11-27-23 Emerald Media Group - Duckseason

Duck Season The Emerald Media Group presents

NOVEMBER 2023

BORN A

DUCK Jackson Shelstad was always an Oregon fan, but now he’s looking to be the final piece to the Ducks’ NCAA tournament puzzle

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 1

PA G E 2

|

DUCK SEASON

|

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

Duck Season 2023

Duck Season, the Emerald’s quarterly sports magazine, is published by Emerald Media Group Inc., the Independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

EMERALD MEDIA GROUP 1222 E. 13TH AVE., #300.

EUGENE. OR 97403,.

541.346.5511.

DAILYEMERALD.COM

Table of

NEWSROOM

BUSINESS

X325

ERIC HENRY X317

EMMA J NELSON

KATHY CARBONE X302

EDITOR IN CHIEF: EVAN REYNOLDS

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER:

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR:

VICE PRESIDENT. OPERATIONS:

DIGITAL MANAGING EDITOR:

CREATIVE AND TECNICAL DIRECTOR:

ROMIE AVIVI STUHL

SPORTS EDITORS: NINA-GRACE MONTES & BRADY RUTH WRITERS: OWEN MURRAY, JACK LAZARUS, JOE KRASNOWSKI, LILY CRANE, JOE MOORE, RUBY WOOL COPY CHIEF: OLIVIA ELLERBRUCH PHOTO EDITORS: MOLLY MCPHERSON & JONATHAN SUNI PHOTOGRAPHERS: JONATHAN SUNI, KEMPER FLOOD, MADDIE STELLINGWERF, MOLLY MCPHERSON DESIGN EDTOR: LIZ BLODGETT DESIGNERS: RYAN EHRHART & GABRIELA MARTINEZ

ANNA SMITH X327

ADVERTISING

DIRECTOR OF SALES AND DIGITAL MARKETING: SHELLY RONDESTVEDT X303 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: LOLA TAGWERKER, CORI CAPLINGER, COOPER GAST, TAYLOR BAUMGARDNER

ON THE COVER

Jackson Shelstad (3) smiles during a Ducks timeout as the team has a decent lead against the Tigers. The University of Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team defeated the Tennessee State Tigers 92-67 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 17, 2023. (Kemper Flood/Emerald)

Jadrian Tracey (22) lines up for a free-throw shot. The University of Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team defeated the Tennessee State Tigers 92-67 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 17, 2023. (Kemper Flood/Emerald)

CONTENTS 4

Dante’s dominance

55

6

The Ducks’ dynamic duo

Dana Altman’s unique approach to recruiting

10

8

Women’s basketball prioritizes perimeter play

Jackson Shelstad plays for hometown team

13

14

UO seeks higher basketball attendance

PAC-12 looks to make final splash in closing season

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 3

DANTE’S DOMINANCE AND THE DUCKS’ DEPENDENCE

With the Ducks’ key players leaving in the offseason, fifth-year center N’Faly Dante’s role becomes a lot more important to their continued success

BY JACK LAZARUS • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ

Coming off a season where N’Faly Dante led Oregon in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage, it seems that his role has somehow grown over the course of the offseason.

possibility of finding real mismatches.

At the same time, all of Oregon’s players are used to playing around a powerful, post-scoring five, so when that presence is removed there is a lot less structure to the offense. The team has looked slightly discombobulated, especially Last season, the Ducks had more in the second half in their ball-dominant players than they do most recent contest against now, such as Will Richardson and Tennessee State where they Quincy Guerrier, which meant that lost another big man, Nate the plays often revolved around Bittle, to a wrist injury. them. Without these guys, the 2023It will be very interesting to 24 Ducks run much of their offense see how the Ducks adapt to around their frontcourt maestro. playing big, interior-oriented Dante’s being considered for basketball to playing a form all of the major NCAA awards, of small-ball with four guards including the shortlist for the and a frontcourt consisting of National and Pac-12 Player of the freshman Kwame Evans Jr. Year awards.

