LAS VEGAS – Emotions flooded Chris Boucher as he a took a seat on the MGM Grand Garden Arena hardwood under the basket with the final buzzer fading in the background.
Can’t blame him, he’s been through a lot this year.
“He just grinds through it,” Dylan Ennis said. “These are the stages he wants to perform in.”
With the final seconds ticking off the clock in the second round Pac-12 tournament matchup between top-seeded Oregon and Washington, Boucher added an exclamation mark to his 19-point, 11-rebound, three-block performance by slapping Andrew Andrew’s final jumper to the other side of the court.
“Dwayne told us in the media timeout you never know who we got that can come in (and make the difference),” Boucher said. “Today, it was my turn.”
It was fitting because the teams’ single-season block leader hogged all of Oregon’s denials Thursday.
Boucher, who was playing for Northwest College in Wyoming a year ago, couldn’t believe he had just helped No. 8 ranked Oregon advance to the semifinals with a 83-77 win over Washington.
“I just realized we had won the game,” Boucher said. “It was just a lot of emotion at the same time. We fought so hard for this game.”
Those who have been fortunate enough to witness the reigning Spalding NJCAA Division I Player of the Year transform into the nation’s leading shot blocker aren’t surprised by the performance.
“I’m not surprised by it,” Dylan Ennis said. “People think, ‘oh, it’s his first time (at the Pac-12 tournament),’ but I’ve been with him all summer, I’ve been with him throughout the year, and I knew that he’s built for these games.”
Hailing from a rough upbringing in Montreal, Canada — “one of the most dangerous and impoverished wards in North America” — Boucher has, at the least, been a heartwarming case study.
“It’s (been) really good,” Boucher said about his experience with Oregon this year. “Teammates are helping me enjoy it.”
Exemplifying a work ethic that can only stem from his pure joy for the game, Boucher has proven just one season can do wonders for a player.
Before the season, Dana Altman was understandably, like everyone else, worried about Boucher’s body. At 6-foot-10, 190 pounds, Boucher is as thick as a bamboo stick.
But time and time again, Boucher has influenced the game at a high level without the ball in his hands. He’s been a unique weapon who hasn’t needed designed looks to dominate the box score.
“Chris is a great player, he works really hard,” Dillon Brooks said. “He just did his job: being electric.”
What Boucher did against Washington Thursday looked as routine as Oregon’s pre-game warmups.
Averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.2 blocks, Boucher has been an invaluable asset for Oregon. In countless games this season, Boucher was the one that got his team out of funks.
“He doesn’t use his talent or his ego,” Ennis said. “It comes from his heart.”
So, when he sparked a critical 13-0 Oregon run late in the first half with a three, block and put back, it wasn’t surprising. It was rather fitting that the player who had never played in the Pac-12 tournament embraced the moment the most.
“I’m just trying to appreciate every single moment of this,” Boucher said.
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim