Ducks Adjust With Boucher Sidelined

SACRAMENTO — Last year as a junior, Chris Boucher became the only player in Pac-12 history to both block at least 100 shots and make at least 35 three-pointers in the same season.

As the third-seeded Ducks prepare to play without Boucher against 14th seed Iona in a Midwest Region first-round game of the NCAA Tournament on Friday (11 a.m. PT, TBS), Oregon coach Dana Altman is comfortable knowing one of those two skills can be replaced.

"We've got a lot of volunteers to shoot threes," Altman joked at a press conference before Oregon's practice Thursday in Golden 1 Arena. "So that's not much of a problem."

Joking aside, the Ducks (29-5) most certainly will miss Boucher's presence Friday, as they did in their Pac-12 Tournament final loss to Arizona last week. The 6-foot-10 senior will be on the bench throughout the NCAA Tournament, sidelined by a torn ACL suffered in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals against California.

Against an Iona team heavy on veteran guards, which made 10 or more three-pointers in 19 games this season, Boucher's absence in the middle of the UO defense will be felt.

Oregon opponents this season have made just 31.1 percent of their three-point attempts, Altman noted, "and a big part of that is the guys' security to run out at shooters, knowing somebody was there to protect the rim. We don't have that luxury now."

Boucher blocked 79 shots in 31 games this season, "and that's not counting the shots he altered," Altman said. "You take the three (per game) he blocked and another three or four he altered, that's seven shots in the paint he had a big effect on. That'll be the biggest thing."

The Ducks had to shift on the fly without Boucher against Arizona last week. Entering Friday's game with Iona, they'll have had two tough days of practice back in Eugene to make adjustments.

Altman said the Ducks will do "a couple different things offensively" without Boucher. Junior Jordan Bell said he's preparing to be "more aggressive on the defensive end and the offense end" without his partner in the post, and to focus on limiting fouls.

"I think we can still do something special this year with the players we have," Bell said.

That includes junior college transfer Kavell Bigby-Williams. The post from Great Britain averaged under 10 minutes per appearance this season, but Altman said the Ducks on Friday will look for Bigby-Williams to "give us 15 to 20 minutes, and play his game. Not try to fill in for Chris but be Kavell, and play as well as Kavell can play."

Bigby-Williams' teammates continue to express confidence in his ability to be an impact player.

"We see him do that in practice every day," sophomore Tyler Dorsey said. "He's going to come and be ready to hit the glass and make defensive plays for us, and hit that jump hook he has down low. He's been effective for us, and I think he's going to step up and be ready."

Iona is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, and the two-time Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champion is still in search of its first victory in the Big Dance.

The Ducks are wary of the Gaels, a classically constructed upset threat in that they're a veteran team — with three senior starters and the experience of having played in last year's tournament — and deep on the perimeter, where five Gaels have made at least 40 three-pointers this season.

"They're not gonna be awestruck," Altman said. "They played Iowa State tough last year, and they've got a very competitive team."

Dorsey compared Iona with Arizona State, which lost by just one in Eugene during the regular season before being outgunned by the Ducks in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

"They shoot a lot of contested shots, tough shots, and hit a lot of threes," Dorsey said. "It's dangerous, but we've been preparing all week for that."

Should the Ducks win Friday, there's a chance they could meet Creighton in the second round Sunday. The Bluejays, coached by Altman for 16 seasons before he moved to Oregon, face Rhode Island in the first round.

Golden 1 Arena is also hosting a pod of games from the South Regional that includes UCLA and also Kansas State, where Altman made his name as an assistant and then was head coach before taking the Creighton job.

"I haven't really thought too much ahead; obviously we've got Iona and that's what we're focused on," Altman said. "But those two places were great."