The Oregon men’s basketball team will be playing for more than a win when it hosts Cal on Thursday.

While the game might just be another Pac-12 game, the 2016-17 Ducks (16-2, 5-0 Pac-12) will look to etch their name into the Oregon record book. An Oregon win would be the program’s 15 consecutive victory, tying a 104-year old program record for most consecutive wins.

“It’ll be hard to get done,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said on Wednesday. “Cal’s had a lot of success here. … So we’ve got our work cut out for us — no doubt about it.”

If a different history repeats itself, Oregon’s current win streak could come to an end. Last year when Oregon played in Berkeley, the Ducks were ranked No. 11 in the nation — the same ranking they currently hold. Cal upset Oregon by a 83-63 final.

“You can’t sleep on other teams. … You’ve got to take one game at a time, and one step at a time,” guard Tyler Dorsey said. “If we want to win the Pac-12, we can’t let any games go. Your record can change in one week, so you can’t take a week off.

“Every week is critical.”

This year, Oregon square off a length Cal (13-5, 4-2 Pac-12) team. Three Golden Bears, who average over 15 minutes a game, stand 6-foot-11 or taller. Ivan Rabb (6-foot-11), Kingsley Okoroh (7-foot) and Kameron Rooks (7-foot-1) combine to average 23 rebounds and six blocks per game.

“They’re a great offensive rebounding team so we are going to have to focus on blocking out and playing defense,” forward Chris Boucher said on Wednesday. “We know how important their offensive rebounding is so we are going to focus on that today (in practice).”

The best of the bunch is sophomore Rabb, a projected lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft. He’s averaging 17.3 points and 14.2 points per game since conference play began six games ago. He’s also posted a double-double in five games.

The Golden Bears don’t just rely on Rabb, though. Guard Charlie Moore is one of the quickest guards in the Pac-12 and averages 14.6 points per game while Jabari Bird — a former four-star recruit — is averaging 13.4 points per game.

“He (Bird) can definitely be deadly from three,” Dorsey said. “He got hot on us at their house last year. He’s definitely a streaky shooter so we can’t let him get going.”

The Ducks will look to avenge last year’s loss with a deeper roster.  Five different players average double-figures while freshman Payton Pritchard (8.3 points a game) is coming off a 17-point performance versus Oregon State.

The Ducks will look to counter Cal’s height and offensive rebounding prowess by sending out 6-foot-9 Jordan Bell, 6-foot-10 Boucher and 6-foot-11 Kavell Bigby-Williams. Combined, the three players grab an average 18 rebounds a game while Bell and Boucher each average over two blocks per game.

Tipoff between the Ducks and Golden Bears is set for 6 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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Oregon head football coach Willie Taggart has continued his trend of hiring outside the previous Oregon administration.

In his latest move, Taggart has hired Irele Oderinde as a new strength and conditioning coach for the football team. Jim Radcliffe, who has been with the Ducks for 32 years, will remain a strength and conditioning coach for all the Oregon athletic programs.

Irele Oderinde (from GoUSFBulls.com)

Oderinde has worked alongside Taggart in the past. He was South Florida’s director of athletic performance during Taggart’s tenure and a strength and conditioning coach at Western Kentucky, Notre Dame, South Carolina and West Virginia before. Prior to becoming a strength coach, Oderinde was a defensive lineman on Western Kentucky’s 2002 FCS National Championship team, whose co-offensive coordinator was Taggart.

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Oregon head coach Dana Altman had heard the hype about his Ducks before the season.

If things played out well, Altman and the Ducks knew they could be the last team standing at the end of the college basketball season. But, if Oregon was going to reach its final destination, the month of December would be vital.

“We had a stretch there where we were playing every day so having some time to really practice in between games is important for us,” Altman said at the beginning of December. “This month will be the most important part of our season because this is where we really make our improvements for the rest of the year.”

Including two games at the end of November, Oregon (15-2, 4-0 Pac-12) played seven nonconference and two Pac-12 games to finish the calendar year.

During that timespan, Oregon improved. The No. 15 Ducks cleaned up their early-season issues, re-acclimated standout Dillon Brooks to the lineup and knocked off two undefeated teams in UCLA and USC cap an undefeated December showing.

