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Pac-12 tournament: Oregon prepares for rematch with Arizona in semifinals

LAS VEGAS – The top four seeds in the Pac-12 tournament all advanced to the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament Thursday. Top-seeded Oregon (26-6) and No. 4 seed Arizona (25-7) will tip off at 6:15 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks. That game will be followed by No. 2 seed Utah facing No. 3 California at 8:45 p.m.

The last time Oregon played Arizona on Jan. 28, Oregon snapped Arizona’s nation-best 49-game home winning streak at the McKale Center.

When the two collide again tonight, the chance for another high caliber game will be high.

“Well, it will be a difficult task,” Dana Altman said. “They’re very well coached. They’re very talented. But our guys, we did a good job when we went down there. I did tell them if we do have that opportunity, we’ll only have 12,000 fans this time instead of 15, 16.”

Following an uncharacteristic outing in the turnover department against Washington in Thursday‘s second round matchup — recorded 14 turnovers to nine assists — Oregon will look to slow the game down and limit its unforced mistakes.

“Make easy plays,” was the message in the Oregon locker room according to Casey Benson. “Just got to slow the game down, relax, not get going too fast.”

As always, defense and rebounding will be the emphasis.

“We rebounded the ball really well (against Washington) and we got to continue to do that,” Benson said. “That’s key: limit them to one shot and get out in transition. Defending and rebounding is our formula. It’s not going to change.”

Arizona can relate to leaving dissatisfied with its win. Coming off a too-close-for-comfort 82-78 win over Colorado, Miller chose to focus on his team’s dismal second half rather than advancing to the next round.

“My message was very singular at halftime: This year in our best and worst moments, we’ve been a one-half team … if you hold our team to the standards of the past at Arizona or you look at us as competing for this tournament’s championship, we’re not going to be able to advance and be the same team that we’ve been,” Miller said.

The standouts for both teams in the second round were: Alonso Trier (23 points), Ryan Anderson (17 points, 11 rebounds), Chris Boucher (19 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks) and Elgin Cook (19 points).

Oregon comes in riding a six-game winning streak. Arizona enters having won its last three games.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

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Pac-12 tournament: Chris Boucher’s performance vs. Washington embodies a year of hard work

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

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Pac-12 tournament: Oregon advances to semifinals with 83-77 win over Washington

LAS VEGAS – Similar to their last meeting, Washington came out firing and top-seeded Oregon came out slow. Up as much as 12 in the first half, it was the younger, lower-seeded Huskies doing the punching early in the second round of the Pac-12 tournament.

It wasn’t thanks to its senior leader Andrew Andrews, though, who finished with just two points in that first half.

It was Marquese Chriss and David Crisp doing the beating. The two were scorching from deep early, combining 5-for-9 and 25 total points in the first half. Around the 12-minute mark, Crisp hit three straight threes at the peak of Washington’s run.

Everything seemed to be going Washington’s way.

“We didn’t get off to a good start,” Dana Altman said. “Washington came out and hit us pretty good. They got out to that big lead and that was very concerning.”

That was until Chris Boucher snapped Oregon out of its funk in front of a rowdy MGM Grand Garden Arena.

With just under five minutes to go in the first half, Boucher knocked down an open three on the wing to bring the game back to single digits. The next possession, he snagged an offensive rebound off of a Dillon Brooks miss and put it back in. To top it all off, Boucher then followed with a momentum-shifting block that led to breakaway layup.

“Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s Elgin, sometimes it’s Dwayne, everybody can play,” Boucher said. “Today, it was my turn.”

By the end of it all, Oregon had rallied behind Boucher and unloaded with a crucial 13-0 run late in the half that saw Washington hit a four-minute dry spell.

Boucher finished with a team-high 19 points, 11 rebounds, and had all three of his team’s blocks.

“He just did his job,” Brooks said.

At the half, Oregon edged Washington by just one point.

