Oregon’s goal was to make it back to the College Football Playoff. But above all, it seemed the goal was to prove that it could remain at an elite level without reigning Heisman winner Marcus Mariota behind center.

Expectations from fans were high.

I mean, can you really blame them?

Oregon returned one of the best receiving corps in school history, had an improving Royce Freeman in the backfield, was anchored by projected first-round draft pick DeForest Buckner on defense and the secondary featured four four-star recruits.

I have to admit that, I too, wasn’t going to leave out the possibility of the Ducks sneaking back into the final four.

Then, reality hit.

Vernon Adams Jr. missed a streaking, wide-open Byron Marshall in the end zone in East Lansing, Michigan, that would have alleviated Oregon’s poor secondary play. Then Travis Wilson and the Utes marched into Autzen in late September and ran up the score. And to top it all off, Washington State made sure Oregon wouldn’t make the Playoff with a double overtime win on the road.

What fans and analysts across college football nation quickly found out was that this Oregon team just wasn’t going to live up to the preseason hype.

They found out that Adams wasn’t going to be the second coming of Russell Wilson, due to a lack of preparation time and a broken index finger. They found out that Oregon’s secondary was simply too inexperienced and too young. They found out how valuable it was to have a player like Hroniss Grasu (now with the Chicago Bears) leading the line.

Regardless of what Adams was able to string together on a five-game winning streak — he tied a school record against USC with six passing touchdowns, becoming the first ever player to so against the Trojans — it became apparent that Oregon was missing a player who Adams declared the “greatest of all time to come here.”

When it’s all said and done, this Oregon team will have likely made the Holiday Bowl and finished the year on a high note. In some ways, they will have overachieved.

For fans though, it’s understandable to want to play hypotheticals with Adams, who has looked like one of the hottest quarterbacks in the country these past five weeks, especially with what he just did to the ranked Trojans.

Resist that urge, as hard as that might be.

Instead, acknowledge that Adams still provided the show that was expected of him as soon as word spread that he had passed his math test and became officially eligible. Remember that Oregon stuck with a Spartans team that just beat the defending national champion Buckeyes. Appreciate the fact that if Oregon weren’t coming off such a historical, memorable season, 2015 wouldn’t have been looked at like such a failure.

Early in the season, former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington passionately called out who he felt were uneducated, spoiled Ducks fans for not appreciating what they had. He was trying to get the message across that Oregon was never going to be Alabama or Ohio State and that fans shouldn’t even be thinking about that.

I disagree.

There is nothing wrong with striving to be the best program in the country, regardless of whether Oregon has prior history. There is nothing wrong with taking risks like putting all the chips in for Adams this year in hopes of competing right away.

When everyone looks back at this year, they’ll see the three L’s on the schedule. That’s OK.

This season wasn’t a failure, though. It was just one of the many years that all the stars didn’t align in Oregon’s favor. It was a year in which a top 15 ranking, bowl eligibility and individual theatrics weren’t taken for granted … at least in the Oregon locker room.

“I’m happy with what I’ve done so far, what my teams have done at Eastern and here,” Adams said. “I do wish I came here earlier and [had] more years, but it’s just what it is.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

When a player is hot, you feed him the rock. When an offense gets stagnant, players have to step up, adjust the approach and get it going.

On Sunday, Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey helped No. 20 Oregon (4-0) do just that, leading them past an undefeated Valparaiso (5-1) team 73-67 that was the first team to reach five wins this season.

Brooks broke out with a season-high 26 points on 12-of-24 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Dorsey added 21 points on a more efficient 7-of-9 outing. The two led Oregon out of its first-half funk and made the necessary plays down the stretch to pull out another close win.

“It was a team effort,” Brooks said. “The team got us the ball and we were scoring.”

“We knew it was going to be a hard game,” Dorsey said. “But me and Dillon had it going, so we were feeding off each other. Our other teammates made great plays and found us.”

In the first half, Oregon looked like a team that was hurting without reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year and Indiana Pacer Joseph Young, who had a knack for coming to the rescue in tight-knit games. Free throws weren’t falling (10-of-15), ball movement was staggered, threes were a non-factor (1-for-5), and above all, 10 uncharacteristic turnovers led to 13 “easy” points.

The Ducks struggled to consistently get easy looks against a disciplined Valparaiso defense that stayed in a pressuring zone, daring outside shots. Mostly though, Oregon’s struggles really had to do with its lazy, predictable passes that turned into easy buckets on the other end.

“That (turnovers) was probably our biggest concern at halftime,” Altman said. “They’re a good defensive team.”

In the second half, Oregon came out with more energy and cleaned up its mistakes. A lot of this had to do with Brooks’ eight straight points in the first five minutes, giving Oregon some much needed momentum. Brooks not only got it going with unforced, high-percentage looks inside the arc, but he also facilitated the offense.

“We just had to nut up, get stops and get rebounds,” Brooks said. “We just stressed to get the ball into the paint – inside-out. In the second half, we just bulked up and fought through it.”

Oregon’s turning point came with just under 10 minutes to play when they went on a 10-0 run to take a 63-53 lead. During this stretch, Brooks and Dorsey combined for eight points, four of them coming on back-to-back transition dunks and layups off turnovers.

Before the season, Dana Altman could see the make-up of his team was more balanced and potentially better than last year’s, which relied heavily on Young’s individual, late game theatrics.

Today, with the game coming down to the wire, Altman looked to players, like Brooks and Dorsey, who had the hot hands.

“We were trying to get it to Dillon and let him make plays from there,” Altman said. “His aggressiveness is what got us going.”

Altman was simply happy to pull out another close win, emphasizing the importance of being in grind-it-out games like today.

“We need to have a few ball games like that.”

Oregon is still working out its early-season kinks on offense – free throw shooting, getting good looks from the outside, limiting turnovers – and under this context, it’s relied heavily on a ‘defense-creates-offense’ type of approach. When you have a rim protector like Chris Boucher, who finished with nine boards and three blocks, and a team willing to buy into playing defense, though, it helps ease the pressure of finding an offensive identity this early in the season.

“We’ve got a lot of things to iron out,” Altman said in response to whether his team was still searching for an offensive identity. “We weren’t smooth, our execution wasn’t very good… hate to keep bringing up the turnovers, but that was really disappointing. Offensively, we’ve got a long ways to go. We’re not sharp with everything we do offensively, so there’s a lot of room for improvement.”

Oregon has yet to drop a game, but at some point or another, Altman must find an offensive approach that caters to his personnel.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

Vernon Adams Jr. had a reminiscent tone when he spoke to the media after No. 23 Oregon’s (8-3, 6-2 Pac-12) convincing 48-28 win over No. 22 USC (7-3, 5-3). He had just thrown for a record breaking six touchdowns – never before been done against the Trojans – to six different receivers on 20-of-25 attempts for 407 yards against the program he grew up idolizing.

Better yet, he did so with reigning Heisman winner and Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota on the sidelines to go over the game with him after every one of his six touchdowns.

“He’s the greatest of all time to come here,” Adams said.

“Marcus is as good a college quarterback as I’ve ever seen,” offensive coordinator Scott Frost said. “For Vernon to be doing the things he’s doing in Marcus’ shadow is amazing. Vernon deserves a lot of credit for the success this team’s had.”

Adams spoke like a kid who grew up a die-hard Trojans fan and was finally getting to live out his childhood dreams.

“I was a big USC fan growing up, being from that area,” Adams said. “It’s just an awesome feeling. I’m so happy for the guys in that locker room, the rest of the seniors. Even on social media – ya’ll see me – I’m so blessed and just thankful for that.”

Naturally, a lot of thoughts and emotions were flowing through his head as this roller coaster season took one more turn towards the end.

Adams still wonders what he could have done in a Ducks uniform had he decided to come earlier.

“I’m happy with what I’ve done so far, what my teams have done at Eastern and here,” Adams said. “I do wish I came here earlier and (had) more years, but it’s just what it is.”

For Adams, this game meant much more than the final numbers that spread across the scoreboard. For the graduate transfer who had no other goal than to compete at college football’s highest level, this win meant he had one more performance under his belt to validated his dramatic decision to test the Division I waters.

From his 48-yard lob to a streaking Bralon Addison to get Oregon on the board first, to his 21-yard touch pass to Dwayne Stanford in the third quarter to go up 38-14, Adams was sharp as he’s ever been in his career.

His only hiccups were a forced throw to the end zone into double coverage that got picked off early in the first quarter, and not knowing what to say to the one receiver that he didn’t connect with in the end zone.

“Man, it’s just tough,” Adams joked in response to apologizing to the one Oregon receiver that he didn’t connect with for a score. “Was trying to get everybody.”

Remember, this was a nationally-televised game with Pac-12 title hopes on the line – the Trojans controlled their own destiny in the South division, while the Ducks faced a must-win situation with California and Stanford’s outcome determining their postseason hopes.

It can’t be forgotten: these two teams had nothing to play for other than to keep their conference title chances alive and making the best bowl possible.

“It was a big-time win,” Dwayne Stanford, who finished with 57 yards on four catches and one touchdown, said. “USC is a great, talented team. For us to go out there and get a win like that at home, definitely big.”