“We’re getting closer to where we want to be. … We’ve definitely made some strides but there’s still more steps to be taken,” Altman said. “Playing at home with some development games — I call them development games because we got to get better — helped us find ways to win.”

Early in the season, the Ducks struggled with ball movement on offense to jumpstart a stagnant offense. The extra practice time paid off as Oregon averaged 85.1 points per game, up considerably from the 70.8 points averaged to that point.

“I’m loving the way our team chemistry is right now,” Brooks said. “Guys feel great and are energized each day to get better.

“We are all pushing each other, getting more comfortable with one another and finding different ways to score the ball.”

Defensively, Oregon hoped to use the month as a stepping stone to improving its defensive capability for a full game. Oregon checked that box when the Ducks held seven of nine opponents under 64 points, a noticeable improvement from when five of their first six opponents scored more than 64 points.

Oregon was also focused on reacclimating Brooks brooks with the court.

When he first returned from his foot injury, he struggled. He admitted to “trying too hard” and wanting to assert himself right away when he wasn’t ready. Since getting a few games under his belt, it’s safe to say Brooks is back to full strength.

Brooks was awarded NCAA Player of the Week two weeks ago when he helped lead Oregon past previously undefeated No. 2 UCLA and No. 21 USC. Brooks hit a last-second 3-pointer to propel the Ducks to victory over the Bruins before scoring a career-high 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting.

“He was big time for us the last couple of games,” guard Casey Benson said of Brooks. “It’s been good to see him get back into his rhythm, which has helped us get back into ours.”

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— The Oregon men basketball team came from behind to defeat No. 2 UCLA 89-87 on Wednesday night. Dillon Brooks, Oregon’s preseason All-American, drilled a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left to extend the Ducks’ home-winning streak to 34 games. The win was Oregon’s first victory over a No. 2-ranked team since 2007.

— Oregon women’s basketball team is off to start that is exceeding preseason expectations. The Ducks were predicted to finish seventh in the Pac-12 conference but enter conference play with a 10-2 record. Led by freshman Sabrina Ionescu and sharpshooter Lexi Bando, Oregon will look to make an early statement when three of its first six games are against squads ranked in the top-25.

— When it comes to football, Oregon’s defensive unit was one of the worst units in the nation last year. After the Ducks hired head coach Willie Taggart, one of his first moves was to find a new defensive coordinator. When his search was over, former Colorado defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt left Boulder to come take the same role with the Ducks. Leavitt will receive $4.6 million over four years, making him the highest paid assistant coach in the Pac-12.

— After Taggart Leavitt, Jimmie Dougherty joined the Oregon staff as wide receivers coach. He signed a two-year, $500,ooo contract with the Ducks. Both Dougherty and Leavitt are up for $125,000 in bonuses per year, depending on how Oregon performs during the regular season and postseason.

— With Wednesday’s victory over UCLA, the Ducks have turned their attention to undefeated and No. 22-ranked USC. Oregon faces the Trojans on Friday night, completing one of the tougher opening weekends in conference history for the Ducks. The Pac-12 conference is loaded with top talent as UCLA, USC, Oregon and Arizona are all ranked in the AP Top 25. The star power is big also as three of the top players in the conference all freshmen. Here’s a conference preview of what and who to watch in the Pac-12.

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Kicking off Pac-12 conference play will be a high-profile showdown between No. 2 UCLA and No. 21 Oregon, widely considered two of the top teams coming out of the nonconference schedule.

While Oregon began the season as the clear frontrunner to win the conference, the Southern California schools have stolen the headlines. UCLA and No. 22 USC both enter conference play with perfect 13-0 records while No. 18 Arizona is also at 11-2.

If nonconference play is indicative of what’s to come for the Pac-12 title race, it should be an entertaining one.

Here is a breakdown of the top teams and the top players in the Pac-12 so far.