Due to the Ducks’ “He’s a good basketball player. He’s dependence on Dante, the tough, he’s hard-nosed, guys love team itself has seemed him [and] he’s all about the team,” incomplete without their head coach Dana Altman said. center, as he has a very Since last season, Dante has Ducks center N’Faly Dante (1) dunks against Trojans forward big role in carrying their improved his shooting and Vincent Iwuchukwu (3). The University of Oregon men’s basketball defeated the USC Trojans 78-60 at Matthew Knight Arena in identity. The team, both on playmaking in order to prepare for Eugene, Ore., on Feb. 9, 2023. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald) offense and defense, rallies his step-up in roles. He has also around Dante with his rim taken on the role of being a spiritual protection and dominant inside Even though double-teams aren’t and emotional leader for this team as scoring. Altman has recruited helpful to Dante’s statistical totals, he battles an injury to begin the season. intelligently with the intent on once the Ducks figure out how to Despite being injured, his surrounding Dante with players gameplan around that and get their commitment to the team is that complement his play style. other scorers open effectively, they unwavering. Even in practices, he is As Dante continues to nurse will be firing on offense. helping run drills and can always be his injury, the team will have to As the fifth-year center nurses a seen hyping up his teammates. adapt to playing without their hamstring injury he sustained during “He’s a great leader vocally,” guard centerpiece. While he is out, the the matchup against Montana, it will Keeshawn Barthelemy said. “He Ducks hope to build on their recent be difficult to prepare for this team shows up everyday with a great success while also giving different because of how important Dante is. attitude and he does the things that players larger roles so they can When he is not on the floor, opposing you can control as a player when improve and achieve a higher level defenses don’t have to commit hard to things aren’t going your way; your for when Dante returns. stopping anyone, which decreases the attitude and your effort.”

PA G E 4

|

DUCK SEASON

|

Although he led the Ducks in many statistical categories last season, he wasn’t the top dog like he is for this upcoming season. This changes how Dante would approach this season as he will expect a double-team every time he gets the ball and be the primary target of opponent gameplans.

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

DANA ALTMAN’S UNIQUE APPROACH TO RECRUITING Two years removed from a NCAA tournament berth, Oregon has once again used junior college players to bolster its squad

BY JOE KRASNOWSKI • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART Oregon will always be Oregon — flashy, marketable and recruiting the top players in the country. The Ducks as a whole have always been known for their flare and ability to recruit at the highest level. Men’s basketball head coach Dana Altman is no exception.

However, Altman has frequently added to his roster in unique ways by consistently building depth with junior college and international additions.

Some of the Ducks greatest alumni have been added through the junior college route. Most notably in 2017, Oregon’s Final Four run was fueled by New Mexico Junior College and Northwest College transfer Chris Boucher, who averaged nearly 12 points per game.

“I’m an old JUCO guy. We’ve had Elgin [Cook], Boucher worked out pretty good, [Chris] Duarte worked out pretty good,” Altman said. “I’ve always been a big fan.”

Duarte, Cook and Boucher have all gone from JUCO schools to Altman’s Ducks and then on to the NBA. “It’s a personal preference, but we’ve had great success with those guys,” Altman said. “They’ve done a great job.”

That great success of the past has struggled to be maintained as of late. Altman’s squads were long heralded for their consistency as Oregon earned five consecutive tournament bids from 2013 to 2017. After missing the NCAA tournament two years in a row, Altman once again has gone the JUCO route to bolster his squad.

With touted traditional recruits Mookie Cook and Jackson Shelstad missing time early this season due to injury, recent JUCO addition Jadrian “Bam” Tracey has been key in the Ducks’ early success. With the team struggling on offense early in the home opener victory over Montana, Tracey’s defense was key for squeezing out the win.

“His [JUCO] coach raved about his defensive effort,”Altman said of Tracey. “We hoped he’d give us a big lift on the defensive end.”