Anyone not named Boucher struggled in the first half. That includes freshman Tyler Dorsey who posted just four points on 2-of-8 shooting.

But like his team, he started to get into his groove in the second half.

On three separate occasions, Dorsey splashed home a critical three in the second half when the game was within four points. He ended with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Eventually, Dillon Brooks and Elgin Cook, Oregon’s seasoned starters, got it going, too. Scoring 12 of Oregon’s last 19 points, the two returners with tournament experience, took over when the game slowed down and possessions got tighter.

Brooks finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Cook added 19 points.

With 41 seconds left and Oregon holding a 79-77 edge, Dorsey ultimately ended the game, pulling down a crucial offensive rebound that forced Washington to foul.

“I knew it was going up, my man didn’t box me out,” Dorsey said. “I just went to the glass and snatched the rebound. It came right into my hands.”

Afterwards, he knocked down a pair of free-throws to give Oregon just enough cushion to grind out the win.

“No pressure,” Dorsey said about heading to the line with just a two-point lead. “I want to be at the line at the end of the game. I knew I was going to knock them down. I told the Washington players I wasn’t going to miss.”

All season, Dana Altman and his players have been embracing not having a traditional go-to superstar. Most of the time this approach has worked. A few times, it’s resulted in blowout losses. But today, it was one of those many games that reminded why Oregon is the No. 8 ranked team and top seed in this year’s conference tournament.

“It’s great, especially for tournaments like this,” Dylan Ennis said about Oregon’s balanced approach. “All year, you have a week to get prepared for a team. But here, it’s day-to-day. When you have so many guys, it gives you so much more options to go to somebody that gets it going.”

Oregon’s biggest woe this game came in an area where its been rock solid all year long: turnovers. Finishing with 14 turnovers to nine assists, Oregon knows it will have to take better care of the ball in the next round.

“We got to take care of the ball,” Ennis said. “If we can take of the ball, share the ball more, we’ll be fine.”

Oregon’s semifinal matchup with Arizona is scheduled for a 6:15 p.m. tip and will be aired on the Pac-12 Network. Arizona is coming off an 82-78 win over Colorado.

“They needed that win bad and we needed it as well to keep playing,” Dorsey said. “It got a little chippy, but that’s how every game is going to be. We just have to be the tougher team.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

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Pac-12 tournament: Top-seeded Oregon tips off postseason against Washington


LAS VEGAS  Top-seeded Oregon, who enters the Pac-12 tournament as the outright regular season champion for the first time since 2002, will tip off against Washington at noon in the second round.

Last night, Washington comfortably ran past Stanford 91-68 in its first round matchup behind Dejounte Murray’s 25-point leading performance.

For a No. 8 Oregon team that has been preaching steady improvement all season long, this postseason opening game will present another opportunity to take another step forward.

“We’ve got to play to get better for the future of our team,” Dwayne Benjamin said on Monday. “We’re trying to get more cohesive as a team. There’s still things we can do better.”

With March Madness on the horizon, Oregon, who is currently projected as a No. 3 seed in ESPN’s most recent Bracketology, understands how important every game is here on out.

Big picture-wise, it will be looking to add on to its already impressive regular season resume against its conference, which could send as many as six teams to the upcoming NCAA tournament.

“We all love how we felt after winning that,” Benjamin said, “so the closest to us feeling that way again is winning the Pac-12 tournament, and that’s what we want to do.”

Don’t let Washington’s 9-9 conference record fool you. This team is filled with talented underclassmen can play. And, as this year’s surprise team of the conference that started off the year hot, Washington has more than enough confidence to give Oregon some trouble.

Despite not winning Pac-12 Player of the Year, senior Andrew Andrews, who did make First Team All-Pac-12, is having a standout senior campaign, averaging 21.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

Murray, the talented point guard who made both Second Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman, has been adding 15.6 points, 5.7 assists and 4.3 assists. In his last five games, he’s been even hotter, averaging 20.2 points on 54.1 percent shooting.