Before the season began, the entire college football community circled Oregon’s Nov. 21 meeting with USC. It would be the first time since 2012 – back when Chip Kelly and Lane Kiffin donned the headsets – that the two west coast powerhouses would collide. And before Oregon fell to Michigan State and Utah, before USC dropped to Stanford, Washington and Notre Dame, this was the conference matchup everybody was talking about.

Although the Ducks and Trojans lost their chances to compete for the College Football Playoff in a blink of an eye, they still put on a show today that their world-class talent called for: Royce Freeman rushed for 148 yards on 20 carries, cracking Oregon’s all-time top five list; Bralon Addison netted 105 receiving yards and one touchdown on five catches; Cody Kessler, who entered this season as an early Heisman candidate, went 30-of-41 for 238 yards and two touchdowns, keeping the Trojans alive until the very end.

In a game that had no other implications than an opportunity to vie for a Pac-12 title, neither team disappointed – the Trojans finished with 428 total yards, while the Ducks piled on 578.

For Oregon, this win doesn’t guarantee a thing. It needs a struggling California (6-4, 3-4) to upset an angry Stanford (8-2, 7-1) on the road to have a shot at ending its season with a game at Levi’s Stadium.

But for now, the Ducks were more than content with a win over the Trojans. Their offense is finally clicking and their defense, which has been subject all season, is beginning to prove it isn’t a push over.

With just the Civil War game remaining, Oregon will be doing just one thing after tonight’s win: gathering around a TV and cheering on the Golden Bears. Tonight, Adams and his resurging Ducks will sit and watch as their postseason hopes rest in Jared Goff’s hands.

“I’m a 24-hour Bears fan,” Frost said.

“Go Bears,” DeForest Buckner said.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

It took awhile for No. 23 Oregon (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) and No. 22 USC (7-3, 5-2) to get going on offense, but once they settled down, big plays were the name of the game.

Despite both teams’ running games being non-existent in the first half —  USC with 67 yards, Oregon with 94 yards — Vernon Adams Jr. and Cody Kessler got their teams on the board with deep ball connections.

It should be noted that Oregon’s Reggie Daniels headed to the locker room after suffering an apparent leg injury.

Key Plays: 

— Oregon punched first with a 48-yard touchdown connection between Adams and Bralon Addison, giving the Ducks an early 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

— Cody Kessler answered back with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Darreus Rogers in the corner of the end zone late to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.

— Looking confused with how wide open he was, Oregon tight end Evan Baylis caught Adams’ second touchdown pass for a 52-yard score to take a 14-7 lead with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter.

— After a quick drive for the Trojans offense, Kessler lobbed a 12-yard pass to his tight end Cody Petite to even the score at 14-14 at the 12:13 mark in the second quarter.

— With under three minutes to go in the first half, Adams found a streaking Royce Freeman near the Oregon sideline for a 36-yard gain. Adams capped off the drive with a 30-yard lob to Kani Benoit to take 28-14 lead heading into halftime.

— Following a pair of big gains from Freeman and Addison, Aidan Schneider capped off the first half with a 37-yard kick through the uprights, giving Oregon a comfortable 31-14 advantage heading into halftime.

Stats

Oregon passing  

Vernon Adams Jr. — 14-of-17 for 313 yards, four touchdowns, one interception

USC passing

Cody Kessler — 17-of-25 for 153 yards, two touchdowns

Oregon rushing

Royce Freeman — Nine carries for 84 yards

USC rushing

Justin Davis — Seven carries for 36 yards

Oregon receiving 

Bralon Addison — Four catches for 98 yards, one touchdown

Evan Baylis — Two catches for 62 yards, one touchdown

Darren Carrington — Three catches for 55 yards, one touchdown

Kani Benoit — One catch for 30 yards, one touchdown

USC receiving 

Darreus Rogers — Three catches for 47 yards, one touchdown

JuJu Smith-Schuster — Three catches for 43 yards

Oregon total offense — 407 yards

USC total offense — 220 yards

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

There wasn’t too much to like or take away from Oregon’s (3-0) routine 77-59 win over visiting Savannah State (3-1). To put it bluntly, the second half just wasn’t pretty.

The Ducks couldn’t make free throws (45.8 percent) and continued to struggle from the outside (23.5 percent) against an expected zone, and failed to consistently get good looks on the offensive end.

“We had so much energy for Baylor and we just tried to withstand and hold that energy and get it over to Savannah State, but it’s very challenging,” Dillon Brooks said.