Teams

UCLA: The Bruins have arguably the best win of the college basketball season when they went to Lexington, Kentucky, and took out then-No. 1 Kentucky 97-92. The Bruins came from behind in the game. Once they got the lead, they never let Kentucky back in. UCLA is the deepest team in the conference with six players averaging double-figures. The Bruins shoot 42.8 percent from 3-point range while attempting over 25 3-pointers a game. While UCLA make struggle defensively, the Bruins are tricky to stop on the offensive end.

USC: Clearly the surprise team of the conference, the Trojans are still somewhat of an unknown. Yes, they’re undefeated, but their strength of schedule is lacking with one quality win over Texas A&M. Still, five players average double-figures for a team that likes to push the pace and run. However, Bennie Boatwright is expected to miss the first four games of conference play because of an MCL sprain. USC may be confident and undefeated, but it’ll be tested for the first time all year when it plays at Oregon on Friday.

Arizona: The biggest question mark is Arizona. The Wildcats are missing point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright to an ankle sprain while star Allonzo Trier hasn’t played all year due to eligibility concerns. Head coach Sean Miller has his team fighting and playing great team defense, giving up a 60.8 points per game. Even without Trier, eight players average more than 17 minutes a game. If Trier and his 14.8 points a game returns, Arizona is a true threat for a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Players

Markelle Fultz, G, Washington: Fultz is the best player in the conference — he just happens to play for one of the worst teams in the Pac-12. He’s a do-everything point guard (22 points a game, 6.2 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals) who has become a star in Seattle. He can take over game with scoring or defensive ability. If the ball is in his hand with the game on the line, he will make the right play. Still, to be a threat Washington has to win and that’s not something its consistently capable of.

Lonzo Ball, G, UCLA: The other top freshman in the Pac-12 resides at Pauley Pavilion where he’s been credited with UCLA’s resurgence. Ball brings an eerie calmness to UCLA that shows in how the Bruins execute with the game on the line. He averages 13.7 points, 8.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43.3 percent from deep. Don’t be surprised if he’s crowned as the Pac-12’s best when it’s all said and done.

Lauri Markkanen, F, Arizona: The true 7-footer is just getting better and better for the Wildcats. Markkanen can beat opponents in many ways as he averages 16.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He’s smooth with great footwork when down low but can also step out and hit a 3-pointer. The big man is why Arizona is still valid. If the Wildcats make their typical late season push, Markkanen will be a significant piece of the puzzle.

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Christmas is just under a week away, but the Oregon football program is getting a couple of nice presents early.

After all-American running back Royce Freeman announced earlier today that he will be returning for his senior season, the Ducks got another big commitment.

Tyrell Crosby, Oregon’s starting left tackle entering the 2016 season, announced on Twitter that he too will be returning to the Ducks next year. It’s a huge announcement for Oregon considering Crosby is one of the best left tackles in college football at neutralizing the opponent’s best pass rusher. At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, he was rated as the sixth-best offensive tackle in college football entering the 2016 season by NFL Draft Scout.

“There were many factors I took into consideration as to whether or not to return to Oregon for my senior year,” Crosby wrote in an Instagram post. “After talking with Coach Taggart, I realized that I wanted to be a part of the plan he has for this program. My family and loved ones are supportive of my decision to return to Oregon next year. The NFL remains my ultimate dream, and I think this puts me in the best position to realize that dream. I am excited to finish out my career at Oregon next year. Go Ducks!”

Crosby played in two games last year before suffering a broken foot against Nebraska that derailed his season. He sat out the remainder of the year and watched as Oregon’s season went up in flames, leading to the eventual firing of head coach Mark Helfrich.

Crosby will play alongside an improving offensive line that started four redshirt freshmen this year. Crosby, a senior, is expected to be fully healthy once the season begins.

Adding Freeman and Crosby back to Oregon’s offense could make the Ducks formidable on offense once again.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

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With just over six minutes remaining, No. 22 Oregon found itself in a fight with Montana. The Grizzlies, who entered the game with a record of 3-7, had just hit a 3-pointer and cut Oregon’s deficit to 67-61.

However, the Ducks responded with a 7-0 run over the next two minutes to put the game away and earn their seventh consecutive victory. Led by Chris Boucher’s 23 points and 19 rebounds, Oregon defeated Montana 81-67 and upped its record to 9-2, including a perfect 7-0 mark at home.