The last time these two teams faced off on senior day, Washington’s dismal second half proved to be the difference in an 86-73 finish. That was the regular season though. While Oregon went on to secure the conference regular season title with that win, today presents a new challenge.

As seasoned coach Dana Altman knows, the postseason is going to be a whole different animal.

“It’s going to be very competitive,” Altman said. “There’s a lot of schools that can win it.”

The approach for Oregon will be no different: distribute the ball and feed the hot hand. As always, there will be a handful of players to choose from.

Lead man Dillon Brooks, who made First Team All-Pac-12, enters this game averaging 16.7 points. But any given game, Elgin Cook (14.3 points), who also made First Team All-Pac-12, Tyler Dorsey (13.2 points), who earned Pac-12 All-Freshman, and Chris Boucher (12.0 points), who made Pac-12 All-Defensive, have all proven they can carry the load.

“We didn’t really have a go-to,” Altman said. “We had a lot of guys that could make plays. Dillon may have had the most opportunity to make plays, but at some point in time, all of them have stepped up.”

Washington has dropped six of its last eight against Oregon and 17 of its last 20 at neutral sites against ranked opponents. It’s likely going to have to win today’s game to make the NCAA tournament.

Last year, Joseph Young led Oregon to the Pac-12 tournament final only to get trumped 80-52 by top-seeded Arizona. Oregon will be looking for a better result this time around.

“The tournament is very important. That was my first time winning anything,” Cook said about being named regular season conference champs, “so I definitely want to have that feeling again.”

Tipoff is set for noon and the game will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim and @ODEsports for all your Pac-12 tournament coverage.

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Roundtable: Predictions and analysis as Oregon gets set for Pac-12 and NCAA Tournament

As Elgin Cook said at Oregon’s practice Monday, it’s a new season. The Ducks, winners of the Pac-12 regular season title for the first time since 2002, head into the postseason riding a five-game winning streak. With the Pac-12 Tournament beginning March 9, associate sports editor Hayden Kim and staff reporter Ryan Kostecka break down Oregon’s outlook heading into March.

What’s the ceiling for Oregon heading into the postseason?

RK: Is there any singularly dominant team in college basketball this year or are there multiple very good teams who could take it all? I’m going with the latter and throwing Oregon into that mix as a very good team. In a crazy season of college basketball thus far, there’s no reason why Oregon, with its talent and defense, can’t be the last team standing. Do I think it will happen? No — but I wouldn’t be shocked if it did.

HK: Top-10 ranking aside, this Oregon team can compete with any team in the country and it has proven that sentiment this season as Pac-12 regular season champs. March is always dependent on matchups, but barring any big mishap in the Pac-12 Tournament, Oregon will presumably lock up a second or third seed in the NCAA Tournament. With that in mind, the Sweet Sixteen and further really isn’t far-fetched.

Looking back at Oregon’s most successful regular season since 2002, what stands out above all else?

RK: Dana Altman and the stellar things he gets out of transfers. First off, Altman is one of the best coaches, if not the most underrated coach, in the nation. His ability to gameplan for opposing teams combined with the way he gets his players to buy into the team concept is beyond baffling and extremely impressive. Secondly, Chris Boucher has been nothing short of phenomenal as a shot-blocking, corner-three making, game-changing transfer while Dylan Ennis has barely seen the court due to injury but has been the unquestionable emotional leader of this team.

HK: Look no further than the job that Dana Altman has done in his sixth season as Oregon’s head coach. Despite losing one of the most anticipated graduate transfer additions in Dylan Ennis to a season ending foot injury, Altman has managed to put together his best effort since getting hired back in 2010. Announced on Monday, Altman won the Pac-12 coach of the year award, making it back-to-back years he’s received the award and three of the last four.

With half the conference projected to make the NCAA Tournament, how do you think the Pac-12 will fare?

