Thursday, March 5
Eugene, OR
8:00 PM
University of Oregon
vs
California
Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Pritchard Faces Final Homestand After Entering National Elite As Senior
03/05/20 | Men's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
Payton Pritchard, who was announced Thursday as a semifinalist for the Naismith Award as national player of the year, will lead the Ducks against Cal on Thursday and Stanford on Saturday.
The first time Shakur Juiston met Payton Pritchard, they worked out together in a high school gym.
Pritchard made an impression on Juiston that day. The same way he's made an indelible impression on the UO basketball program the last four years. And the same way he's made an impression on the Pac-12 as a senior, becoming a leading candidate for conference player of the year with one week left in the regular season.
When Juiston recounts his initial workout with Pritchard, he does so with a hint of awe in his voice.
"He was going 100 miles an hour," Juiston said. "No chill. No relaxing."
Four years with that unrelenting will to work have positioned Pritchard for big things, this weekend and beyond. He will lead the Ducks against California on Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN2) and Stanford on Saturday (8 p.m., FS1), with the No. 1 seed to the conference tournament and at least a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title as the reward for two wins.
Already a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as point guard of the year, Pritchard on Thursday was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Award as national player of the year. He leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 20.2 points per game, and in assists with 5.5 per game. With 81 three-pointers, Pritchard leads the conference in that category as well, and among the 81 have been the game-winner at Washington and six in Oregon's overtime win at Arizona on Feb. 22.
The skinny little freshman who was a facilitator on the Ducks' 2017 Final Four team has matured into a big-time shot maker as a senior. He's done it by going 100 miles an hour, all the time.
No chill. No relaxing.
"As I look back over the young men I've been fortunate enough to work with, competitiveness is the one trait that really separates a lot of really good players," UO coach Dana Altman said. "And he's a competitor. ….
"Everybody likes to win; I like those guys that hate to lose. And he's one of them."
Following Saturday's game, Pritchard, Juiston and Anthony Mathis — another graduate transfer, and a childhood friend of Pritchard's — will be honored on senior day. Oregon fans will reflect on a career that saw Pritchard fill a complementary role as a freshman, struggle to lead a rebuilt roster as a sophomore, become more demanding of himself and his teammates as a junior, and to mature into one of the country's most explosive offensive players as a senior.
It's a lot to reflect upon. Maybe too much for Pritchard, whose all-gas, no-brakes approach to practice and games apparently doesn't leave much time for sentimentality.
"I don't know if I'm emotional about it; I'm ready for it," Pritchard said of his approaching senior day. "It's the last games here, obviously. I'll look back on it and I'll miss it. But you know, it's just another step in the process, the next step in my life. So I'm looking forward to it, and then looking forward to getting into the tournament."
The Oregon basketball team's current circumstances require Pritchard's laser-like focus. Both of his fellow starting perimeter players for much of this season, Chris Duarte and Will Richardson, are battling injury. Duarte is out at least through the conference tournament after finger surgery last week, and as of Wednesday afternoon Richardson hadn't practiced since injuring his ankle last week against Oregon State.
The Ducks may need to lean on Pritchard even more than usual this week. And that's saying something, because they've been leaning on him plenty throughout this season.
"We've really been dependent on him to score a lot, (and for) a lot of late-game heroics," Altman said. "No doubt, he's done his part. We've had guys looking for him. Our guys really have a lot of faith, and they've given up part of themselves, you know, to make sure he's got the ball at the right time."
Three years ago, few could have predicted how well Pritchard has thrived as Oregon's primary scorer. As a freshman, his job was to get the ball to the likes of Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell.
But after years of hard work, there's no player in the country who seems more comfortable taking a big shot with a game on the line. A year ago, Pritchard had done enough that he considered a jump to the professional ranks as a junior. Now, his résumé is even more impressive.
"He had a very lucrative offer he could have taken a year ago, when he decided to stay, so we're very grateful that he did," Altman said. "And I think it will benefit him. The conversations I've had with NBA people have all been positive. There's definitely a role for a young man who can shoot it, handle it, compete, not turn it over, play a role. I definitely think he can do that to start with. And who knows what he'll grow into?"
In this day of substantial offseason player movement, Pritchard stuck with it at Oregon for four years. He didn't seek greener pastures elsewhere. And he never stopped going 100 miles an hour.
Who knows what he'll grow into? Based on how much he's grown with the Ducks, it could be something special.
"I know I put in the work for four years," Pritchard said. "I definitely wasn't rewarded (just) because I stayed. I put in more time than anybody, I outworked everybody, and that's why I got rewarded."
This weekend, Oregon fans have one last chance to celebrate the fruits of all that effort.