Similar to last week’s marquee matchup against Baylor, Oregon’s real successes lied on the defensive end, holding Savannah State to under 60 points, under 45 percent from the field and under 30 percent from deep.

“We play well defensively in spurts, but I think we can get a lot better,” Elgin Cook said.

On paper, the Ducks shot a respectable 31-for-60 from the field and had 19 assists. But from the eye test, they just weren’t operating at the level Dana Altman hoped they’d play at. Some of that credits Savannah State’s athleticism on defense, forcing an array of tough looks, but the rest of the struggles were mainly on Oregon’s own personal doing.

“Just weren’t really focused in the second half,” Altman said. “It’s obvious from that performance that if we don’t play really hard and really focus, our talent level is not good enough to carry us very far.”

This early in the season, this is to be expected. Without presumed starters Dylan Ennis (foot) and Jordan Bell (foot), Altman has had to rely on his relatively inexperienced nine-man rotation. More specifically, he’s had to play underclassmen like Kendall Small, Trevor Manuel and Roman Sorkin – albeit a talented trio – a little more than he anticipated heading into the season.

The three got an opportunity to show what they could tonight.

“It wasn’t a very strong game,” Brooks said. “We had a very strong first half, but our second half, we had some let downs. Overall, we got some guys in Roman, Trevor – they got to show what they could do. Kendall had a very good game, too.”

In light of this situation, freshmen like Small and Manuel have provided glimpses of why they were recruited by Altman and his coaching staff – Small for his on ball defense, court vision, Manuel for his length and athleticism, Sorkin for his ability to stretch the floor.

As expected, Brooks (11 points), Cook (12 points) and Chris Boucher (17 points) carried most of the load offensively.

Pleasantly surprising for Altman though, role players like Small have begun to step up in a bigger role while the team patiently waits to have a fully healthy roster.

“Kendall gave us a big burst there early, thought his energy was pretty good,” Altman said. “I thought their energy level could have been higher, but I got those three guys on the floor, got them some minutes and that’s good.”

Small finished with nine points, four assists and three rebounds in 23 minutes.

Sorkin had eight points and five boards in 16 minutes, while Manuel added a modest three points and two assists in his 15 minutes.

For the time being, Oregon is going to continually need these three to contribute and develop in the process.

Next up for the Ducks is a 5-0 Valparaíso team that won 28 games last season and was barely edged by Maryland 65-62 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Already being called the “giant killers” for having the personnel to beat major teams on any given night, they’ll surely be looking to continue their early season success on the road.

“We’ll have to play awfully well to get that game,” Altman said. “They’re a good basketball team, maybe a better basketball team right now than we are because they play so well, don’t waste any possessions offensively or defensively. This team is as good as Baylor.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

Canada has had a good year.

Andrew Wiggins claimed Rookie of the Year in the NBA. The Toronto Raptors made the NBA playoffs. Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista immortalized himself with an unforgettable bat flip against the Rangers in game five of the ALDS. For the first time, Toronto announced it would be hosting NBA All-Star weekend.

Justin Bieber — love or hate him — made a big comeback at college bars and parties all across the globe with his new hit single What Do You Mean? Drake broke the Internet (again) with his catchy, dance provoking, Director X produced Hotline Bling video that reminded everyone how viral and entertaining a well-made GIF could be.

“I always look back there and see what’s going on,” Oregon sophomore guard Dillon Brooks said of his home country. “Good things are going on over there. I just love being a part of it. I love helping the cause for it. It’s just a great feeling.”

But here’s what you may not have known about Canada’s memorable year: Its senior national team sidelined Team USA in the semifinals of the Pan American Games en route to a silver medal finish.

On that team was Brooks, a Mississauga, Ontario native who enters his sophomore season at Oregon with two years of international experience — U-19 and the Pan American Games with Team Canada.

Brooks is one player among a growing class of hungry, Canadian-born, NBA-ready prospects that aren’t afraid to push the status quo in an American-dominated sport.

Two-time NBA MVP and Canadian-born Steve Nash has taken notice.

“It’s really cut across all segments of the population and is growing like wildfire,” Nash told The Canadian Press.

Recently, the NBA has welcomed the likes of Wiggins, Corey Joseph, Anthony Bennett and Tristan Thompson into its elite fraternity.

“With Canada basketball being on the rise, with the Raptors coming in there and starting to experience success at the time, that’s — if you’re a young boy — very influential to your life, especially if you grow to love the game,” Findlay Prep Coach Andy Johnson said. “That’s what happened with Dillon.”

Brooks, who was born right around the time the Toronto Raptors were founded in 1995, grew up during a time when basketball was beginning to take off in Canada. He takes pride in the country’s growing representation in the sport.

