Coaches are always put in difficult positions when their players are shone in a negative light. On one hand, their paychecks and reputation depend on wins against losses. On the other, they’re seen as dignitaries who are responsible for upholding their players’ reputations as role models. And on a third, perhaps bionic, hand, coaches are expected to defend their players and any actions they may carry out while simultaneously enacting a proper punishment.

When men’s basketball sophomore guard Damyean Dotson was cited for using fake I.D. early in the morning of Feb. 22, he put himself and head coach Dana Altman in precarious positions.

Dotson made a bad decision at one of the worst possible times. On the heels of back-to-back wins as his team was beginning the final two weeks of the regular season, two weeks that will play a huge role in determining Oregon’s worthiness of an NCAA tournament at-large bid. What’s worse, Dotson and the Ducks had a date with Washington State in about 40 hours.

Altman, meanwhile, had to take the information and formulate the perfect solution to a problem that the media world would be buzzing about in a few short hours.

Altman had many things to consider regarding Dotson’s status. First was how any form of punishment would affect the upcoming game. Luckily for Altman, Dotson and the Ducks, Washington State is the worst team in the Pac-12 and Oregon destroyed them in the teams’ first meeting. Second, while Dotson didn’t do anything heinous or put anybody in danger, he broke the law, meaning Altman had to do something in the way of clarifying right from wrong. Third, Altman had to stand by Dotson’s side and reassure the masses that the 19 year old made a common mistake.

“I’ve worked with young men for a long time and I know at times they make mistakes,” Altman told reporters on Feb. 25.

Ultimately, Altman sat Dotson for the game against Washington State and Oregon won 67-53.

Altman handled the situation perfectly. He won the game, disciplined Dotson and publicly focused on his otherwise good character.

“Every individual is different. Every individual has a history,” Altman said. “I give them credit for things they do well and when they make a mistake then we take that into account too. (Dotson) has a lot of credit built up because he’s done a lot of good things the last two years and I really appreciate everything he’s given to the program.”

Suspending Dotson for the Washington State game wasn’t detrimental. Had Dotson’s citation come at another point in the season, say, two nights before the regular season finale against Arizona, would Dotson have sat the entire game?

We’ll never know. But my gut tells me Altman would have made the same decision.

Oregon was trailing Washington State 31-24 at halftime and arguably playing their worst basketball of the season. If there was ever a time to end Dotson’s punishment, it was then.

But Altman didn’t falter and kept Dotson on the bench.

Thursday, Dotson was re-inserted into the starting lineup against UCLA and helped Oregon win a double overtime thriller.

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After starting the 2014 season a perfect 8-0, the Oregon baseball team faced its first true test in fifth-ranked Cal State Fullerton and didn’t pass, getting swept in the three-game series.

At first glance, it may appear that this year’s Ducks can’t compete with the top dogs of college baseball. With the loss of several key players to the pros and injury, Oregon’s roster is much more inexperienced than in years past and, so far, the major differences have been fundamentals and overall knowledge of the game.

“It’s a mixed bag of youth and inexperience,” head coach George Horton said following Sunday’s loss. “If you’re going to play championship baseball, it’s one inning or one thing every single game that usually determines win or lose.”

In the series against Fullerton, Oregon left 16 runners on base and drew just four walks against 23 strikeouts. For a team with little power, getting on base and executing is a major key to success.

“I thought we had quality at-bats, we just didn’t come through in the end, yesterday and today,” outfielder Kyle Garlick said. “They had more timely hitting than us this series. I think that’s what we lacked.”

However, it isn’t time to press the panic button. Oregon visited Cal State Fullerton last season and lost two of three before winning five of their next six series.

The Ducks will have ample opportunities to prove themselves against tough opponents. Their schedule includes five games against No. 4 Oregon State and three against No. 19 UCLA. The Pac-12 is widely considered one of the best baseball conferences in the nation and features teams like USC, Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State that are perennially successful.

“These last two games, we played well enough to win,” second baseman Aaron Payne said. “A couple breaks here and there and it could go different. We’re right there.”

Another issue for the Ducks this season has been defense. Horton’s teams have prided themselves on pitching, defense and small ball, all of which have been there for Oregon this season except the leather.

