Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Ducks Unfazed By Expectations
10/15/19 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women's basketball team began practice as the preseason No. 1 team in the country, but the Ducks know they have a long journey ahead.
EUGENE, Ore. — When Kelly Graves took over the Oregon women's basketball program in 2014, the Ducks were 18 months removed from a four-win season. When Sabrina Ionescu arrived on campus two years after Graves, the UO women were 18 months removed from a sub-.500 season.
My, how times have changed.
Two weeks ago, Oregon opened practice for the 2019-20 season fresh off the program's first-ever appearance in the Final Four, which capped a 33-win, Pac-12 championship season. Ionescu, the reigning national player of the year, leads the Ducks into her senior season as favorites to repeat as conference champs, and as the preseason No. 1 team in the country according to NCAA.com writer Michelle Smith.
"I know we've been underdogs here for a lot of these years, and I think it's pretty cool to see where we've gotten — and where we still have to go," Ionescu said. "Obviously that doesn't really mean anything; it's just a preseason ranking. Anything can happen."
The Ducks have proved themselves the last three years that anything can happen. In 2016-17, when Ionescu and post Ruthy Hebard were freshmen, they shocked the conference and then the nation by playing themselves into the Pac-12 Tournament semifinal and the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. They also know what it feels like to fall short; as sophomores, looking to take the next step, the Ducks again saw their season end in the Elite Eight.
After that disappointment, Ionescu said the UO women would come back in 2018-19 "hunting the Final Four." They bagged that trophy, and now are looking to take another step this season — another two steps, in fact.
NCAA.com isn't alone in predicting them to do so. After last year's NCAA Tournament, both ESPN and Sports Illustrated projected Oregon to be the No. 1 team entering 2019-20. ESPN updated its ranking in September, and the Ducks remained on top. (The preseason Associated Press top-25 will be released Oct. 30.)
"I think it's neat, at some level," Graves said. "Obviously people have high expectations of us, and I think that's great; we have them of ourselves. But I don't think that's going to add any pressure. …
"We know what we're capable of doing. But that's such a long way away."
Graves said that, after the marathon Final Four run last season, he didn't put much on players' plates from a team perspective over the summer. So the Ducks pursued other interests — Hebard and Ionescu played for USA Basketball's 3x3 team internationally, while Lydia Giomi participated in a study abroad program, Graves said, and Erin Boley did a 10-week internship with Nike.
The Ducks' first practice of this season, earlier this month, was their first time together as a full team since their Final Four loss to Baylor, Graves said. So he's had to push them particularly hard at times already in October, as they look to play catch-up.
"We've got a long way to go," said Graves, whose team opens the regular season at home against Northeastern on Nov. 11. "We're nowhere near a Final Four team now."
Getting there will be a process, players know. The No. 1 ranking is fun in the preseason, but it would mean a lot more come April — and that will require a lot of hard work.
"It's nice to see, but in the end we haven't proven anything yet," junior Satou Sabally said. "I'm just trying to take it game by game. We've got to prove ourselves first in the preseason, then the Pac-12. We're excited there's so much trust in us. But we have to start from zero this year."
Graves said he doesn't think the No. 3 preseason ranking affected the Ducks last season. So he doesn't foresee sky-high preseason projections having an impact this fall, either.
"They've come back, I think, pretty hungry," he said. "They know what we can accomplish as a team. So I'm really looking forward to getting this sucker going."
My, how times have changed.
Two weeks ago, Oregon opened practice for the 2019-20 season fresh off the program's first-ever appearance in the Final Four, which capped a 33-win, Pac-12 championship season. Ionescu, the reigning national player of the year, leads the Ducks into her senior season as favorites to repeat as conference champs, and as the preseason No. 1 team in the country according to NCAA.com writer Michelle Smith.
"I know we've been underdogs here for a lot of these years, and I think it's pretty cool to see where we've gotten — and where we still have to go," Ionescu said. "Obviously that doesn't really mean anything; it's just a preseason ranking. Anything can happen."
The Ducks have proved themselves the last three years that anything can happen. In 2016-17, when Ionescu and post Ruthy Hebard were freshmen, they shocked the conference and then the nation by playing themselves into the Pac-12 Tournament semifinal and the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. They also know what it feels like to fall short; as sophomores, looking to take the next step, the Ducks again saw their season end in the Elite Eight.
After that disappointment, Ionescu said the UO women would come back in 2018-19 "hunting the Final Four." They bagged that trophy, and now are looking to take another step this season — another two steps, in fact.
NCAA.com isn't alone in predicting them to do so. After last year's NCAA Tournament, both ESPN and Sports Illustrated projected Oregon to be the No. 1 team entering 2019-20. ESPN updated its ranking in September, and the Ducks remained on top. (The preseason Associated Press top-25 will be released Oct. 30.)
"I think it's neat, at some level," Graves said. "Obviously people have high expectations of us, and I think that's great; we have them of ourselves. But I don't think that's going to add any pressure. …
"We know what we're capable of doing. But that's such a long way away."
Graves said that, after the marathon Final Four run last season, he didn't put much on players' plates from a team perspective over the summer. So the Ducks pursued other interests — Hebard and Ionescu played for USA Basketball's 3x3 team internationally, while Lydia Giomi participated in a study abroad program, Graves said, and Erin Boley did a 10-week internship with Nike.
The Ducks' first practice of this season, earlier this month, was their first time together as a full team since their Final Four loss to Baylor, Graves said. So he's had to push them particularly hard at times already in October, as they look to play catch-up.
"We've got a long way to go," said Graves, whose team opens the regular season at home against Northeastern on Nov. 11. "We're nowhere near a Final Four team now."
Getting there will be a process, players know. The No. 1 ranking is fun in the preseason, but it would mean a lot more come April — and that will require a lot of hard work.
"It's nice to see, but in the end we haven't proven anything yet," junior Satou Sabally said. "I'm just trying to take it game by game. We've got to prove ourselves first in the preseason, then the Pac-12. We're excited there's so much trust in us. But we have to start from zero this year."
Graves said he doesn't think the No. 3 preseason ranking affected the Ducks last season. So he doesn't foresee sky-high preseason projections having an impact this fall, either.
"They've come back, I think, pretty hungry," he said. "They know what we can accomplish as a team. So I'm really looking forward to getting this sucker going."
Players Mentioned
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