“I love Canada,” Brooks said. “I always wear it on my chest. It’s just a great feeling playing for your country, for the red and white. With Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and those guys, it just shows you that you can make it in the NBA. It just gives us hope that you make it there, make a lot of money and play a job that you love.”

***

Brooks had a productive offseason. In concert with his international play with Team Canada in the Pan American Games was an improved diet, fitness and overall development of his athleticism and fundamentals.

Playing alongside a player like Jamal Murray — a highly touted prospect committed to Kentucky — Brooks exposed himself to a higher level of basketball.

While Brooks grabbed Pac-12 All Freshman honors and finished as the No. 3 freshman scorer in the conference with the Ducks last season (11.5 PPG), he still felt like making a drastic physical change.

For Brooks, who has always been known for his top-notch work ethic, this offseason was a reflection of his determination to not become complacent.

“When the season was done, I went through — I wouldn’t say a diet — but a life change,” Brooks said. “I just added more vegetables, less carbs, more protein. When I got back here, everyone realized I was skinny. I didn’t realize it till I went back to scale and saw I was 220 [pounds].”

From Canadian AAU powerhouse CIA Bounce to Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada, Brooks has always made sure to surround himself with a passionate basketball community — he comes from a family without a background in the sport.

At Findlay Prep, a national powerhouse based 20 minutes outside of Las Vegas that had recently won three of the last four National High School Invitational championships, Brooks got his first taste of what it would be like to play in a college-like environment.

Said Findlay Prep Coach Andy Johnson: “When you have 12 guys that will go on to play Division I basketball, all on the same team, all living together, they’re going to push each other.”

Brooks roomed with current NBA players Rashad Vaughn (Milwaukee Bucks, 17th pick in 2015 draft) and Kelly Oubre (Washington Wizards, 15th pick in 2015 draft).

“That’s what you want to do: surround yourself with the best possible. Just being around the NBA feel, culture, makes you want to go to the NBA, makes you want to get ready for them,” Brooks said.

***

Brooks’ story is one that epitomizes the saying, “show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” Coming from a family that hadn’t had any prior ties to the basketball community, Brooks had to rely on his own intuition and gut to sort out his inner circle.

“He had a lot of the right people around that helped him to get to where he is,” Brooks’ mother Diane said. “His whole circle, even circle of friends, everyone is basketball related.”

As a sophomore, Brooks has continued to form those bonds with like-minded, hardworking individuals.

Recently, that list includes reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year and current Indiana Pacer Joseph Young, who he still keeps in contact with, and Nash, a model figure growing up in Canada that he texts regularly since meeting him at the Pan American Games.

Brooks is a byproduct of Canada’s growing love for the game of basketball. With the growing popularity of the Raptors, the country up north has slowly but surely ascended to heights only Canadians might have seen coming. From this standpoint, Brooks owes a lot of his current and future successes to good fortune and timing.

Before the Raptors, before Wiggins and Bennett went No. 1 overall in consecutive NBA Drafts, hockey dominated the attention of Canadian sports fans. But now, Canadian basketball is more than ready to take its next step. It’s a step that includes grooming and promoting rising names like Brooks. It’s a step that requires the support of good company — the very basis of Brooks’ past, present and potentially bright future.

“Canada basketball is on the rise,” Dillon said. “It’s scary to look at it because there’s a lot of young talent there and they’re all watching us in the NCAA, in the NBA, so we just got to put on and show them that they can make it too. The NBA is a long-term goal [for me].”

“I think he sees it, the light’s at the end of the tunnel,” CIA Bounce Coach Tony McIntyre said. “The sky is the limit for him. He’s still so young and he’s putting it all together so early. He’s seen it. He’s talked to the guys that have gone through it. There’s nothing that’s going to come as a shock to him from this point on.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

Dana Altman and the No. 25 ranked Oregon men’s basketball team (2-0) didn’t quite know what to expect as they tipped off against No. 20 Baylor (1-1).

This early in the season, without having faced a quality opponent, there were naturally a lot of question marks surrounding Altman’s limited roster.

“We’re not ready for that — I’ll just be real honest,” Altman bluntly said leading up to the ESPN 2 aired night game.

Without Jordan Bell and Dylan Ennis, Altman – like it or not – had to entrust a lot of the responsibilities to freshman like Tyler Dorsey and Kendall Small.

Dorsey, who was coming off a 20-point debut against Jackson State, followed up with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists tonight. With Dillon Brooks fouling out with about seven minutes to go – finishing with 10 points and five boards – Dorsey was a huge lift.

But here’s the bottom line: the Ducks came out looking sound on both sides of the ball against a physical, experienced Bears team and it was enough to come away with a notable 74-67 win in November.