RK: I think the Pac-12 occupies at least three of the Sweet-16 spots but I wouldn’t be surprised if it controls one-fourth of the occupants. Oregon, Utah and Arizona are all but locks to make the Sweet-16, which leaves Cal, USC, Washington and Oregon State as the final teams remaining. While all teams are capable of making the Sweet-16, I think Cal will be the final Pac-12 team to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

HK: I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the Pac-12 ultimately sends at least two teams to the Sweet Sixteen. All top four teams from the conference — Oregon, Utah, California and Arizona — have proven they contain the talent, veteran leadership and coaches to make a splash at the dance, especially during a season that hasn’t seen too much disparity among the top-tier teams across the country.

Follow Ryan Kostecka and Hayden Kim on Twitter

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Staring into madness: Dana Altman’s impact on Ducks basketball

After the Oregon men’s basketball team beat Washington at home on Feb. 28, a reporter asked head coach Dana Altman if he enjoyed his work.

Oregon had just finished the season undefeated at home, was two games away from winning the program’s first Pac-12 Championship since 2002 and was on its way to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament. But throughout this success, Altman’s personality hasn’t changed.

“My wife always says ‘have fun,’ [but] you don’t go to work to have fun,” said Altman. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do this for 36 years. I’ve enjoyed being around the guys and I enjoy the team. But during the game, it’s competition, it’s a fight and it’s not fun.”

He can be seen barking at his players throughout the course of the game, but at press conferences, his voice stays at a low octave.

At the Feb. 28 press conference, Altman said his goal was to finish strong, and that’s what Oregon did under his leadership this season. The 2015-16 Ducks went 25-6 and won the Pac-12 regular season title. They haven’t lost a single game in February over the last three seasons.

In his six years at Oregon, Altman has been named Pac-12 Coach of the Year three times, has led six straight 20-win seasons, obtained two Pac-12 titles and achieved a school-best four straight NCAA tournament bids.

There is one stone left unturned: Altman has never advanced past the Sweet Sixteen.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman (Taylor Wilder/Emerald)

Oregon head coach Dana Altman (Taylor Wilder/Emerald)

***

To truly understand Altman, one must first understand what he stands for. Born and raised in Crete, a small town in southeastern Nebraska, Altman doesn’t believe in flashiness.

“Midwestern people, in general — I’m stereotyping here — are more about substance than style, more about action than about talk,” said columnist Austin Meek, who covered Big 12 hoops for the Topeka Capital-Journal for years before moving to The Register-Guard. Meek has covered Altman’s career since.

“Dana Altman can coach, but he lost me a couple of seasons ago at that moment-of-truth news conference, his eyes low, his voice stammering, the whole state wondering if he’d stand tall,” —John Canzano, Oregonian sports columnist.

The 57-year-old midwest native is as well known for his foot stomping on the sideline as he is for his even-temper off the court.

But many criticized his demeanor when he responded to the May 2014 sexual assault allegations that resulted in the dismissal of three players. In a press conference just days after news of the alleged assault surfaced, Altman quietly told the media he was not aware of player Brandon Austin’s accusations of sexual assault at Providence College when Oregon recruited Austin.

Many onlookers were disappointed. Some, like Oregonian sports columnist John Canzano, hoped to hear Altman was making a change.

“Dana Altman can coach, but he lost me a couple of seasons ago at that moment-of-truth news conference, his eyes low, his voice stammering, the whole state wondering if he’d stand tall,” Canzano wrote last summer.

The program had to scrap for players to fill the roster through an open tryout, leaving the team with an uncertain future.

altman

***

Two years later, Altman’s team is entering the 2016 Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 1 seed.

Oregon is the No. 8 ranked team in the country, went undefeated at home and is projected as high as a No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

He found a way to unify his team, no different from his 16 memorable years at Creighton, where 11 times Altman guided the team to 20-win seasons.