Tracey added 15 points off the bench in Oregon’s victory over Tennessee State.

“I’m just trying to bring energy, always be here, always talking,” Tracey said. “We all do it collectively, too. Instead of being five, we try to be one on the court.”

Both through the transfer portal and international signings. Altman has added to his team through unique methods. The Ducks most crucial player, N’Faly Dante, was an international signee from Mali, Africa, in 2019.

“I love Dante, everyone on campus loves him, everyone

in the athletic department loves him,” Altman said.

“And now Mo, he’s a great kid.”

Joining Dante in Eugene is fellow countryman and JUCO transfer Mahamadou “Mo” Diawara, who has seen early success in his career as a Duck.

“Dante’s a good guy, Jadrian Tracey (22) and head coach he saw that this was Dana Altman strategize on the going to be a good court as the game approaches the end of the first half. The University opportunity for me, of Oregon Ducks men’s basketball especially because he’s team defeated the Tennessee State a physical in the paint, Tigers 92-67 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. he wants somebody 17, 2023. (Kemper Flood/ Emerald) like me, he knows me better,” Diawara said of his friend. “For me to come here, we talked about a lot of things, it’s great to be with him again, we did that in the past so I thought I should come here.”

Dante’s return from injury will be critical to Oregon’s success. In the lone game that Dante played, he recorded a university record of 21 rebounds in the win over the University of Georgia.

“Dante was unbelievable for only a week of practice,” Altman said to Matt Prehm of 247Sports following Oregon’s win over the Bulldogs. “His 21 rebounds were the difference in the game.”

In Dante’s absence, Diawara has seen increased minutes recording a season high of eight points off the bench in Oregon’s early season victory against Tennessee State.

Another JUCO addition, Jesse Zarzuela, has found early success for the Ducks, tallying 14 points in Oregon’s early season victory over Tennessee State.

“JUCO is one of the funnest journeys,” Zarzuela said.

“Bus rides, that was tough though, but we were having a blast on the bus, the bus rides were not as fun.”

Far from long bus rides across the country, Oregon will be chartering flights across the country as the Ducks and their JUCO additions will look to return to the NCAA tournament.

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 5

THE DUCKS’ DYNAMIC DUO Oregon women’s basketball sophomores Chance Gray and Grace VanSlooten are ready to take center stage

BY LILY CRANE DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ Fresh faces and young talent have set the stage for a new era of Oregon women’s basketball. At the center of everything is the sophomore duo of Chance Gray and Grace VanSlooten.

The Ducks dealt with a heavy roster turnover in the offseason. While VanSlooten, Gray and Phillipina Kyei are all back in the starting lineup, only one other player returned from last season.

Oregon lost two of its top three scorers, Te-Hina Paopao and Endyia Rogers, to the transfer portal. In addition, three seniors graduated while the team added three freshmen.

Last season, both VanSlooten and Gray were top four scorers on the team, averaging 13.2 points and 10.3 points. They will be asked to carry a heavier load with the team having a handful of inexperienced players in the Oregon system.

Both players have had to adjust by spending time playing different positions than they’re used to. VanSlooten has been called on to play at small forward at times, while the team has often needed Gray to run the point.

“I was recruited as a point guard. The luck I have is to be able to play on and off the ball,” Gray said to the media after the Ducks’ win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. “I’m confident with having the ball in my hands and making plays for everybody else.”

Gray’s time at point guard increased more following the season-ending left knee injury to fifth-year transfer Peyton Scott in Oregon’s first game against Northern Arizona. Her injury not only left the Ducks missing a starting-caliber guard, but they lost one of their most vocal leaders.

While Scott is still making an impact from the sideline, her injury puts even greater pressure on the two sophomores to set an example on the court for the young roster. Oregon head coach Kelly Graves expressed that the duo of Gray and VanSlooten have done well embracing their new roles early on, but that “it’s hard to ask sophomores” to be leaders.