“It was a pretty big game,” Dwayne Benjamin said. “They were a highly ranked team and we knew they were a real good team. We just wanted to see where we were compared to them.”

In their biggest non-conference test of the season, Oregon came up with consistent stops on the defensive end and spread the ball on offense. According to Altman, forcing 18 turnovers was “the difference in the game.”

So far, defense has been their recipe for success.

“I think our guys are thinking about it (potential on defense),” Altman said. “Right now we don’t have the offensive firepower that I think we’re going to develop as the season goes on, so we’ve really been talking about guarding and rebounding, trying to stay in games that way.”

With Bell still sidelined with a broken foot, Oregon’s new big Chris Boucher had another solid outing with 15 points and eight rebounds in the win.

“With Jordan Bell out, we’d be lost without him right now,” Altman said. “That’s a great first big test for him.”

The last six minutes were where the questions started to really flood in around the Ducks. After leading for the entirety of the game, Baylor’s struggling offense, which shot 39.3 percent this game, began to come alive, just as the game looked like it might slip away.

By the 3:17 mark, the Bears had strung together a quick 12-3 run that kept things interesting down the stretch. It was a combination of a gassed nine-man Oregon rotation that gave up easy buckets on one end and clanked questionable shots on the other.

“We ran out of gas…we had some god awful possessions,” Altman said.

During this stretch, the once fast paced, ball spreading, lob throwing Oregon offense that was seen in the first half – held 35-24 lead at halftime – took a plunge. Instead of attacking Baylor’s tricky zone, Altman’s balanced team got stagnant when Baylor went man-to-man, allowing Scott Drew’s veteran crew to creep back into the game.

Here is where Oregon received its first real gut check of the year. To get specific: it was the first time Altman had to figure what to do on offense without his go-to Joseph Young at the top of the key to bail the team out.

Altman chose to go to his veteran leader Elgin Cook.

“(the game plan was to) get it into the playmakers’ hands, which is Elgin,” Benjamin said. “He’s the leader on the team. We did and it ended up pretty good for us.”

Cook, who finished with a team-high 15 points and five boards, was isolated near the paint three straight possessions with less than two minutes to play when the shot clock was winding down in a close game. And while he ended up shooting an efficient 6-of-12 for the game, Cook managed to go just 1-for-3 – thanks to a fade away bank shot from the left elbow – with the game on the line.

Give credit to the Baylor defense, but also remember that Oregon failed to come up with quality looks in a tight game.

As Oregon progresses this season, they won’t be looking back at this early season matchup. Chances are that by the time it’s all said and done, this team will look drastically different once they return Bell and Ennis.

But for now, this Oregon roster is going to live and die by their defense until their offense comes along.

Everyone will remember the handful of lobs that Boucher flushed in and Dwayne Benjamin’s one-handed put back dunk early in the second half.

But it’s the team defense that allowed Oregon to overcome a 20-for-30 outing at the line, a dismal 6-for-25 performance from beyond the arc, and most importantly, a talented Baylor team that hadn’t given up 75 points in 46 games.

“I really think we can become a good defensive team when everybody continues to develop,” Altman said.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

Tyler Dorsey could do no wrong in Oregon’s season opener against Jackson State. Inking 18 first half points on 5-of-5 shooting, 4-of-4 from deep, the former Gatorade Player of the Year in California couldn’t have been any more efficient in Oregon’s 80-52 win over Jackson State last Friday.

With Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis out for an undisclosed period of time, Dorsey stepped up as the starting two-guard, making for a memorable college debut. He finished with a team-high 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.

“It was great,” Dorsey said. “We came out with a lot of intensity. Everybody was excited. If we play the way coach wants us to play, execute what he wants, we can be really good.”

“We know he’ll make the right plays if we just get him in the right spots,” Oregon forward Dwayne Benjamin said. “He did that tonight: passing the ball, shooting the ball, being real aggressive. We expect everything from him that he did tonight. We know what he can do, just want him to go out there and show it.”

Before Oregon faces its first Division I opponent in No. 22 Baylor on Monday, it had to take care of business against the visiting Tigers. The main focus was better overall execution of the offense and getting as prepared as possible for a top ranked team.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman’s nine-man roster did just that and more behind a barrage of threes, finishing 10-of-24 from beyond the arc in the game. The Ducks shot a combined 6-of-35 from three-point territory in their first two exhibition games.

Friday, the Ducks opened with back-to-back threes — one from Dorsey, the other from center Chris Boucher — quickly putting behind their recent cold streak.

