Pac-10 Basketball Preview – Oregon Ducks
State of the Program
The 2008-09 season was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Oregon Ducks, but did anyone really see 8-23 (2-16 in Pac-10) coming? Certainly last season was one of the most disappointing of head coach Ernie Kent’s career, however most prognosticators do not foresee a repeat scenario in 2009-10. The Ducks are young, but the talent in Eugene is top notch, and a middle of the conference finish is more than achievable. In fact, the Ducks could end up being one of America’s most improved teams by season’s end.
For Oregon to meet expectations in 2009-10, improvement MUST be made defensively. The Ducks gave up 76 points per game, good enough for dead last in the Pac-10 and 314th nationally. Poor fundamentals were a big part of the problem, which is what prompted Kent to hire one of the best assistant coaches in college basketball, Mike Dunlap. Under Dunlap’s guidance the Ducks should be considerably more organized on defense.
Impact Superstar: G Tajuan Porter
How important is Porter to the Ducks? Last season, he took 20% of the team’s shots, and at times, it seemed like more than that. The sharp-shooting senior can light it up from anywhere on the floor, and he possesses the same unlimited range that Aaron Brooks had during his time in Eugene. Porter averaged 15.4 PPG, 2.5 APG, 2.5 RPG last year, and made a whopping 86 three-pointers (tied for 5th in UO single season history).
The 5-7 guard from Detroit (MI) is among the quickest players in the country, and his experience (helped lead Ducks to Elite Eight as freshman) will be huge for the younger players. While Porter is an explosive scorer, he also has a tendency to force things that aren’t there. His decision-making will be critical for the Ducks in 2009-10, especially given the dynamic players that will now be around him.
I expect Porter to lead the team in scoring again this season, but I would also like to see his assist total go up.
Needs To Have A Big Year: C Michael Dunigan
Dunigan is essentially Impact Superstar 1A. The combination of Porter and Dunigan gives the Ducks one of the most formidable one-two punches in the Pac-10. The sophomore from Chicago (IL) had problems with foul trouble throughout his freshman campaign, but he still averaged 8.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG, while shooting nearly 50% from the field.
At 6-10 242 pounds, Dunigan is a tremendously skilled post player capable of dominating on both sides of the court. The former McDonald’s All-American figures to be much improved this season, as the UO coaches have been very pleased with his off-season conditioning (lost 25 pounds and added more muscle).
I believe Dunigan will soar this year in Eugene, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him develop into the BEST frontcourt player in the Pac-10. If he can stay out of foul trouble, look for Dunigan to be a sure-thing all-conference player.
Potential Impact Newcomer: F Jamil Wilson
Michigan State and Texas made a very hard charge at Wilson during the recruiting season, but the freshman from Racine (WI) elected to play for Ernie Kent. He is an electrifying athlete with a very high ceiling, and along with Abdul Gaddy, will be one of the favorites to win Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Rivals, Scout, and ESPN all rated him as one of the top 100 players of the 2009 recruiting class.
At 6-7 215 pounds, Wilson is a scoring wing who should help take the load off of Porter right away. He could play the three or four spot depending on the rotation in Kent’s lineup. Wilson has a great face-up game and can hit the three with consistency, which will give the Ducks a perfect complimentary weapon to the already lethal duo of Porter and Dunigan.
Wilson is one of the main reasons experts are high on the Ducks as the season approaches. While the freshman will have a steep learning curve, there is no doubt that the Ducks are a more dynamic offense with him on the court.
My Take
Clearly the talent is there, but will everything come together? After all, Oregon was talented last year too, but hideous defense and overall sloppy play kept this team from reaching its potential. I believe Kent’s Ducks will respond in a big way this season, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see this team finish as high as third or fourth in a rebuilding Pac-10. There are still plenty of question marks, but Oregon has the elite talent (Porter, Dunigan, Wilson) and complimentary role players (Longmire, Catron, Singler, Crittle) to make considerable progress in 2009-10.
Ultimately, I think this team is one year away from being truly special, but by the end of the season, the “Hot Seat” talk surrounding Ernie Kent should be a thing of the past.
Projected Pac-10 Finish: 6th Place
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