Charles Fischer Administrator No. 1 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Press Release from Oregon Athletics SALT LAKE CITY — Oregon led by double-digits most of the contest, but Utah battled back to make it a close one. The Ducks were able to pull off the road win in the final seconds, defeating the Utes 80-77.How It Happened: Utah scored the first nine points of the game behind three three-pointers. The Ducks started to find their stride and went on a 13-2 run midway through the half. Oregon got in their own way after the run, turning the ball over on three-straight possessions to let Utah close it to a 33-24 Oregon lead with four minutes to play in the half. UO got back on track and closed out the half outscoring Utah 43-22 after the early Utes lead. Oregon came out flat in the second half, letting Utah get good looks with slow defensive rotations. At the 15:52 mark, Utah had cut the lead to nine, 48-39. The trend continued, as Utah cut the lead to four points at the 10-minute mark. The Ducks immediately went on a run after a pair of threes from Quincy Guerrier and Will Richardson. Richardson’s triple put him at 22 points on the night. After pushing the lead back to double-digits, Utah was within five points with 1:17 to play. Utah forced a turnover and made it a one-point Oregon lead with 20 seconds left. The Ducks converted a long inbound pass and got a breakaway layup from Jacob Young to clinch the victory.Who Stood Out: Richardson led the team with 25 points, while Young scored 14. Eric Williams Jr. came up huge on the boards with 10 rebounds and seven points. What It Means: The Ducks move to 15-7 and 8-3 in the conference. Oregon has now won nine games in a row against Utah.Up Next: Oregon is back home next weekend as hosts to Stanford on Thursday, Feb. 10 (6 p.m. PT) and Cal on Saturday, Feb. 12 (1 p.m. PT). 3 Mr. FishDuck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ducky No. 2 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Didn’t get to watch but it sounds like the Ducks are not getting their bigs involved nearly enough. If they don’t straighten that out they will get the NIT invite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa Duck No. 3 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Unfortunately, of late, getting the ball to the bigs too often results in a turnover. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoquack No. 4 Share Posted February 6, 2022 On 2/5/2022 at 9:52 PM, Grandpa Duck said: Unfortunately, of late, getting the ball to the bigs too often results in a turnover. Our bigs have terrible hands. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICamel No. 5 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Dana didn't even have N'Faly or Big Franck on the floor towards the end of the game. Eric Williams Jr. played more minutes than Dante and Kepnang combined. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Charles No. 6 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Our bigs are baffling. JC's article in the O summs up my feelings on Oregon's big men: The bigs are absent. Weren't these guys 4 & 5 star recruits out of h.s.? How is that they now appear to have difficulty not traveling or turning the ball over when they touch it? Why has a simple kick out pass when double teamed become a non-option? Baffling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
idontrollonshobbas No. 7 Share Posted February 6, 2022 The bigs need to watch some Bill Walton video and learn to keep the ball above their shoulders. They both catch it high and then squat to collect themselves, bringing the ball down to their waist level where they get stripped. Pogo stick baby.....pop a 3 ft jumper....practice more than dunking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Waddler Moderator No. 8 Share Posted February 6, 2022 (edited) At times, it seems like Dana’s offensive system is going through an identity crises as a result of his new-found attraction to bigs. His inner circle has traditionally been run by 6-8, 6-9 guys who could run, distribute and step outside to hit FGs or 3s. Swatting, running the floor, or poking and probing to find the best shot has been the norm: transition and speed. His newer stable of talls can run and swat, but seem challenged to retain the tempo of previous occupants in the paint because the offense slows every time the ball is lobbed inside. Systems collide when that happens. Previous inner occupants had multiple tools that kept the tempo fast and the rest of the team involved. They could pick and roll, kick it out, take it to the hoop, or do turn around jumpers. Now those lobs seem to settle on the bigs alone to get the job done, and the tempo slows as everyone else becomes uninvolved. Is it a matter of size to speed ratio, hand/eye coordination, or skill development that hampers our bigs and slows the system? What ever the issue is, it does seem to be a challenge for Dana on how best to integrate his new found riches into his older ways and get his team’s rhythm back. Edited February 6, 2022 by Washington Waddler spelling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