“We did better than last [game],” Benjamin said of Oregon’s offensive execution. “I wouldn’t say we’re at where we want to be at, but we’re getting better each day at practice. Everybody is starting to know the offense and not think about it, just reactions.”

With Baylor up next for the Ducks, Altman was relatively pleased with how his thin rotation handled its first challenge. In addition to successfully distributing the rock — boasting four guys in double digit scoring — Oregon played sound defense.

The main concern for Altman remains on the glass as they prepare for a rebounding-proficient Baylor squad. Oregon edged the Tigers 38-33 in rebounds on Friday.

“We’re not ready for [the Baylor game], I’ll just be real honest,” Altman said. “They’re maybe the best rebounding team in the country. We’re going to have a couple days here to get focused, but it will be a big challenge for us.”

Altman is well aware that Monday will be as tough as a matchup his team will confront in non-conference play.

The bottom line is that the nation will see what Altman’s limited rotation is truly made of on Monday, regardless of whether they’re ready.

At last Wednesday’s practice, Altman said he wasn’t sure if his team was ready for this type of game and his team’s rebounding performance in the season opener did nothing to help answer his concerns.

ESPN 2 will begin its coverage at 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 16 at Matthew Knight Arena.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

After breezing by in exhibition games versus Northwest Christian (92-44) and Southern Oregon (91-40), the Oregon men’s basketball team will officially open its season Friday against Jackson State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.

The following Monday, the Ducks will square up with No. 22 ranked Baylor on ESPN 2.

No different than the exhibition games, head coach Dana Altman will be without Jordan Bell (foot) and Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis (foot) for opening weekend while they recover from injuries. According to Altman, Bell was scheduled to meet with doctors this past Wednesday for further examination. But as of now, “he’s moving well.”

In the meantime, Altman said he’s going to go with all nine of his scholarship players as the rotation remains thin until further notice. This will give younger players like Tyler Dorsey an opportunity to get more minutes and get acclimated to the Division I level.

“We’ll probably look at all nine guys on scholarship,” Altman said. “It’s not that big a group, especially the way the NCAA rules committee is, they’re really looking to call those fouls close. We’re going to have very closely called games early in the year. We may have to dip into our bench, also.”

With no prior meeting with Jackson State, the Ducks will be going on what they’ve seen on film. And while they were relatively vague with their scouting report at Wednesday’s availability, players and coaches did describe their first opponent as “very athletic.”

Last season, the Tigers (Southwestern Athletic Conference) went 11-21.

“We’ve only got one film from them this year,” Altman said. “They’re athletic, they got four starters back and they brought in a couple guards that are talented.”

All eyes will be on Oregon’s second matchup of the season, which will arguably be their toughest non-conference test of the season. Baylor, who made an early exit in last year’s NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed, begins the season ranked in the AP Top 25.

“Baylor will be a big challenge on Monday, there’s no doubt about that,” Altman said. “I’m not sure if we’re ready for a game like that.”

They return last year’s top two scorers Taurean Prince (13.9 PPG) and Rico Gathers (11.6 PPG). As a team, they have eight upperclassmen in total.

For Oregon, these first two games will serve as an early test. Altman, who has been preaching having a sense of urgency to his team, fully knows that the Bears will be an important game on Oregon’s schedule when it’s all said and done.

“It’s real urgent (right now),” Cook said. “We got to get focused. You just got to put it all together.”

As a team that is currently the first team looking from the outside in, Oregon will have an opportunity to crack next week’s rankings if things go their way. More importantly, this will be a good early season indicator for what this roster really has under the hood.

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim

Pac-12 rundown

Last March, the Pac-12 sent four teams to the NCAA tournament: Arizona (No. 2), Utah (No. 5), Oregon (No. 8) and UCLA (No. 11). Arizona survived the longest, dropping to Wisconsin 85-78 in the Elite Eight.

The Pac-12, which recently cut ties with a plethora of NBA talent in this year’s draft, will enter this season with three teams in the AP Top 25 — Arizona (No. 12), California (No. 14) and Utah (No. 16). Oregon received the most votes (116) for a team not in the initial rankings.

Here is the run down of every team heading into the season:

Arizona

Record last season: 34-4, 16-2 Pac-12

Key returners: Kaleb Tarczewski, Gabe York

Summary: After losing four key starters — T.J. McConnell, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Stanley Johnson and Brandon Ashley — to the NBA, Sean Miller will look to seasoned big man Kaleb Tarczewski for a reliable foundation to build on. Tarczewski, who has reportedly worked on his offensive game in the offseason, will be tasked with not only leading this year’s roster, but also stepping up as a primary option on both sides of the ball. No one is ever going to question Arizona’s talent level, but it will be worth watching Tarzewski’s progress as he plays the game of risk versus reward by staying another year.

