, 3.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 12.7 minutes, .373 FG, .373 3PT, .526 FT) The Ducks began last season with a three-way logjam at point guard, and Rosemond was the second casualty in a duel that left only Darius Wright standing. After Mike McShane announced midway through the season that he was transferring to Montana State-Billings, Rosemond made his own exit after the NIT. He scored in double figures three times, including a career-best 14 points vs. Stanford. Rosemond also had a 10-point, six-assist game vs. Santa Clara. Rosemond landed at Seattle-Pacific, a Division II school where he is eligible this season. SKOUSON HARKER (6-8, F, 2.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 7.9 minutes, .365 FG, .481 FT) A native of Alberta, Canada, Harker arrived at Oregon last fall from McCook (Neb.) CC, but never found a niche. He scored 15 points against St. Martin's and had 10 at Washington State, then saw his playing time and production dwindle to nearly nothing. He scored just 11 points in the final 17 games of the season, including only one in five NIT games. Harker will join McShane at Division II Montana State-Billings this season, where both are immediately eligible. DONTE QUININE (6-6, F, 1.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 7.3 minutes, .438 FG, .467 FT) A year ago at this time, Kent labeled Quinine as possibly the team's best all-around athlete. But he was lost in the shuffle of newcomers and played in just 16 games last season. Quinine had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the season's fourth game vs. Brigham Young, then totaled just nine points and 10 rebounds the remainder of the season. Seeking a chance to play as a senior, he followed Rosemond to Seattle Pacific.QUESTIONS Frontcourt? Smith is an over-achiever, a self-made player, but his abilities are not limitless. After that, there are questions about the Ducks' ability to compete up front. Hicks is a huge key. Expectations? When was the last time anyone proclaimed Oregon a favorite to win the Pac-10? Whether or not it's realistic, just the existence of the topic is a weight the Ducks haven't had to carry in recent years. Depth? Oregon's first line is strong, especially along the perimeter. But the talent and experience drop off quickly, and the Ducks may not fly as high if they suffer an injury or two.ANSWERS Backcourt! Oregon's backcourt, with Wright, Scales, Jones and Jackson, is as versatile, talented and deep as any in the Pac-10. Leadership! Wright and Smith are the emotional caretakers of this team, and Jackson's Final Four experience lends another positive slant to things. Balance! There is no one way to stop the Ducks. Smith is steady, Scales explosive, Wright understated and Jones ready to blossom.
|
Conferences ACC Atlantic 10 Big East Big Sky Big South Big Ten Big 12 Big West Colonial Conference USA Independents Ivy League MAAC Mid-American Mid-Continent Mid-Eastern Athletic MCC Missouri Valley Mountain West Northeast Ohio Valley Pac-10 Patriot SEC Southern Southland Sun Belt SWAC TAAC WAC West Coast | |||||||||||||||