“For some reason, it always seems under the radar, but he’s an elite coach nationally,” said Pac-12 Analyst Kevin O’Neill, who was one of the few media members to pick Oregon to win the Pac-12 this season. 

Altman’s best quality is his rare ability to get players from different walks of life to buy into two cornerstones of basketball: defending and rebounding. They’re keys to the game he constantly preaches, and his emphasis on fundamentals have become notoriously known around the program. The team even has warm up shirts that read: “Bend Your Knees.”

“If you look across the landscape of basketball – I’m including the NBA in this – he’s as great an X’s and O’s coach as there is,” said Oregon Athletic Director Robert Mullens.

Constantly hammering in the basics of the game, Altman has created a culture where improvement eventually morphs into second nature, where the concept of being satisfied is forbidden.

“Just the process of how we go throughout the whole year – it’s always all about getting better for the next game,” said Benjamin. “I guess that’s why we’re never satisfied.”

From a schematic standpoint, Altman has been able to devise a simple but effective system that has made it easy for players of all backgrounds to be plugged in right away and succeed at a high level.

“He’s the reason why I’m here,” said Benjamin, who transferred from a small community college called Mt. San Jacinto last year. “He’s a great coach, he’s a leader, he’s a genius.”

Even with a constantly changing roster, Altman has excelled. This year, Altman mixed two new faces – freshman Tyler Dorsey and transfer Chris Boucher – with three returning starters. The end result was a conference title.

“There’s so much turnover in college basketball these days,” said senior guard and aspiring coach Max Heller, “and to have a guy like coach be able to mold us all into one team is a big deal.”

As Altman prepares for his 12th appearance in the upcoming NCAA tournament, there’s a chance for him to make a little history of his own and get past the Sweet Sixteen.

But Altman won’t be focused on that. Regardless of how far Oregon ends up going or how much fans want Altman to show more personality, Altman will approach the game with the same foundation, tactics and white-collar dress shirt that have personified him for the past 36 years.

 

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

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Oregon pours in Pac-12 All-Conference honors

It’s not hard to see why the Oregon men’s basketball is ranked No. 8 overall in the country and secured its first regular season conference title since 2002: It has a roster including some of the best players in the conference.

This afternoon, the Pac-12 acknowledged some of those standouts at Oregon in its yearly All-Conference honors list.

Dillon Brooks and Elgin Cook were both named to the First Team All-Pac-12 team. Brooks, leads the team in points (16.7 per game) and minutes (32.8), while Cook, one of two seniors in the rotation, has contributed 14.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

“It’s a big accomplishment,” Cook said. “It’s an individual award. It doesn’t sum up what we want to do here at Oregon. But I feel great.”

“They deserve it,” Dana Altman said. “They did a great job. I’m really happy for those guys. We got good players and they’ve been really fun to work with.”

Pasadena native Tyler Dorsey was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshmen team alongside California’s Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, Washington’s Dejounte Murray, and Arizona’s Alonso Trier.

Rounding out the list of honors was reigning NJCAA Division I Player of the year Chris Boucher who made the inclusive Pac-12 All-Defensive team. Boucher, who boasted a 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds stat line in his first season at the Division I level, broke a school record with 98 blocks, which is also good for most in the country this season.

Check back in at 6 p.m. when the Pac-12 announces its player and coach of the year.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim 

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Elgin Cook ties season-high of 26 points against Washington on senior night

For the only player in school history to make three straight NCAA tournaments, Elgin Cook was quick and to the point in his farewell to fans. No different from his usual post game podium talk, Cook thanked the fans, embraced his teammates and kept his words to a minimum.

Can’t blame him though, as his game did all of the talking.

In his final home game, Cook tied his season-high of 26 points and added seven rebounds against Washington, en route to a 86-73 win. He served as the catalyst Sunday night, helping No. 13 Oregon men’s basketball  (23-6, 12-4 Pac-12) finish the season a perfect 19-0 at home in front a sold out Matthew Knight Arena crowd.