“If we’re worthy enough to get into the payoffs you can’t give good teams free base runners,” Horton said. “We made some mental mistakes today. Porter Clayton gets a comebacker, could have got a double play ball, goes to the wrong base.”

Oregon has committed 14 errors through 11 games (four multi-error games, three error-less games). While they haven’t come back to bite the Ducks yet, it’s something to keep an eye on going forward.

“We even caught ourselves doing some not great stuff in Hawaii and got away with it but we didn’t brush it under the rug,” Horton said. “We have our standards of playing the game … The great news in Hawaii is we were able to overcome that. We can’t do that against the likes of Cal State Fullerton.”

How will Oregon rebound after getting swept for the first time since May of 2012? We’ll find out on Tuesday as the Ducks play a quick two-game turnaround series against Seattle.

Horton quoted Vince Lombardi in saying how he expected his team to respond.

“The real glory is getting knocked to your knees and then coming back and we got knocked to our knees,” Horton said. “If I know my guys the right way, they usually respond to things and I think they’ll respond.”

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Oregon got off to a bad start but pulled ahead late in the second half and closed out USC with a 17-3 run to win 78-63 in Los Angeles, Calif. this afternoon. The Ducks have won five games in a row and will head back to Eugene with better odds of playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams got off to strong starts offensively and traded buckets for most of the first half. Pe’Shon Howard hit a three to give USC a seven point lead at 19-12, the largest for either team in the first half. It would be short-lived, though, as Jason Calliste answered with a three of his own on Oregon’s next possession.

The score was tied at 36 at halftime with free-throw shooting being the difference. USC hit their first 10 attempts from the line and finished 10-for-12 in the first half, while the typically sharp Ducks shot 7-for-12.

Each side came out of the locker room and matched the other on the scoreboard for almost 10 minutes, until Elgin Cook made a jumper to break a 58-58 tie and give Oregon a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Byron Wesley’s field goal at the 9:27 mark would be the last basket for USC, who scored just three points down the stretch on o-for-5 shooting while committing six turnovers and five fouls.

Oregon took advantage of the sloppy play and capitalized at the charity stripe, knocking down all eight free-throw attempts.

The Ducks’ bench contributed 35 points, 25 of which came from Calliste and Cook. Cook scored 12 points, his first double-digit scoring game since he had 12 against Illinois on Dec. 14.

Senior Mike Moser put together his second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was Moser’s fifth double-double of the season. He added four assists and shot 9-for-15 from the field. The 6-foot-8 Moser played steady defense in place of Richard Amardi, who fouled out with 12:26 to play.

Leading scorer Joseph Young had a poor shooting night (5-for-15) but added 16 points for his 11th straight double-digit scoring effort.

Howard led the way offensively for the Trojans with 20 points. Leading scorer and rebounder Wesley contributed a quiet 12 points and two boards on 5-for-6 shooting.

Oregon (20-8, 8-8) wrapped up a much-needed L.A. sweep and positioned themselves to receive an at-large NCAA Tournament bid if they can split their home series next week against Arizona and Arizona State.

USC (10-19, 1-15) suffered a 10th straight loss and has dropped 15 of their last 16 games in what has been a disappointing season for first-year head coach Andy Enfield. The Trojans wrap up their regular season in Washington against the Cougars and Huskies.

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UCLA men’s basketball coach Steve Alford has suspended sophomore guards Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson for tonight’s game against Oregon, the UCLA athletic department announced.

Per the announcement, Anderson and Adams violated team rules.

Adams is the Bruins’ leading scorer with 17.2 points per game and averages the second most rebounds at 5.6. Anderson is second in scoring with 14.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounds (8.6) and assists (6.9). Anderson and Adams lead UCLA in minutes per game with 33 and 30.5, respectively and have both started all 27 games this season.

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– Former Oregon cornerback Terrance Mitchell completed his NFL Combine workouts in Indianapolis, Ind., on Tuesday. Mitchell didn’t rank in the top 15 among defensive backs in the 40-yard dash (4.63 seconds), vertical jump (34 inches) or broad jump (117 inches) but recorded the fastest time in the 3-cone drill (6.57 seconds) and tied for the best time in the 20-yard shuttle (4 seconds). Mitchell elected to forgo his senior season at Oregon and declare for the NFL Draft on Jan. 2 and is projected to be selected in the third round by Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller.