“Somebody’s got to do it,” VanSlooten said. “And I think that’s where Chance and I [work] really well. We kind of work off of each other. We know each other.”

Part of their leadership has come by setting the tone with their work ethic. Both Gray and VanSlooten were hard at work finding ways to improve over the offseason.

Gray voiced that one of her biggest focuses PA G E 6

|

DUCK SEASON

|

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

this season is shooting the ball consistently. In her freshman year, she proved her potential as a sharpshooter, hitting 56 three-pointers.

Meanwhile, Graves said that VanSlooten has been improving her game both inside and outside of the paint. A lot of her evolution has had to do with her growing confidence.

“In the past, she would get into the paint and hesitate and not know what to do,” Graves said. “Now she knows what to do. She’s getting the paint and trying to score and not hesitating on a shot at all.”

There will certainly be some bumps in the road as the duo navigates their new roles. For example, the team’s first loss of the season was a deflating 89-50 blowout against Santa Clara. In the game, both players — and the team as a whole — struggled to shoot the ball.

Adversity will be faced. It matters how they respond now and throughout their remaining years with the program.

If the Ducks are to return to their winning ways, Gray and VanSlooten will be at the forefront of it all.

Chance Gray (2) and Grace VanSlooten (40) run back to play defense.

The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team took on the Santa Clara Broncos on Nov. 18, 2023 in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

PLUMBING PLUMBING HOUSEWARES HOUSEWARES ELECTRICAL ELECTRICAL HARDWARE HARDWARE LAWN & GARDEN LAWN &TOOLS GARDEN TOOLS PAINT PAINT

2825 Willamette • Eugene, Oregon • 541-342-5191 2825 Willamette • Eugene, Oregon • 541-342-5191 M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 7

FROM SUPPORTER TO SUPERSTAR: REDEFINING A TEAM There’s something about stepping into an arena for the first time that’s hard to describe.

It’s the feeling of fulfillment braided with the weight of expectation. For Jackson Shelstad, it’s a homecoming. The West Linn, Ore., guard walks into Matthew Knight Arena as a lifelong Duck — but, for the first time, as a part of history.

OREGON NATIVE AND FIVE-STAR GUARD JACKSON SHELSTAD HAS THE WORLD AT HIS FEET, AND HE’S BRINGING IT ALL TO HIS HOMETOWN TEAM IN NEED OF A BOOST

BY OWEN MURRAY • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART Jackson Shelstad (3) high fives his teammates as they come out of the game. The University of Oregon men’s basketball team defeated the Tennessee State Tigers 92-67 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Nov. 17, 2023. (Kemper Flood/Emerald) PA G E 8

|

DUCK SEASON

|

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

“It’s a little surreal. I can’t believe it was here, wearing this Oregon on my chest — [the] green and yellow,” Oregon’s 6-foot recruit said. “It was just crazy because I grew up watching the dogs, all the guys before me. So now it’s just being here [and] being one of the guys on the team. [It’s] pretty cool.”

Shelstad enters at one of the more uncertain times in the program’s recent history. With the Ducks initially unranked in the A.P. poll for the first time since the 2014-15 season, it’s on this team to rebuild its culture of excellence.

Shelstad will have the chance to learn from veterans on the team; he’s already developed a relationship with fourth year guard Keeshawn Barthelemy.

“Anything I’m struggling with,I can go to him and he’s probably been in that situation before, so he can give me some tips,” Shelstad said of Barthelemy.

It’ll be on the vets to push Oregon back to the Pac-12 tournament, but Shelstad isn’t just along for the ride.

He’ll be expected to contribute, and that starts with commitment — something that he has in spades.

Shelstad, before his first season in Duck colors, is already beating the veterans to the gym in the offseason.

Senior guard Jermaine Couisnard told GoDucks that “he wants to learn! He wants to play! I see him every day when I’m working out in the gym.”