"He's been a tremendous young man to work with," Altman said. "Helped us get to a Final Four, helped us get to a Sweet Sixteen a year ago. And he's really carried us this year, and been a good leader. …
"It's been a good four years. We hope to make it a little bit better here down the stretch."
Pritchard made an impression on Juiston that day. The same way he's made an indelible impression on the UO basketball program the last four years. And the same way he's made an impression on the Pac-12 as a senior, becoming a leading candidate for conference player of the year with one week left in the regular season.
When Juiston recounts his initial workout with Pritchard, he does so with a hint of awe in his voice.
"He was going 100 miles an hour," Juiston said. "No chill. No relaxing."
Four years with that unrelenting will to work have positioned Pritchard for big things, this weekend and beyond. He will lead the Ducks against California on Thursday (8 p.m., ESPN2) and Stanford on Saturday (8 p.m., FS1), with the No. 1 seed to the conference tournament and at least a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title as the reward for two wins.
Already a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award as point guard of the year, Pritchard on Thursday was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Award as national player of the year. He leads the Pac-12 in scoring at 20.2 points per game, and in assists with 5.5 per game. With 81 three-pointers, Pritchard leads the conference in that category as well, and among the 81 have been the game-winner at Washington and six in Oregon's overtime win at Arizona on Feb. 22.
The skinny little freshman who was a facilitator on the Ducks' 2017 Final Four team has matured into a big-time shot maker as a senior. He's done it by going 100 miles an hour, all the time.
No chill. No relaxing.
"As I look back over the young men I've been fortunate enough to work with, competitiveness is the one trait that really separates a lot of really good players," UO coach Dana Altman said. "And he's a competitor. ….
"Everybody likes to win; I like those guys that hate to lose. And he's one of them."
Following Saturday's game, Pritchard, Juiston and Anthony Mathis — another graduate transfer, and a childhood friend of Pritchard's — will be honored on senior day. Oregon fans will reflect on a career that saw Pritchard fill a complementary role as a freshman, struggle to lead a rebuilt roster as a sophomore, become more demanding of himself and his teammates as a junior, and to mature into one of the country's most explosive offensive players as a senior.
It's a lot to reflect upon. Maybe too much for Pritchard, whose all-gas, no-brakes approach to practice and games apparently doesn't leave much time for sentimentality.
"I don't know if I'm emotional about it; I'm ready for it," Pritchard said of his approaching senior day. "It's the last games here, obviously. I'll look back on it and I'll miss it. But you know, it's just another step in the process, the next step in my life. So I'm looking forward to it, and then looking forward to getting into the tournament."
The Oregon basketball team's current circumstances require Pritchard's laser-like focus. Both of his fellow starting perimeter players for much of this season, Chris Duarte and Will Richardson, are battling injury. Duarte is out at least through the conference tournament after finger surgery last week, and as of Wednesday afternoon Richardson hadn't practiced since injuring his ankle last week against Oregon State.
The Ducks may need to lean on Pritchard even more than usual this week. And that's saying something, because they've been leaning on him plenty throughout this season.
"We've really been dependent on him to score a lot, (and for) a lot of late-game heroics," Altman said. "No doubt, he's done his part. We've had guys looking for him. Our guys really have a lot of faith, and they've given up part of themselves, you know, to make sure he's got the ball at the right time."
Three years ago, few could have predicted how well Pritchard has thrived as Oregon's primary scorer. As a freshman, his job was to get the ball to the likes of Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell.
But after years of hard work, there's no player in the country who seems more comfortable taking a big shot with a game on the line. A year ago, Pritchard had done enough that he considered a jump to the professional ranks as a junior. Now, his résumé is even more impressive.
"He had a very lucrative offer he could have taken a year ago, when he decided to stay, so we're very grateful that he did," Altman said. "And I think it will benefit him. The conversations I've had with NBA people have all been positive. There's definitely a role for a young man who can shoot it, handle it, compete, not turn it over, play a role. I definitely think he can do that to start with. And who knows what he'll grow into?"
In this day of substantial offseason player movement, Pritchard stuck with it at Oregon for four years. He didn't seek greener pastures elsewhere. And he never stopped going 100 miles an hour.
Who knows what he'll grow into? Based on how much he's grown with the Ducks, it could be something special.
"I know I put in the work for four years," Pritchard said. "I definitely wasn't rewarded (just) because I stayed. I put in more time than anybody, I outworked everybody, and that's why I got rewarded."
This weekend, Oregon fans have one last chance to celebrate the fruits of all that effort.
"He's been a tremendous young man to work with," Altman said. "Helped us get to a Final Four, helped us get to a Sweet Sixteen a year ago. And he's really carried us this year, and been a good leader. …
"It's been a good four years. We hope to make it a little bit better here down the stretch."
Players Mentioned
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