Duckdude No. 1 Share Posted July 2, 2023 Doug Little has passed! One of the greatest Duck b-ballers of all time! RIP, Doug! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smith72 Moderator No. 2 Share Posted July 2, 2023 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCDuck1 No. 4 Share Posted July 3, 2023 All, Well, Doug Little was the ultimate smart and tough player who never quit. He was enjoyable, even fun to watch play. I did not know Doug personally, so I can only speak to my impressions from watching Doug play and compete, and those are almost 50 years old. If I recall correctly, Doug was nicknamed, "the Cowboy". If you have ever been to a rodeo or traveled through the Grand Ronde area of Eastern Oregon - cattle country, one has an opportunity to see, watch and observe some tough, dirty work among stock animals, cattle, bulls, and horses and calves. It is hard work and rewarding. I don't know from what region, city, town, or family Doug originated, and/or where he played his high school ball, but he played like a cowboy works: he played tough and smart, he was always thinking a couple of steps ahead, he never shirked his assignment or duty, and no matter how hot the competition, he was always right in there, mentally competing and out-playing his opponent. Noone ever believed Doug was as talented physically as his opponents, but noone bet against him. Doug had a knack for playing man-to-man defense, and he was just a tough player against whom to play, and his opponents always knew it. Even though Doug was usually several inches shorter than the players against whom he was playing, Doug could and usually did hit big shots; his opponents' heighth mattered, and yet, when the ball hit the court, it just didn't seem to matter to Doug. He knew he could out-think and/or out-ball his opponents. Interestingly, he was a darned good team player, too; he had to be. The crowd loved watching Doug play/perform, and especially the student section in Mac Court. The Ducks BB team at that time had a team full of tough players who backed down to no other team. Doug and the BB team didn't win all their games, but they were always in the game right until the buzzer sounded ending that game. I am a Ducks BB fan now because I respect and like their BB coaching and team. If this years' team plays with a similar amount of thinking, team and work ethic, and teamwork as those teams Doug played on, our Ducks BB team will go a long way in the NCAA championships. Doug, thanks for all the great games. No one can ever say you weren't a baller and an unforgettable Fightin' Duck! I remain very respectfully, KCDuck1 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckdude Author No. 5 Share Posted July 4, 2023 According to the "Mad Hoops" book: At practice, the Duck team was jacking up long distance shots, and the Coach(Belko) said he didn't want to see any more long shots.....he wanted to see them work "in the paint". So, Little then responded by jacking up a 30 footer! Coach said, "get out of here with that rodeo stuff!". Thus......"the Cowboy" was born.......... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