In Shelstad’s words, that commitment comes from his love of the game. “Since I was younger, I had been kind of an early morning workout guy,” he said on media day.

“Starting in third grade, I used to go and workout at West Linn High School at like 6:30 every morning. It’s just kind of a routine I built and then obviously seen some guys who I look up build routines like that and see where they’ve taken it.”

It’s not a type of work ethic that every player possesses, but Shelstad’s dedication to the game will be a trait that shines through as the Ducks fight for their reputation — to bring their former notoriety back to Matthew Knight Arena.

“The end goal is that I want to play in the NBA. I’ve seen [professional players] do that kind of routine and it pays off for them. Why would I not do that?” Shelstad said.

That mentality is one that he’s been building since his time in West Linn — and he’s not the only one. Shelstad and fellow freshman forward Mookie Cook are reunited on this Oregon team.

“I’ve known Mookie since I was in

third grade,” Shelstad said. “We’ve been best friends since we were little.

We played on the same [Amateur Athletic Union] club team growing up.”

However, the two were separated when Cook left Oregon to attend Compass Preparatory High School in Arizona, a move that would set them on an eventual collision course in Eugene. Shelstad and Cook took drastically different paths after their time together — Shelstad would lead West Linn through his senior season,

HE WANTS TO LEARN! HE WANTS TO PLAY! I SEE HIM EVERY DAY WHEN I’M WORKING OUT IN THE GYM.” JERMAINE COUISNARD said about freshman Jackson Shelstad

while Cook faced off against other prep schools, a move that Shelstad said is “obviously a pro” for his friend and teammate.

He doesn’t regret sticking around in the Pacific Northwest, though. “I think [staying home] benefited me,” he said. ”Especially going to play against some national schools in the Les Schwab invitational. If I went to a prep school, I wouldn’t have had that experience.” In that tournament, Shelstad showed out, with a 43-point performance in front of Oregon head coach Dana Altman.

“I was already committed to Oregon for about a year [at that point], so I already knew that I was going to school,” Shelstad said. “I

wanted to just finish up my high school career with guys I grew up with — I knew we were going to have a good year, so that’s what drew me back.”

West Linn would go on to win the tournament, placing a capstone on his final year of high school, and Shelstad arrived in Eugene on a high.

Despite his blistering senior year, Shelstad will have to wait to make an impact for the Ducks after suffering a knee injury in training camp that saw him sit out Oregon’s opening slate.

Altman told 247Sports’ Matt Prehm, “He was really playing good. He was really starting to practice well, getting a better feel for what we needed as a ball team.””

Also out for the beginning of the season is Cook, who injured himself last year in a high school All-Star game. The two, Altman hopes, will return before January, but he stressed that he will not rush them back.

“The doctors and the trainers will be very conservative and let me know when he’s ready to go,” Altman said to GoDucks in response to Shelstad’s injury.

When he comes back, it’ll be to a crowd that he’s called home for a while. This time, sitting in the stands will be some other future Duck to watch Shelstad rise. The ascension of an Oregon boy to the heights that Shelstad has reached and promises to climb to is inspirational. His story will be one that leaves young fans dreaming of their own games as a Duck much like Oregon teams of the past did for Shelstad. Jumbotrons in their minds and raucous crowds in their ears, they’ll return home with a renewed sense of purpose. They’ll shoot the ball, over and over, running to retrieve it, knowing that everything that Shelstad embodies — his mentality, ability and drive — will propel them towards that court. He’s made it, so why not them?

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 9

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRIORITIZES PERIMETER The Ducks have not leveraged their height advantage over smaller teams so far this season

BY JOE MOORE • DESIGNED BY GABRIELA MARTINEZ

Phillipina Kyei (15) post-ups and recieves an incoming pass. The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team took on the Santa Clara Broncos on Nov. 18, 2023 in Eugene, Ore. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

The Oregon women’s basketball team has started its season off 3-1 as of Nov. 21, with its lone loss coming in blowout fashion against Santa Clara.