He joined Dwayne Benjamin (another junior college transfer), Max Heller and Dylan Ennis as the individuals celebrating their Senior Night.

“It’s amazing,” Cook said. “We had a great run here. It wouldn’t be possible without my teammates, without the fans, and we just want to finish out strong.”

Dwayne Benjamin added that it was “Better than anything I could imagine.”

“The atmosphere was great and it was good to share that moment with my teammates,” Benjamin, another junior college transfer, said about his last home game.

It’s been a formidable senior campaign for Cook. Averaging 13.8 points and 4.5 rebounds, the junior college transfer has certainly been a veteran asset for  Oregon – recording six games of 20 points or more – but it hasn’t been as consistent as he would have liked.

Still, Dana Altman and his teammates couldn’t have asked for much more from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin native.

“It was crazy, it was surreal,” Cook said. “Coming from JUCO (junior college), it’s been a long road. It was just amazing.”

All season, Oregon has taken turns with who has the hot hand. Most nights it’s been Dillon Brooks, who leads the team in points per game (17.2) and minutes (32.9). Others, it’s been Chris Boucher or Tyler Dorsey.

Sunday night, it was fittingly Cook, a player that has been one of the faces of this program for the past three years.

“I’m really happy for him,” Altman said. “He’s played his tails off for us. He’s a hard nose guy. I feel very fortunate to (have had) the opportunity to work with him for three years.”

Oregon has just one final road trip remaining before the regular season comes to a close. It will be against USC (19-10, 8-8) and UCLA (15-14, 6-10).

Soon enough, it will know if the program can follow through with its first regular season conference title since 2002. As it stands, Oregon has sole possession of the top spot.

Like always, Cook and his teammates will take it one game at a time as tournament season inches closer.

“Last time we were on the road, we got drilled, so we just want to take our home mentality and go on the road with it,” Cook said.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

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Kim: With the postseason coming soon, Tyler Dorsey could prove to be Oregon’s ‘X-Factor’

Tyler Dorsey’s goals have been clear from the beginning: Help Oregon win the Pac-12 and make a deep run in March. It’s what he said in early January when I sat down with him and it’s what he’s saying now with just three games remaining in the regular season.

As Oregon’s highest touted freshman recruit since Dana Altman arrived in 2010, Dorsey appears to be in position to help the Ducks do just that.

His teammates and coaches agree that Dorsey is a huge part of Oregon’s success. And while Dorsey has been inconsistent this season — averaging 11.8 points per game on 41.2 percent shooting and 34.4 on 3-pointers in Pac-12 play — Dillon Brooks has gone as far as saying he is the “X-factor” for the team.

“He’s a hard worker and a great player,” Brooks said. “When he gets it going from three, we’re really hard to stop.”

Dorsey may be a true freshman fresh off his 19th birthday, but his age doesn’t reflect what he brings to the table. When Dorsey gets going like he recently did against in-state rival Oregon State, tying his career-high of 25 points, this currently No. 13 ranked Oregon team (22-6, 11-4 Pac-12), is hard to beat.

“We kept telling him to play like he did in the preseason, when he was always in attack mode,” Boucher said after the Oregon State game. “He came out in attack mode and when he plays like that, he really helps the team.”

Dorsey is the only player on this roster that has been projected as a NBA draft pick in this year’s draft if he were to forgo his sophomore season. Both Dorsey and his parents haven’t ruled out this option, as they will evaluate what’s best for him after the season.

Just last year, the entire country witnessed two freshmen, Tyus Jones and Jahlil Okafor, lead Duke over a veteran Wisconsin team in the national championship.

What did they prove?

They proved that teams with talented freshman that perform on the big stage can make it deep in the NCAA tournament.

This is not to compare this Oregon team to last year’s national champions, but this does show how important a player like Dorsey could be in March.