– The ninth ranked Oregon baseball team defeated the University of Portland 8-2 last night to improve to 8-0 on the season. The Ducks were sparked by a six-run first inning which included a three-run home run off the bat of junior catcher Shaun Chase, his first hit of the season. Starting pitcher Jeff Gold (2-0) threw five innings, allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. The home opener was the first of a 15-game home stand for Oregon. Next up is head coach George Horton’s old team, No. 5 Cal State Fullerton.

– Former Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla was awarded $10,000 by Adidas at the NFL Combine. Lyerla recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time while wearing the Adidas adizero 5-star 40 cleat model. Former Oregon State wideout Brandin Cooks was also given prize money and was later awarded $100,000 by Adidas for running the fastest overall 40-yard dash in the cleats.

– The Oregon softball team has been on a roll and has an improved ranking in two major collegiate softball polls. The Ducks climbed from No. 6 to No. 4 in the USA Today/NFCA poll, and from No.8 to No. 6 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. They have won 14 straight games and are now 14-1 on the season after going a perfect 5-0 in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.

– Emerald sports reporter Hayden Kim was a guest on KWVA‘s Quack Smack last night to discuss Oregon men’s basketball and the Ducks’ upcoming Los Angeles road trip, as well as suspended sophomore guard Damyean Dotson. Kim’s complete audio session can be heard here. KWVA’s Quack Smack airs from 6-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and will feature an Emerald sports reporter every Tuesday. KWVA also airs Friday Night Spotlight from 7-9 p.m. each week.

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In terms of a player’s performance being synonymous with his team’s, Oregon senior forward Mike Moser is as close as it gets. The fifth-year transfer from UNLV has pulled himself out of a slump and helped the Ducks re-enter NCAA tournament discussions.

Moser was a huge part of Oregon’s hot start this season, averaging 14.6 points and 7.7 rebounds through 16 games, 13 of which were wins. Even though the Ducks were on a slide to begin Pac-12 play, Moser stayed consistent and the Ducks appeared poised to end the losing streak at three games.

Instead, the losses piled up and Moser wasn’t himself. Oregon lost five of its next seven games, all but bursting its March Madness bubble. Moser’s scoring average dipped to 8.1 points and he shot just 35.3 percent from the field during that span.

“I think he put a tremendous amount of pressure on himself there for a while,” head coach Dana Altman said following Oregon’s 67-53 win over Washington State. “When things weren’t going well for us, he was trying to do too much and it didn’t work. Mike had some games there where he didn’t play well and felt really bad about them. He’s worked awfully hard in practice … Mike’s a good player, a good person and he wants to do the right thing.”

Not coincidentally, Moser’s play has improved and so has Oregon’s. The team has won three-straight games and re-entered themselves in the discussion of college basketball’s 68 best teams.

During the short but much-needed winning streak, Moser has averaged 18.7 points and has made 55.6 percent of shots from the floor. He’s led Oregon in scoring in each of the last two games and put up 21 tonight, highlighted by 11-straight points to begin the second half.

“I was just trying to bring some energy,” Moser said. “I just tried to come out with energy and tried to pick my teammates up and got some people going, so it kind of worked out.”

Altman noted the positive energy change following Moser’s steal and powerful dunk to open the half.

“The energy was just totally different,” Altman said. “With Mike getting the steal and a dunk and then we get the three right back … the energy level just changed.”

Former Oregon standout Fred Jones will be inducted into the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Hall of Honor. Jones was the captain of the Ducks team that won the 2010 Pac-10 championship and advanced to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.

Jones is remembered fondly for his flashy dunks during his time at Oregon and he’s tied for seventh all-time in total points scored. Jones also put together the third-highest scoring season in Oregon history with 650 during the 2001-02 season. Currently, Jones ranks in the top 10 in several statistical categories including assists (seventh), steals (fifth), blocked shots (T-fifth), field goals (10th) and free throws (seventh).

The Barlow High alum was a 2002 All-Pac-10 selection and was named team MVP for the 2001-02 season. He was a first round draft pick of the Indiana Pacers and played eight seasons in the NBA, highlighted by the 2004-05 season in which he averaged a career high 10.6 points per game and shot 85 percent from the free throw line.