“The number of rebounds didn’t matter to me. I just wanted to win that game and do my job,” Boucher said. “Every game counts now an we just got to win every game. Unfortunately we got off to a slow start but we were able to fix things and get the win.”

Boucher was masterful for Oregon, amassing a career-high in rebounds and adding five blocks and two steals. He went 9-for-14 from the field, 5-for-8 from the free throw line and grabbed six offensive rebounds.

“Tonight Chris absolutely saved us,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “His 19 rebounds was the difference in the game.”

Dylan Ennis also added a career-high as he finished with 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including two big 3-pointers at the end of each half.

Montana hung around in the game by forcing 11 first-half turnovers and then grabbing eight offensive rebounds in the second half. Besides Boucher, Oregon struggled to grab rebounds against Montana. The rest of the Ducks were outrebounded 19-12 in the second half.

“I thought our defensive activity at times was pretty good but other times, we had some breakdowns,” Altman said. “The rebounding game was bad. They had 16 offensive rebounds but they didn’t get a lot of points off them.”

Oregon forced 13 Montana turnovers and turned that into 21 points, a big turning point in the game according to Altman.

The Ducks got lost on defense to start the second half. It led to open Montana shots as the Grizzlies cut the deficit to one, 46-45.

Oregon then rattled off a 9-0 run to take its largest lead of the game. Montana closed the gap to six points before Oregon’s final run sealed the victory.

The game began with an ugly start by both teams. Montana got on the board first with a layup two minutes into the game before the Ducks rattled off 10 in a row for the early lead.

It was short-lived however as the Grizzlies clawed their way back into thpe game, tying the it at 10 apiece. The Grizzlies continued to build on their momentum and eventually took a 21-14 lead on an Ahmaad Rorie jumper with 8:03 to play in the half.

“We started off fast with a 10-2 lead but we have to maintain that and we didn’t,” Payton Pritchard said. “It’s still early in the season and we’re still coming together. Sometimes you’re going to have those stretches but we are going to battle through them.”

Pritchard finished the game with 12 points while Jordan Bell added eight points and eight rebounds.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

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Entering the 2016-17 college basketball season, the Oregon basketball team had high expectations. The Ducks were ranked No. 5 in the nation — reaching as high as No. 1 in some polls — and were the returning Pac-12 Champions.

With all the pieces in tact for the Ducks to make a run to the Final Four this year, chemistry, cohesion and understanding of the game were going to have to develop if Oregon wanted to live up to the hype.

Because of this importance, head coach Dana Altman views the month of December — in which Oregon will play seven home games — as the most vital experience for his team to succeed in March.

“We had a stretch there where we were playing every day so having some time to really practice in between games is important for us,” Altman said. “This month will be the most important part of our season because this is where we really make our improvements for the rest of the year.”

When Oregon made its run to the Elite Eight last spring, Altman and many of his players credited a productive December as the reason for standout play come March.

“You could tell that last year at this time, we really learned a lot about ourselves and it carried us through the rest of the season,” guard Tyler Dorsey said. “We took the time to really grow close as a team and that helped us later when we were in close games. We knew we could trust each other to get the job done.”

Oregon opened December play with a win over Savannah State on Sunday.

Last year, the Ducks went 5-2 in December, losing close games at UNLV and Boise State before taking control late in the month. Dorsey said that it was during those losses on the road that Oregon grew into a team that knew what it would take to win when visiting opposing Pac-12 foes.

“One of the hardest things about this conference is going on the road and winning,” Dorsey said. “Last year we learned how to do that by struggling and fighting through in December. That helped us go so far.”

The month of December is typically reserved for teams to iron out all their issues and fine tune their respective styles of play. For Altman, he’s hoping the month will improve the team’s defensive play by making them understand the need to play team defense for a full 40 minutes with zero lapses.

The players themselves are hoping the month will help them break out of their odd offensive struggles. For most of the year, the Ducks have struggled with scoring.