California

Record last season: 18-15, 7-11 Pac-12

Key returners: Tyrone Wallace, Jordan Matthews, Jabari Bird

Summary: California will go as far as its strong recruits take them. Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, both highly touted recruits, have a lot of hype heading into the season and will have a lot of opportunities to play/start right away. Let’s see if the Golden Bears can make a drastic improvement following a productive offseason.

Utah

Last season record: 26-9, 13-5 Pac-12

Key returners: Jakob Poeltl, Jordan Loveridge

Summary: Delon Wright took his talents to the NBA, but that doesn’t mean Utah will be counting its losses. Returning 7-footer Jakob Poeltl, who averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, is projected to have a breakout season as the Utes’ anchor.

Oregon

Last season record: 26-10, 13-5 Pac-12

Key returners: Elgin Cook, Dwayne Benjamin, Dillon Brooks

Summary: Oregon will start the season just outside the Top 25. It’ll also enter the season with one of the most talented groups Dana Altman has had since taking over in 2010. Keep your eyes out for newcomers Tyler Dorsey and Chris Boucher to make an instant impact as the Ducks patiently wait for Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis to return from a foot injury.

UCLA

Last season record: 22-14, 11-7 Pac-12

Key returners: Tony Parker, Bryce Alford

Summary: Gone is Kevin Looney, UCLA’s top athlete and the Pac-12 reigning rebounding leader. Here is Tony Parker and Bryce Alford, two players that could form a formidable duo this season. The Bruins will be relying on their backcourt of Alford (15.4 points, 4.9 assists) and Isaac Hamilton (10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds), but if they avoid complacency, there’s no reason why they can’t be in the mix as an NCAA tournament bubble team with a balanced roster.

Oregon State

Last season record: 17-14, 8-10 Pac-12

Key returners: Gary Payton II

Summary: Wayne Tinkle made an immediate impact as Oregon State’s new head coach but he was limited by the lack of talent and depth in the Beavers roster he initially inherited. Now, Tinkle will have the luxury of pairing a program-best recruiting class with NBA-ready, senior point guard Gary Payton. The Beavers will be no pushovers this season.

Stanford

Last season record: 24-13, 9-9 Pac-12

Key returners: Marcus Allen, Rosco Allen

Summary: Despite winning the National Invitational Tournament to conclude the season last year, Stanford will be without their three main contributors. Losing Chasson Randle, Anthony Brown and Stefan Nastic, the Cardinal will essentially have to redefine themselves this season. As of now, the team doesn’t appear to have one glaring standout. Expect a balanced approach on both sides of the ball.

Arizona State

Last season record: 18-16, 9-9 Pac-12

Key returners: Savon Goodman, Gerry Blakes

Summary: After an impressive year at Buffalo, Bobby Hurley will be joining the Sun Devils staff in 2015. Hurley, who will have his fair share of returners at his disposal, could fly under the radar in a loaded Pac-12 conference. A lot will depend on Savon Goodman’s (11.2 points, 7.6 rebounds) production.

Colorado

Last season record: 16-18, 7-11 Pac-12

Key returners: Josh Scott

Summary: Colorado will live or die based on how senior Josh Scott plays this season. Scott, who is the lone double-digit scoring returner, will have to carry a lot of the Buffaloes’ weight this season. He averaged 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds last year.

USC

Last season record: 12-20, 3-15 Pac-12

Key returners: Katin Reinhardt, Nikola Jovanovic

Summary: USC will welcome back nine players from last season. Andy Enfield will have to make something of that. Coming off a dismal 3-15 outing in Pac-12 play, the Trojans will have the fortune of low expectations on their side. We’ll see if they can return to relevancy.

Washington

Last season record: 16-15, 5-13 Pac-12

Key returners: Andrew Andrews

Summary: The addition of a top-10 recruiting class will make the Huskies, at the very least, exciting. While head coach Lorenzo Romar will look to senior Andrew Andrews (15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds) for consistency, he’ll also try to integrate freshman Dejounte Murray as soon as possible. The two could end up forming a deadly backcourt, as Murray carries early NBA potential.

Washington State

Last season record: 13-18, 7-11 Pac-12

Key returners: Josh Hawkinson, Ike Iroegbu

Summary: Projections for the Cougars this season are low for two main reasons: lack of experience and overall depth. While Josh Hawkinson (14.7 points, 10.8 rebounds) and Ike Iroegbu will anchor the Cougars, the rest of the roster will need to do much more if they want to stay afloat in the Pac-12.