GangGreen2

From where I sit, Muhammad is a great player, an excellent defender . . . he's a stud and was one of the Huskies' best this last season. I would love it if he defected and became a Duck!

They aren't blowing anybody out, but this team is resilient, and is showing they know how to win. To be where they are without Dante, Bittle, and Cook for so long . . . is nothing short of amazing. I'm excited about the talent sprinkled all over this team, and how well they are playing together. It is even a bit unique in that there is no "he's the guy" kind of player . . . though I suppose Couisnard comes closest to that distinction (and Shelstad is the evolving Robin to his Batman); because of this, other teams can't really focus on one player to shut down. The Ducks MBB have eight active players that average about 8 points a game or more, and adding Bittle back would make that nine . . . .and Mookie Cook hasn't scratched the surface yet of what he's capable of. Spreading the wealth on offense is a strength, and any of these players could "go off" for a big game. We can sit back for a moment and enjoy this ride. Things will get even more "real" when the Ducks face Colorado, Utah, and the Arizona schools in the next couple of weeks. That stretch will be a bit more revealing just how solid this team actually is. But so far, Dana and Co. has them playing better than expected and they are in a great spot right now!

Dude is a baller! I loved watching Evan play this season . . . such quick recognition of where he needs to be and a vicious hitter. Hope he balls out and finds a home in the League. Thanks Evan, we Duck fans are gonna miss you! Good luck in your future endeavors, and as always . . . GO DUCKS!!!

Right on, Micro. Altman really wants to see if his team can switch back and forth between a quicker, small-ball line-up (their current flavor by default) and a 4-wing/1-big line-up (or if needed, 2 bigs). This versatility could make a big difference as they get ready to make a tournament run. Dante, as he comes back, will almost certainly be on a minutes restriction, at least until he gets his conditioning back. But it sounds like he can play at beast-mode for at least 5-7 minutes at a stretch already, in practice . . . very encouraging.

Michigan was really able to get Penix uncomfortable and out of rhythm. They have an excellent pass rush, as well as terrific discipline and athleticism in the secondary, with tight coverage. Penix's long distance throws were really 'off' last night (too high, wrong side of the receiver, etc.), and he had some plays where a receiver was open, but he didn't make the right read (threw to a covered receiver/into coverage instead). You can be a quick processor, but when a defense can speed you up or get you off platform, it is the rare QB that can compensate for that. And Penix wasn't able to last night. I think he is an excellent QB, but against an elite pass rush and secondary, he wasn't able to elevate his game last night. Hats off to Michigan's D.

I noticed that too. LOL!

Shelstad certainly reminds me of Pritchard . . . he seems even more fundamentally sound at this point than Pritchard was. He is like a more slender, but quicker and a bit more athletic version of PP. I hope he sticks around, because he is the real deal. Right now he is a "shoot first" PG (he is already an excellent shooter, and knows how to create space to get his shot off against bigger players) . . . his progression will be to make everyone else around him better, and add more assists to his stat line.

Same for me, OD. I'd love to hear the difference explained by someone in the know.

If I remember correctly, in 2015 VA was #1 in the NATION in QB rating . . . ahhh, what could have been.

I hear that, Charles. It sure seems suspicious to me when a "Duck fan" identifies as "Boomer" lol!

I think TT was given his shot . . . and really never rose to elite QB status. As fans, I think we could see that over the last few years. And I trust the current coaching staff to sort this out for the good of the team and the program. It is such a tricky business to assess and develop young QBs, for arguably the most important position on any team. I seem to remember Marcus Mariota was a 2 star prospect . . . and goodness, look how he turned out. So many 4 and 5 star players out of high school show great potential, but even with good coaching, many of them fall short of becoming elite players, for one reason or another; it looks like TT falls into that category. He now has a chance to start fresh somewhere else . . . I hope he can turn it around and become a solid starter somewhere. We'll see . . .

I agree with you, Solar. It seems to me that starting with the Utah game, the Ducks have really been on point as a group of coaches in game prep, and the players have executed the game plan at a fairly high level. Hopefully, that excellent pre-game prep by all of the position coaches, and the team prep and motivation overseen by Lanning will be apparent again tonight. If the game is close into the 4th qtr, the question will be: can Lanning and his staff make the necessary adjustments, and can the team settle in and execute in the clutch. Washington is undefeated because, despite their flaws, they have executed in the clutch (with a little help by the refs in the ASU game!). Oregon needs to match, or exceed that tonight . . .

From your lips to the good Lord's ears!

I admire the quality and coaching that the Zags and Bruins put on the floor . . . I was rooting a bit for UCLA (hey, if our current men's BB flagship team for the conference wins, it makes us look better imo), but not unhappy to see Coach Few and Gonzaga do their thing. They are impressively good and consistent year after year. And this year's Elite 8 . . . what the heck! Talk about very "unchalky" . . . only one 2 seed, the Longhorns, left standing (the other 7 top seeds are all out!). Makes for a very different and exciting tournament . . . and I am loving it! All hail to the shredding of brackets!

