Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Pac-12 Quarterfinal Matches Old Friends
03/01/18 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
Kelly Graves and Oregon will open the conference tournament Friday (11:30 a.m., Pac-12 Network) against his former player and assistant, Colorado coach JR Payne.
SEATTLE — As they tend to do a few times per week, Kelly Graves and JR Payne were chatting recently.
Payne and her Colorado women's basketball team were preparing to face Utah in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Graves and the UO women are the event's top seed, having clinched the conference regular-season title.
Graves coached Payne at Saint Mary's from 1997-99, then hired her as an assistant on his first staff at Gonzaga in 2000. Payne moved on to Boise State in 2005, but the two have remained close, rooting for each other's programs.
"You guys could make a great run in the tournament," Graves told Payne earlier this week.
"Kelly," Payne responded, "you know that means we have to beat you, right?"
"Oh yeah," Graves said. "I don't know about that …"
Payne recounted that conversation Thursday, after her ninth-seeded Buffaloes upset eighth-seeded Utah in the opening round of the conference tournament. That set up a quarterfinal game between Payne's Buffs and Graves' Ducks in KeyArena on Friday (11:30 a.m., Pac-12 Network), a matchup that will stir conflicting emotions for both coaches.
"It's one of the toughest things in the world, just because I love her like a daughter," Graves said Thursday, prior to Oregon's afternoon practice at Seattle University. "I won't want to see her lose. But at the same time, I don't want to see us lose."
This will be the fifth matchup between Graves and Payne as head coaches. In 2014-15, his first season at Oregon and her first at Santa Clara, the Ducks fought off the Broncos in double overtime. Last year, Payne's first in the Pac-12 Conference, the two teams split, each winning on each other's home court.
Losing at Colorado last season left Graves feeling "crushed, in one way," he said. "But I was really proud and happy in another way, because I knew they really needed that one."
The two teams met just once this regular season, with Oregon winning 74-55 at Colorado in mid-January. UO point guard Maite Cazorla was limited by a hand injury in that game, and the Ducks also played without Lexi Bando as she rehabbed from a lower leg injury.
Come Friday morning, there will be much higher stakes: The loser will be headed home from Seattle.
"I hope it's us eliminating her — and I'll give her a big hug, and tell her I love her," Graves said.
Payne feels similarly. That was clear from her postgame comments Thursday, following Colorado's win that set up the quarterfinal against Oregon.
"I love Kelly," Payne said. "I love his team. I follow them. But I love my Buffs more, and we're excited. …
"We'll play our hearts out. We'll leave everything on the floor. We'll play together, and it's going to be a great game."
Along with his conflicting emotions at facing Payne, Graves is concerned by Colorado's high-end guard play. The Ducks have had trouble with teams that feature quickness on the perimeter; against Utah, the Buffs had 12 steals, leading to 25 points off turnovers.
Oregon also must avoid having Colorado accomplish what the Ducks themselves pulled off a year ago. Last spring, it was Oregon playing on the tournament's opening day, building momentum with a first-round win over Arizona and then using that as a springboard to upset Washington in the quarterfinals.
"There's always pre-tournament jitters," Graves said. "Well, they've already gone through that. As the game goes on, maybe they won't have quite the same legs. But they're going to be jacked up and ready."
By game's end, whichever coach wins will experience elation offset by a twinge of disappointment for an old friend. Graves hopes it's him. Payne feels likewise. It won't be long before they're back on the phone, chatting about the game and rooting each other's programs on.
"We're both really competitive people," Graves said. "We get it. We understand. But yeah — it's always tough."
Payne and her Colorado women's basketball team were preparing to face Utah in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament. Graves and the UO women are the event's top seed, having clinched the conference regular-season title.
Graves coached Payne at Saint Mary's from 1997-99, then hired her as an assistant on his first staff at Gonzaga in 2000. Payne moved on to Boise State in 2005, but the two have remained close, rooting for each other's programs.
"You guys could make a great run in the tournament," Graves told Payne earlier this week.
"Kelly," Payne responded, "you know that means we have to beat you, right?"
"Oh yeah," Graves said. "I don't know about that …"
Payne recounted that conversation Thursday, after her ninth-seeded Buffaloes upset eighth-seeded Utah in the opening round of the conference tournament. That set up a quarterfinal game between Payne's Buffs and Graves' Ducks in KeyArena on Friday (11:30 a.m., Pac-12 Network), a matchup that will stir conflicting emotions for both coaches.
"It's one of the toughest things in the world, just because I love her like a daughter," Graves said Thursday, prior to Oregon's afternoon practice at Seattle University. "I won't want to see her lose. But at the same time, I don't want to see us lose."
This will be the fifth matchup between Graves and Payne as head coaches. In 2014-15, his first season at Oregon and her first at Santa Clara, the Ducks fought off the Broncos in double overtime. Last year, Payne's first in the Pac-12 Conference, the two teams split, each winning on each other's home court.
Losing at Colorado last season left Graves feeling "crushed, in one way," he said. "But I was really proud and happy in another way, because I knew they really needed that one."
The two teams met just once this regular season, with Oregon winning 74-55 at Colorado in mid-January. UO point guard Maite Cazorla was limited by a hand injury in that game, and the Ducks also played without Lexi Bando as she rehabbed from a lower leg injury.
Come Friday morning, there will be much higher stakes: The loser will be headed home from Seattle.
"I hope it's us eliminating her — and I'll give her a big hug, and tell her I love her," Graves said.
Payne feels similarly. That was clear from her postgame comments Thursday, following Colorado's win that set up the quarterfinal against Oregon.
"I love Kelly," Payne said. "I love his team. I follow them. But I love my Buffs more, and we're excited. …
"We'll play our hearts out. We'll leave everything on the floor. We'll play together, and it's going to be a great game."
Along with his conflicting emotions at facing Payne, Graves is concerned by Colorado's high-end guard play. The Ducks have had trouble with teams that feature quickness on the perimeter; against Utah, the Buffs had 12 steals, leading to 25 points off turnovers.
Oregon also must avoid having Colorado accomplish what the Ducks themselves pulled off a year ago. Last spring, it was Oregon playing on the tournament's opening day, building momentum with a first-round win over Arizona and then using that as a springboard to upset Washington in the quarterfinals.
"There's always pre-tournament jitters," Graves said. "Well, they've already gone through that. As the game goes on, maybe they won't have quite the same legs. But they're going to be jacked up and ready."
By game's end, whichever coach wins will experience elation offset by a twinge of disappointment for an old friend. Graves hopes it's him. Payne feels likewise. It won't be long before they're back on the phone, chatting about the game and rooting each other's programs on.
"We're both really competitive people," Graves said. "We get it. We understand. But yeah — it's always tough."
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballKelly Graves: "Keeping them fresh."
Friday, February 13
Ari Long & Sofia Bell | Postgame vs. Ohio State
Sunday, February 08
Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Ohio State
Sunday, February 08
Ehis Etute, Katie Fiso and Mia Jacobs | Postgame vs. Illinois
Thursday, February 05