So far for the Ducks, some trends have emerged with how their offensive game plan seems to be set up.

Starting the season with three high level guards in Chance Gray, Sofia Bell and Peyton Scott put Oregon in a good position to focus heavily on guard play and run the offense through the hands of their backcourt rotation. Losing Scott to a seasonending left knee injury does not seem to have changed this gameplan.

Although the guard-heavy approach made sense with the personnel the Ducks have in the backcourt, Oregon has not made playing inside the paint a priority so far this season. Starting three guards, Scott for the first game and Kennedi Williams for every subsequent game, has the Ducks playing a lot on the PA G E 1 0

|

DUCK SEASON

|

perimeter by default.

The Ducks’ fourth leading scorer so far this season has been Phillipina Kyei, who stands at 6-foot-8, making her the tallest player on the team.

Kyei is shooting an efficient 50% from the field in her shots this season.

She has also been dominant on the glass, averaging 10.7 rebounds per game. Her 17 offensive rebounds lead the time by a very wide margin, making her incredibly important for getting second chances. Despite her impressive play, the offensive focus is not centered on getting her touches in the post, where she is often matched up against a smaller defender.

Bell and Gray, Oregon’s two lead guards, have taken 55 3-pointers combined so far this season.

Compare that to the just 30 shots that Kyei has attempted and it is clear that the focus of the offense is to prioritize shots on the perimeter rather than leveraging a height advantage down low.

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

This game plan only gets more obvious when Kyei sits. Oregon is averaging 70.3 points per game this season through their first four games. Of those points, only 31.5 points per game are scored in the paint by the Ducks. Of the five opponents that Oregon has matched up against, only Arkansas Pine Bluff has had a player above 6-foot-3.

The reluctance to attack the rim, or even feed Kyei who often has a multiple-inch height advantage on her defender, has led to a lot of 3-point attempts for the Ducks.

Unfortunately, those attempts have yet to start falling. Oregon is making just six 3-pointers per game, despite taking 19.3 attempts per game.

The live by the three, die by the three model has proven somewhat effective so far for the Ducks. Despite the poor 3-point shooting so far, Oregon is still 3-1. However, the Ducks are in the easiest part of their schedule so far, and just got blown out by the Santa Clara Broncos. In the loss, Oregon attempted just four free throws, which shows the lack of interior play by the Ducks in the game. Of course, nothing could have saved Oregon from the 3- point barrage of the Broncos, but Kyei attempted just three shots despite having a 5-inch height advantage on the tallest Santa Clara defender.

The Ducks have a lot of work to do in order to prove that they deserve to make the NCAA tournament at the end of the year after missing it last season. If Oregon wants to rely on 3-point shooting as heavily as it has all year, the clip that the Ducks are shooting has to improve. However, if a change in game plan is necessary, giving more touches to players with a height advantage in the paint is an easy place to start.

‘Tis the season to be jolly.

Whether you’re counting down to the holidays or savoring the final weeks of fall, The Duck Store is here to help make your season a little brighter.

With both great gifts for Oregon fans or fans of Oregon,

we’ve got you covered.

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 1 1

UO D uc k Store.com

21+ BOWLING ALLEY 21+ 21+ BOWLING BOWLING ALLEY ALLEY LOCAL BEER, WINE, LOCAL BEER, WINE, AND CIDER LOCAL BEER, WINE, AND AND CIDER CIDER SMALL PARTIES TO SMALL PARTIES TO PRIVATE EVENTS SMALL PARTIES TO PRIVATE PRIVATE EVENTS EVENTS

PA G E 1 2

|

24 LANES OPEN TO ALL AGES LANES OPEN TO TO ALL AGES AGES OPEN24 LANES TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY 24 LANES OPEN ALL OPEN LANES TUESDAY TUESDAY THROUGH THROUGH SUNDAY OPEN LANES SUNDAY ENTERTAINMENTEUGENE.COM ENTERTAINMENTEUGENE.COM ENTERTAINMENTEUGENE.COM

DUCK SEASON

|

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

N’Faly Dante goes for an easy layup after freezing his defender with a pump fake. The Oregon Ducks hosted the No. 6 Arizona Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore., on Jan. 14, 2023.