Oh goodness yes . . . that's what makes March Madness so special . . . it's the crazy unpredictability. I've just stopped hoping my bracket would mean anything in the end . . . year after year, it is COMPLETELY busted by day 1 or 2! Then I just get to enjoy the ensuing mayhem

What a terrific opportunity for Marcus! Seems like a great fit, and wow . . . he gets a shot at playing for a true contender. Hopefully he can regain some mojo and confidence . . . he is a guy who deserves a good turn. Go Ducks and go Eagles . . . let's do this, birds!

That . . . was ugly.

I watched him a bit via the Les Schwab highlights . . . he looks good. He has some work to do to be great, but that's true of almost all high school players. The potential is there. My question is: can he be that "alpha" guard that the Ducks are currently lacking . . . is he a Luke Ridnour/Aaron Brooks/ Peyton Pritchard (even Dillon Brooks, though he's more of a SG/SF) type of player that can lead the team by example (hyper-competitive, trains and plays hard, and has high expectations for himself and the team), make everyone else around him better, and go get you a bucket when you really need one? I hope so, because that's the missing piece for the current Ducks team imo.

Such a disappointing 2nd half . . . execution just wasn't there, and at times, they just got outhustled by the Bruins. UCLA played very good D, but there were opportunities to be had, and rebounds available if the effort was there. And waaayyy too many turnovers to have a shot against such a solid team. The loss didn't really hurt them that much, but now the pressure is on to essentially win out, or NIT here we come. I think if they win out (and that's a big IF) the reg. season, & make the Pac 12 semis, they get into the Big Dance. . . maybe even with one loss in there. But I wouldn't want to bet on it.

Would love to see the Ducks up their game tonight. UCLA is a very good squad and it will take a 40 minute effort just to stay in the game with them, let alone defeat them. If the Ducks can stay focused the entire game, and if the effort is there, they've got a puncher's chance. Go Ducks!

Man, that sucks for Rising . . . he's such a tough, gutty player, and has the build to take some punishment. Feel bad for him . . . he seems like a stand-up, good dude and teammate. Hope he heals well and is able to make a full comeback.

The Ducks played well against SC, but were a little fortunate that Josh Morgan was out with an injury . . . he averages 2.5 blocks per game (for comparison, each of Oregon's bigs average less than 1.5 per game). So without SC's best interior defender in there, Dante and Ware could feast . . . and they did (even the Duck guards could consistently take it to the rack). To me, the key was holding the Trojans to just 60 points. If the defense can be more consistent (Altman's best teams often were holding teams to about 55 points per game by season's end), this team could be very good; but that is almost all about effort and staying connected/playing hard for one another. They have yet to show that kind of effort game in and game out. I liked what I saw from Ware in his few minutes Thursday . . . he did a lot of good things in the brief time he was in. If he keeps that up, he should be on the floor a little more. And Bittle is playing well too . . . it's a great "problem" for Altman to have 3 solid bigs that he can go to, and he could play a lineup with two of them on the floor at the same time (although that can backfire against teams with fast, cagey guards). I think both Ware and Bittle can become true "stretch 4s or 5s" because they can both hit 3s with some consistency . . . I don't think Dante is much of an outside shooting threat, but so far, that hasn't mattered; he is such a good finisher around the basket! How the Ducks do against the Bruins tonight will tell us a lot about how the remainder of the season is likely to go . . . it will be a pretty big test for them. Hopefully Dana and Co. will have them ready.

This pleases me . . . a lot! Can't wait to see what he brings to the football team, as well as on the track. And he seems to be a smart young man who "has his head screwed on straight", as they say! Welcome Rodrick! And Go Ducks!

Some of the most whiny, childish "sports writing" that I think I've ever read, anywhere. How old is the author, for goodness sake? He might have an argument if the Ducks were playing 12 home games next season . . . oh, they aren't? Then man up, son. University of Spoiled Children indeed.

Ware is really young and raw . . . he is still growing into his body, but you can see the talent is there. He has such a nice touch, a soft shot. He is getting bullied by older, thicker, more experienced players at times, especially when he's on D or trying to board. Don't count him out . . . he still has the potential of being a dominant big man after putting a little more beef on his frame, and with some more coaching and mileage/experience. And unless this team goes on a big winning streak, they are not making the Big Dance . . . they could win the Pac 12 tournament, but that would be very unlikely (I think there is a pathway for them to finish the regular season at 20-11 or 19-12, and be inside/on the bubble . . . but that means only 3 or 4 more losses, and that's a very tall order. They would have to become WAYYYY more consistent with their effort and execution than they have been so far . . . but with Altman, you just never know! ).