Brooks will be expected to lead this team in points and minutes as he has all season, Elgin Cook will be looked to provide veteran leadership as one of the lone seniors on this team with tournament experience and Boucher will be counted on to be the shot blocking presence in the paint he’s been all season.

But, if  Oregon wants any shot at making the Sweet Sixteen and further, it’s going to need one of its underclassmen to make a leap, just like Brooks did a year ago. That player needs to be Dorsey.

This is a time when big time players separate themselves from perennial role players. We’ll see if Dorsey is ready to take that next step.

“I’m just excited and happy,” Dorsey said as he reflected on his freshman season before the Oregon State game. “Every minute, every possession, we got to take seriously. We’re in the hunt, but we got to finish off strong.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

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Oregon enters final stretch seeking first Pac-12 regular season title since 2002

The end is nearing for the No. 13 ranked Oregon men’s basketball team (21-6, 10-4 Pac-12). The Ducks are currently tied with Arizona for first in the conference and have four games remaining on their regular season schedule. If it comes down to it, Oregon would hold the tiebreaker against Arizona, having won their only meeting of the year.

The Pac-12 tournament, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, will begin on March 9.

With the postseason in sight and the number of guaranteed games dwindling, seniors like Elgin Cook and Dwayne Benjamin — both of whom transferred from junior colleges — have naturally begun to reflect on their time at Oregon.

“I was just talking to Dwyane about that earlier,” Cook, who transferred from Northwest Florida State in 2012, said. “(When) I came on my visit, I saw all the facilities and they were amazing. (I’d) never seen a place like this and it was a no brainer as soon as I got here.”

“It’s been coming closer and closer and now it’s here,” Benjamin, who transferred from Mt. San Jacinto college last year, said. “I’m thankful for it. (I’m) just trying to be more involved with the team because (I) won’t be (here) much longer.

Having played on last year’s NCAA tournament team that eventually lost to Wisconsin 72-65 in the round of 32, both were adamant about making this final push the strongest of the season.

“Right now, we’re just trying to achieve our goal, which is to win the Pac-12,” Benjamin said. “We’re just trying to win game by game.”

This is a crucial time for Dana Altman and his players for two reasons: A Pac-12 regular season title is on the line — something Oregon hasn’t won since 2002 — and the do-or-die portion of the season is also nearing.

“(It would mean) a lot,” Benjamin said about winning the Pac-12 regular season title. “It hasn’t happened much here. Just to bring something new to the program, to show the program is on the uprise, that would mean a lot.”

Soon enough, after the Pac-12 tournament, no games will be guaranteed.

“Once the tournament comes around, any day could be the last day,” Benjamin said. “Just to play in these ones that we have guaranteed, it just means a little bit more right now.”

Altman’s recipe for success will be no different, though: The Ducks plan to build off gritty defensive play and thrive on activity in the rebounds department.

“We got to remain consistent,” Altman said. “We can’t get high, we can’t get low. I don’t think you can change your approach day-to-day in such a long season. You got to stay fairly consistent and hope the results are fairly consistent.”

The second to last home game will be tonight against Washington State, a team that has yet to win on the road and is experiencing its worst overall skid in 13 years. Ranked last in the conference standings, the Cougars have lost 13 straight heading into this matchup.

“They play hard, they got a lot of scorers and they got the best rebounder in the league in Hawkinson,” Benjamin said. “We’re going to have to rebound and our defense is going to have to be up.”

Oregon’s focus will primarily be on junior forward Josh Hawkinson. Hawkinson, who is one of the best rebounders in the conference, averages 15.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. Last season, he combined for 40 points and 24 rebounds against Oregon in two meetings.

For Oregon, keep a close eye on freshman guard Tyler Dorsey who tied his career-high of 25 points against Oregon State last game.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks.

“We’ve experienced some lapses in intensity and focus and we haven’t been very successful when we’ve done that,” Altman said. “We’ve got to make sure that we get ready to play.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

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