Thursday, November 1
Eugene, OR
7:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
Western Oregon (EX)
Photo by: Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans Photography
Ducks Hosting Thursday Night Exhibition
11/01/18 | Men's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
Fans can get a look at the first full game action for the 2018-2019 Oregon men when the Ducks host Western Oregon in Matthew Knight Arena.
Five days before kicking off a 2018-19 season that potentially holds much promise, the Oregon men's basketball team will provide a preview Thursday night in Matthew Knight Arena.
The 14th-ranked Ducks will host Western Oregon for an exhibition Thursday, tipping off at 7:06 p.m. and televised by Pac-12 Network. It will be the first chance to see parts of a recruiting class ranked No. 3 in the nation, including five-star sensation Bol Bol, as well as a group of veterans motivated to rebound from a 2017-18 season that finished short of the NCAA Tournament.
Junior guard Payton Pritchard is the only holdover at this point from the UO team that played in the 2017 Final Four. The current sophomores signed with the Ducks during that season, and are on board with talk that the 2018-19 team could hold similar potential.
"We know we could do something special this year," sophomore wing Victor Bailey Jr. said. "We've got to be ready."
Coming off a 23-13 season that featured eight losses by single digits and ended in the NIT, the Ducks will open the regular season Tuesday by hosting Portland State. They are preseason favorites to win the Pac-12, and open conference play by hosting Oregon State on Jan. 5.
By then, UO coach Dana Altman hopes to have a full contingent of players available; two members of the lauded freshman class, guard Will Richardson and Louis King, are currently sidelined by injuries. But Thursday's exhibition will give UO fans their first chance to see game action featuring the 7-foot-2 Bol, who will conjure memories of Chris Boucher with the way he runs the floor and is a threat from three-point range.
"Everybody knows how talented Bol is," Pritchard said. "He's just gonna make my job easier. I'm definitely gonna be looking for him, and I'm gonna let him rock."
The Ducks will play Thursday night less than a week after participating in a scrimmage against Kansas State. The Wildcats returned four starters from the team that made the 2018 Elite Eight, and gave the Oregon men a stern test in their first live game action.
"Their physicality really bothered us, especially the freshmen," Altman said. "But I thought as the scrimmage wore on, our guys adjusted a little bit. And then we got to running a little bit."
The scrimmage featured five periods, with the score reset for each. The Ducks were outscored in the first two, but turned the tables in two of the last three, outscoring K-State in the final period, 22-16.
"We're really good when we run the floor," Pritchard said. "That starts with me pushing the tempo, pushing the ball every time I get it. We're so athletic, we should be able to get easy buckets that way."
Altman gave a viewer's guide for Thursday's exhibition with Western Oregon, based on issues arising from the K-State scrimmage. He cited offensive execution, defensive communication, commitment to rebounding and conditioning as four areas of immediate emphasis.
"Those four things were basically what we came out saying, these are the four areas we gotta concentrate on to make the most improvement quickly," Altman said. "This team has a long way to go, but right now — you can't work on everything — so I'd say those four things."
The scrimmage at Kansas State was played with Richardson and King not in action, and that will continue to be the case Thursday.
King is still rehabbing from a knee issue he's been dealing with since before arriving at Oregon. Richardson has a foot injury, Altman said, that will prevent him from playing as Pritchard's backup at the point Thursday.
"His assist-to-turnover ratio was really good (in practices)," Altman said. "So we're anxious to get him back."
In Richardson's absence, transfer Ehab Amin and walk-on Will Johnson can provide depth at the point, Altman said. Johnson practiced with the Ducks last season while redshirting.
"He worked his tail off a year ago, and works his tail off now," Altman said. "I wouldn't have any reservations putting him out there at all."
The 14th-ranked Ducks will host Western Oregon for an exhibition Thursday, tipping off at 7:06 p.m. and televised by Pac-12 Network. It will be the first chance to see parts of a recruiting class ranked No. 3 in the nation, including five-star sensation Bol Bol, as well as a group of veterans motivated to rebound from a 2017-18 season that finished short of the NCAA Tournament.
Junior guard Payton Pritchard is the only holdover at this point from the UO team that played in the 2017 Final Four. The current sophomores signed with the Ducks during that season, and are on board with talk that the 2018-19 team could hold similar potential.
"We know we could do something special this year," sophomore wing Victor Bailey Jr. said. "We've got to be ready."
Coming off a 23-13 season that featured eight losses by single digits and ended in the NIT, the Ducks will open the regular season Tuesday by hosting Portland State. They are preseason favorites to win the Pac-12, and open conference play by hosting Oregon State on Jan. 5.
By then, UO coach Dana Altman hopes to have a full contingent of players available; two members of the lauded freshman class, guard Will Richardson and Louis King, are currently sidelined by injuries. But Thursday's exhibition will give UO fans their first chance to see game action featuring the 7-foot-2 Bol, who will conjure memories of Chris Boucher with the way he runs the floor and is a threat from three-point range.
"Everybody knows how talented Bol is," Pritchard said. "He's just gonna make my job easier. I'm definitely gonna be looking for him, and I'm gonna let him rock."
The Ducks will play Thursday night less than a week after participating in a scrimmage against Kansas State. The Wildcats returned four starters from the team that made the 2018 Elite Eight, and gave the Oregon men a stern test in their first live game action.
"Their physicality really bothered us, especially the freshmen," Altman said. "But I thought as the scrimmage wore on, our guys adjusted a little bit. And then we got to running a little bit."
The scrimmage featured five periods, with the score reset for each. The Ducks were outscored in the first two, but turned the tables in two of the last three, outscoring K-State in the final period, 22-16.
"We're really good when we run the floor," Pritchard said. "That starts with me pushing the tempo, pushing the ball every time I get it. We're so athletic, we should be able to get easy buckets that way."
Altman gave a viewer's guide for Thursday's exhibition with Western Oregon, based on issues arising from the K-State scrimmage. He cited offensive execution, defensive communication, commitment to rebounding and conditioning as four areas of immediate emphasis.
"Those four things were basically what we came out saying, these are the four areas we gotta concentrate on to make the most improvement quickly," Altman said. "This team has a long way to go, but right now — you can't work on everything — so I'd say those four things."
The scrimmage at Kansas State was played with Richardson and King not in action, and that will continue to be the case Thursday.
King is still rehabbing from a knee issue he's been dealing with since before arriving at Oregon. Richardson has a foot injury, Altman said, that will prevent him from playing as Pritchard's backup at the point Thursday.
"His assist-to-turnover ratio was really good (in practices)," Altman said. "So we're anxious to get him back."
In Richardson's absence, transfer Ehab Amin and walk-on Will Johnson can provide depth at the point, Altman said. Johnson practiced with the Ducks last season while redshirting.
"He worked his tail off a year ago, and works his tail off now," Altman said. "I wouldn't have any reservations putting him out there at all."
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