Jones became the only Oregon player to win an NBA Slam Dunk Contest when he won in 2004 as a member of the Indiana Pacers. Following his NBA career, Jones played two seasons professionally overseas (Italy, China).

Jones and 11 other inductees will be honored March 14 during the Pac-12 Tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

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When Johnathan Loyd’s name is entered into Google search, the first result that appears after his bio is a photograph. The 5-foot-8 guard is defending UC Irvine’s Mamadou Ndiaye — a 7-foot-6 center. Though his impact on the Oregon basketball program may be small at first glance, the senior has led Oregon’s revitalization and will go down as an all-time great.

Johnathan grew up living and breathing basketball. His father, Michael, played point guard at University of Nevada, Las Vegas from 1978-81 and passed down his wealth of hoops knowledge to each of his three sons: Michael Jr., Kevin and Johnathan. Johnathan says that to this day, his father reviews game film with him and acts as one of his coaches.

“Everything I know is from him,” Johnathan said. “I still talk to him every week and he lets me know what he sees from the games. We go over film together and he’s meant the world to me through this.”

Both of Johnathan’s brothers played college basketball as well. Michael Jr. played two years at BYU before transferring to Midwestern State University. Kevin played his first two seasons at Grambling State before joining Michael Jr. at MSU. Kevin said that as a kid watching game film was like clockwork in the Loyd household.

“(Our dad) was basically our coach and our teacher growing up,” Kevin said. ”He filmed just about every game we played in. (Mom) had a camera and he had a camera wherever we were and that night we’d sit there as a family in front of the TV and go over games.”

The hours and years of practice led Johnathan to Bishop Gorman High School, a school that’s nationally renowned for its athletic success. Johnathan led the Gaels to consecutive state championships in 2009 and 2010, and finished his career with 102 wins, second on the all-time list.

“He’s the type of kid you would want on your team,” long-time assistant coach Mike Wright said. “There was no obstacle that was ever too big for him to conquer. His junior year he probably had five game-winners. He had ice in his veins, never scared of a challenge.”

His senior year, Johnathan joined the football team four games into their schedule. Despite missing nearly half the season, Johnathan excelled on special teams and returned five punts for touchdowns in what would be a state championship season.

Johnathan wrapped up his athletic career at Bishop Gorman with accolades in both sports. A first team all-state return man selection in football, Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year and class 4A boy’s basketball player of the year honors on the hardwood.

Despite the incredible success Johnathan has had on both an individual and team level in two sports, he wasn’t highly recruited for football and was given three out of five stars for basketball by ESPN.

“You put John in a 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3 body he’s probably a top player in the country and every team wants him,” Wright said.

In the end, Johnathan’s heart was in basketball and his final decision came down to UNLV — his dream school and father’s alma mater — or Oregon, which had a re-tooled coaching staff headed by Dana Altman. Both offers came in late and swayed Johnathan away from his determined finalists of Northwestern and George Washington, according to a report by the Register-Guard. 

Johnathan ultimately chose Oregon and was Altman’s first signing.

“The recruiting got crazy on him, which ended up being a great thing for us,” Altman told the Register-Guard. “With so many people involved, it dragged his recruiting out and enabled us to get back in on him.”

At 5-foot-8, Johnathan is shorter than most on the basketball court. Throughout his playing career and life, it hasn’t held him back an inch.

“Johnathan’s always had that pit bull mentality,” Kevin said. “He’s never seen someone as bigger or taller than he is. In his eyes he’s the biggest and strongest one on the court. Being that small, you have to have that mentality to make it at that level.”

Wright agreed.

“To be honest, I don’t even think Johnathan knew he was short,” Wright said. “We would put him on any player, whoever was the other team’s best player. He puts in the work and he believes in what he’s doing and believes in his own abilities as a player regardless of his height.”

Oregon’s fast-paced style of basketball fits Johnathan’s need for speed. When he’s in the driver’s seat, it’s easy to dismiss his less-than-ideal basketball size. Johnathan has always had a knack for flare, namely alley-oops.