(Jonathan Suni/Emerald)

PAC-12 LOOKS TO MAKE FINAL SPLASH IN CLOSING SEASON

Both the men’s and women’s basketball standings in the Pac12 will boast some powerful teams in 2023-24

BY BRADY RUTH • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART The narrative of the Pac-12’s final season has been told again and again in different ways about different sports and different situations. But before the conference’s 12 teams move off to four different conferences, the Conference of Champions looks to dazzle college basketball fans with an impressive lineup in both Oregon men’s and women’s basketball.

For the men, the conference is coming off a season that saw four Pac-12 teams play in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the season. USC, UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State all participated in March Madness last year, while Oregon and Colorado both made decent runs in the National Invitational Tournament. Unsurprisingly, those six teams filled the first six slots in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll that saw Arizona open as the conference favorite.

The Ducks were fourth in the preseason poll, and while they boast several new and talented faces, they will have their work cut out for them all season long.

Arizona and USC both started the season inside the NCAA’s Top-25 while Colorado and UCLA both received votes to be ranked. There is significant talent in the Pac-12 and, as usual, conference play will be a gauntlet for all 12 teams all season long.

The Pac-12 tournament will have major postseason implications. The teams that earn a top-four spot and that first-round bye will have a huge advantage and a great shot at making the “Big Dance.” The preseason Bracketology projections on ESPN currently have five Pac-12 schools making the NCAA Tournament come March.

On the women’s side, the conference looks just as dangerous. Last season, seven of the conference’s 12 teams made the NCAA Tournament while Oregon and Washington also made runs at the NIT. The conference was competitive through-and-through with every game

mattering. This season will be the same as 10 of the 12 teams are currently in ESPN’s Bracketology projection.

Only California and Arizona State aren’t projected to make March Madness, but it’s a long season and anything can happen.

There’s already been some chaos with some of the Pac-12’s teams. Colorado already knocked off preseason No. 1 LSU on the season’s opening night.

Six teams started the season ranked in the AP top-25 and the conference has generated some early-season respect from voters and fans alike.

As for Oregon, the women’s team — like the men’s — is full of new faces. As a result, the Ducks came in at No. 8 in the Pac-12’s preseason rankings. Oregon lost some talent and depth early with the loss of Peyton Scott for the season.

Regardless, the Ducks — at least early on in the season — look like one of those teams that’s dangerous enough to sneak around and beat anyone on the schedule, and could use bursts throughout the season to make noise in the Pac-12.

The Pac-12 Tournament at the end of the season may be one of the most entertaining and meaningful of any conference’s postseason tournament with NCAA Tournament bids and Pac-12 bragging rights on the line.

One men’s team and one women’s team will get to carry the title of final Pac-12 Champions in what will be the last – but quite possibly the best – season the conference will see.

If the conference doesn’t eat at itself this season too much, as can often be the case in the Conference of Champions, the Pac-12 looks primed to send many schools to postseason tournaments, including the big one: March Madness.

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 1 3

Oregon men’s basketball is motivated to maintain a large attendance at Matthew Knight Arena

BY RUBY WOOL • DESIGNED BY RYAN EHRHART

ATTRACTING FANS AND A WINNING ATMOSPHERE The Oregon Ducks beat the Montana Grizzlies 75-61 on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 at Matthew Knight Arena. (Lulu Devoulin/Emerald)

As the seasons are changing outdoors, so is the spectator attendance trend inside of Matthew Knight Arena. On Nov. 10, Duck fans welcomed back the UO men’s basketball team to its home court as the team opened up its 2023-2024 campaign against the University of Montana. The game drew 7,141 fans, making it Oregon’s largest home-opener in the past five seasons.

