Oregon 2007 NCAA Tournament Capsule

Oregon Ducks - Pac-10 (26-7, 11-7)

Seed: #3 - Midwest Region

Big Wins: 11/29 at Georgetown (57-50), 1/6 UCLA (68-66), 1/14 at Arizona (79-77)

Bad Losses: 1/25 at Washington (77-89), 2/15 at California (61-63), 2/17 at Stanford (69-88)

Last NCAA Appearance: 2003, First Round loss to Utah

Coach: Ernie Kent (3-4 in 4 NCAA appearances)

Probable Oregon Starters:

• Aaron Brooks, Senior, Guard, 17.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 4.6 rpg

• Tajuan Porter, Freshman, Guard, 14.4 ppg, 2.1 apg

• Bryce Taylor, Junior, Guard, 14.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg

• Malik Hairston, Junior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg

• Marty Leunen, Junior, Forward, 10.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg

Key Roleplayers for Oregon:

• Chamberlain Oguchi, Junior, Guard, 5.4 pg, 1.9 rpg

• Chuchill Odia, Sophomore, Guard, 1.8 ppg, 0.9 apg

• Adam Zahn, Senior, Forward, 2.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg

• Joevan Catron, Freshman, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:
What the backcourt lacks in size, they make up for in speed. Aaron Brooks, Bryce Taylor, Tajuan Porter, Malik Hairston and Chamberlain Oguchi comprise one of the most dynamic perimeter groups in the nation. The Ducks depend on the three ball and all five, especially Porter and Brooks, are capable outside shooters. With good outside shooting comes good free throw shooting and, with the exception of Hairston, the Ducks are among the best in the nation in that category.

Even if leading scorer Brooks happens to have a bad day, there are so many scoring options residing in Eugene. The Ducks have five players averaging double-digit scoring and eight players capable of putting up 15 points on any given night.

Why Oregon Can Disappoint:
The Ducks only play one forward, but Marty Leunen has done a splendid job holding down the fort under the basket averaging 10.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. Yet, facing a bigger team can cause some problems. If the opposing forwards can handle the speed of the Ducks, the mismatch will not favor Ernie Kent’s squad. Only playing one forward is due to the depth of the backcourt, not the weakness of the frontcourt. Senior Adam Zahn and freshman Joevan Catron have proven to be quality options off the bench and, if we go even further down the bench, Ray Schafer and Mitch Platt are experienced players who can handle the pressure of the NCAA Tournament. Surprisingly, the Ducks do not let the undersized issue get to them on the glass. Oregon is a solid rebounding team on both sides of the floor.

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Who To Watch:
For the prior two seasons the Ducks lost close games early in the season and never recovered. This year, the Ducks won those close games and started the season winning 19 of 20 games. The difference is the maturation of Brooks. The 6-0 senior is taking smarter shots and making better passes. Brooks has only scored less than ten points four timesall season, but it is his leadership that the Ducks need. The only concern is Brooks is averaging 36.8 minutes per game. His legs have not tired yet, but it remains to be seen if he has the energy to survive through the tournament.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 76.4 (106th in nation, 4th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 65.9 (108, 5)

Field-Goal Percentage: 45.0 (139, 6)

Field-Goal Defense: 44.0 (174, 6)

Free-Throw Percentage: 75.1 (15, 2)

Rebound Margin: 3.0 (80, 4)

Assists Per Game: 14.3 (109, 5)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.6 (47, 4)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Elite Eight loss to Florida

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