“As a point guard it was like giving a brand new car to a teenager,” Wright said. “He didn’t know how to drive at first but he was excited to have the keys in his hands. He was making passes that he knew he shouldn’t be making and by the time he got to his senior year he was completing those passes and throwing alley-oops.”

Through all the hoops, alley-oops and obstacles, Johnathan has remained a consistent contributor for the Ducks. He doesn’t start every game or put up brilliant numbers, but Johnathan has been a necessary cog in Oregon’s rebuilding process. He’s played in the CBI and NIT, won the Pac-12 Tournament and ridden a dream season to the sweet 16.

“Johnathan has been a great leader for us,” Oregon assistant coach Tony Stubblefield said. “He brings energy every day he steps on the floor. He has a great work ethic and that’s improved over the time he’s been here … I’ve just seen the maturity in his growth. He’s been a big part of what we’ve been doing.”

With a month left in his senior season, Johnathan is averaging career highs in points and assists, shooting career best percentages from the field, three-point and free throw line and leads the Pac-12 in assist to turnover ratio and free throw percentage. He’s tied for fifth all-time among Oregon players in assists and is seventh in steals. He’s one of three Ducks to be recognized as the Pac-12 tournament’s most outstanding player. He has played in more games than any player in Oregon history, and he became the winningest basketball player do ever don an Oregon O following Wednesday night’s 78-71 victory over Washington.

“It’s been a long but quick four years,” Johnathan said. “The fans have been so supportive of me. Even at times when I was struggling they were always there to just say ‘we believe in you’ … that really helped me. It’s tough being in a big man’s world but I like it. It’s a challenge I’m never going to turn down.”

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Oregon and Washington State will meet for the second and final time on Sunday, Feb. 23. The Ducks won the first match 71-44 in Pullman and have won six straight against the Cougars.

What to watch for

Oregon

The Ducks are in dire need of wins as they look to return to the NCAA tournament. In their win against Oregon State, Oregon seemed to regain its early season success, as it was strong at the three-point line and relied on outscoring its opponent. Washington State is the worst team in the Pac-12, so that strategy may work again.

Washington State

The Cougars rank last in the conference in a dozen statistical categories, but one thing they do particularly well is shoot and make threes. While the conversion percentage isn’t high (34.0), Washington State makes almost eight threes per game, second in the Pac-12 to Arizona State. If WSU can be efficient from deep, they’ll have a chance to pull off the upset.

Who to watch

Oregon

Joseph Young is on a hot streak. Oregon’s leading scorer has put up 20 or more points in four of his last six games when 33-of-34 from the free throw line. Oregon is 8-3 when Young scores 20-plus this season, so as long as he gets going the Ducks should find success.  

Senior point guard Johnathan Loyd is climbing the Oregon record books as he closes out his collegiate career. He’s first all-time in total games played and tied fifth in career assists and steals. The winningest player in Oregon history is averaging career-highs in points and assists and leads the Pac-12 in assist to turnover ratio and free throw percentage.

Washington State

Junior standout DaVonte Lacy recently returned from an injury and is on a tear. In five games since returning, Lacy is averaging 23.6 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting, 46.2 percent from three and 96.6 percent at the line (as of Feb. 18). He scored a career-high 34 against Colorado on Feb. 5. Then two games later, he scored 39 against Cal. Lacy is in full command of his game offensively and his much-needed return should spark the Cougars, who were without Lacy against Oregon earlier this season.

Keys to victory

Oregon

Out-score the opponent. Channel its inner Chip Kelly. Washington State ranks last in the conference in rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and scoring offense. If Oregon scores points like it usually does, it should have no trouble sending the Cougars back to Pullman with a loss.

Washington State

The Cougars need to hit the three ball. Washington State has attempted 570 three-pointers this season to lead the Pac-12, but has only made 194 of them. Lacy and Que Johnson will need to be lights out come Sunday.

The Cougars also need to stay out of foul trouble. Oregon is second in the nation and first in the conference in free throw percentage at 77.9 percent, with Young, Loyd and Jason Calliste all shooting better than 84 percent.

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Oregon men’s basketball senior point guard Johnathan Loyd spoke to reporters before today’s practice and discussed Oregon’s upcoming game against Washington. Loyd touched on the importance of the game from a team standpoint and also for the seniors, who will be facing the Huskies for the last time in the regular season.

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