“I hope people enjoyed the game,” head coach Dana Altman said. “I thought we had a good family atmosphere, and there were a lot of positives for our fans to watch.”

The surprising shift in spectator statistics comes after Altman’s condemnation of the low fan support for last year’s losing season. About eight months ago, Altman outright criticized the Oregon fans for their poor attendance at home games during a press conference.

Matthew Knight Arena, which seats 12,364 spectators, held PA G E 1 4

|

DUCK SEASON

|

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3

only 3,384 people for the Ducks postseason NIT matchup against a major future conference opponent — the Big Ten’s University of Wisconsin Badgers.

Altman expressed his frustration with the minimal fan support throughout the season, but he did not offer any solutions on how to improve the situation.

Calvin Toney-Cox, the secondary marketing contact for men’s basketball and the assistant director of community and student engagement for UO athletics, was the one to take on the task. Part of his initiative for the 2023-2024 campaign was to expand the student section by creating baseline bleachers. The idea was pitched to the University of Oregon Pit Crew, the official student section for UO men’s and women’s athletics.

Pit Crew President Jacob Karim, who attended the Ducks vs. Grizzlies game, eagerly encouraged and approved the student section seating addition. Two sets of bleachers were placed directly behind the basket with bright yellow Pit Crew billboard branding in the background. Roughly 50 students can get wristbands to secure the under-the-hoop seating, on a first come first serve basis.

“The bleachers give students an opportunity to sit closer to the action and allow them to feel more involved,” Karim said. “From that angle you can hear the players talk during the game or the coaches and referees deliberate during timeouts.”

Karim, a UO sophomore and long-time fan of Duck athletics, said this intimate and up-close setup gives students more reason to be engaged because they never know when a ball, or even a player, is going to get thrown into the crowd. Additionally, fans get the chance to experience UO basketball from a new and different perspective, allowing them to develop a newfound love for the game.

Pit Crew has a close relationship with the men’s basketball team, and its members make sure Oregon players can use the home court’s hostile environment to their advantage. Karim says the team plans to debut some new chants at the Dec. 2 game against the University of Michigan.

Keeshawn Barthelemy, the Ducks’ senior guard, said, “I hope we can retain the atmosphere that we had from our home opener. Our part as a team is to keep winning ball games. I feel like fans gravitate towards winners and that is what we have to do.”

In addition to continuing the winning streak, Karim suggested that players like Barthelemy should increase interactions with students on campus. Similar to when Oregon quarterback Bo Nix handed out Voodoo Donuts at the EMU on Sept. 26, the men’s basketball team could create more opportunities to increase campus connections and familiarize their famous faces with student fans.

Student and community support for the Ducks is something that Altman, Karim and Barthelemy say will be particularly useful in cultivating success for the men’s basketball team this year.

INCLUDED SERVICES ▪

Two hours of photography and up to one hour of set-up and take-down time

▪

Customized photo strip and backdrop with the design of your choice

▪

Instant printing and digital uploads

We bring the camera, lights, props, and staff.

You bring your fabulous self. @emerald.photobooth

NEW DUCKS APPAREL Our Ducky Hood Apparel was created exclusively for the Oregon Ducks student body.

Proceeds from the sale of our merchandise go towards raising scholarship money for deserving students at the University.

GET YOURS TODAY!

www.duckyhood.com M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 2 3

|

DUCK SEASON

|

PA G E 1 5

Women In Flight is dedicated to ensuring excellence across all of Oregon’s women’s athletic programs by providing women studentathletes with the resources and opportunities on and off the field.

The Duck Store is proud to introduce new Women In Flight gear to help fans show their support of Oregon’s women student-athletes.

PA G E 1 6

|

DUCK SEASON

|

M O N D A Y , N O V E M B E R 2 7, 2 O 2 3