Another important factor for the month is the reintegration of Dillon Brooks, Oregon’s preseason All-American. He missed the first couple of games this season after recovering from an offseason foot surgery.

“We have many things to work on but getting Dillon back and game ready is one of the most important,” Altman said. “We have new guys out there. Dillon has got to learn how to play with them so getting him back and with the team is important.”

While the season may be far from over for Oregon, the most important part of it is already here. If the Ducks hope to accomplish their goal of cutting down the nets on the last night of the season, the journey begins now.

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When Oregon faced Western Oregon last year, the game was extremely close at the end of the first half. The Ducks led by four points last year before pulling away for the 28-point victory.

Coming into Wednesday’s game, Oregon made sure there would be no repeat of a close game. The Ducks outrebounded and out-hustled the Wolves in a 93-54 victory. In its most complete game of the season, Oregon improved to 6-2 on the year while extending its winning streak to four games.

“Last year, it was a very close game at halftime so we don’t overlook no team,” Tyler Dorsey said. “We knew we had to come out and jump on them right away at the beginning of the game.”

Ten different Ducks played at least 18 minutes in the game as Casey Benson led the team with 22 minutes played. With 12 minutes left in the game, Oregon opened up a 40-point lead at 60-20 as fans began filing out of Matthew Knight Arena.

“This is kind of the way it worked out,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said on playing time. “When we got the early lead there, I decided to play everybody equal minutes.”

Dillon Brooks returned to his old form to lead Oregon in scoring with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Chris Boucher added 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while Dorsey chipped in 12 points. Jordan Bell added 12 rebounds and two blocks while fellow big-man Kavell Bigby-Williams had 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Roman Sorkin had a breakout game for the Ducks. The junior from Israel scored a career-high 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark from beyond the arc.

“It was really good for me — I felt ready to make some shots,” Sorkin said. “Every time I step onto the court, I feel like if I got an open shot I can take it — just let the game come to me.”

Throughout the year, Oregon has played well on the defensive side of the ball, limiting all but one opponent to under 70 points every game. While Altman wants to keep the focus on defense, he knew offense would come with this talented of a squad.

“We really needed to get out and move the ball, run some stuff. I thought our intensity was pretty good,” Altman said. “We tried to get everybody involved and I think it was a good step for us moving forward.”

The Ducks consistently found the open man by passing up good looks to get great ones within their offense. Payton Pritchard and Benson played well in their point guard roles, dishing out five and four assists, respectively.

“Coach wants us to keep the ball moving on the offensive end — he wants to change our turnover ratio to assist ratio and have it higher like it was last year,” Dorsey said.

Oregon shot 47 percent from the field and 34.8-percent from 3-point territory. The Ducks also attacked the rim with more authority in the game, shooting 28 free throws and making 23 of them.

“We are really focusing on getting the ball into the paint, whether it’s from driving or getting it to our posts,” Dorsey said. “Getting into the paint and creating from there, dishing it out — there’s a lot of options once we get there”

The Ducks will continue their nine-game home-stand when they face Savannah State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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The number sits in the Notes app on her phone, providing a daily reminder of how far she’s come and the work still to do.

After every match, Oregon senior libero Amanda Benson updates the number. She’s striving for the time when she can put 2,199 atop the note.

That number represents the total career digs Benson hopes to reach at the end of this season. It would break Katie Swoboda’s school record and place Benson where she’s always wanted to be since she stepped onto campus three years ago: at the top.

“It’s a very important record to me because it’s something I’ve been striving for ever since I committed to Oregon,” Benson said. “I knew that I was going to be starting from day one. So I knew that record was possible, I just had to work to get there. Now I’m close.”

As of now, Benson sits at 2,112 — 86 digs away from breaking the record. Factoring in that she’s averaging 4.96 digs per set this year (second in Oregon history), Benson is 17.3 sets away from reaching her goal, or roughly four more matches.

Breaking the record may be tougher than expected as Oregon enters the NCAA Tournament, which is single-elimination and features 64 teams across the country. To have a realistic shot at the record, Benson and the Ducks will have to advance to the NCAA’s Elite Eight, something the program hasn’t done since reaching the national championship in 2012.

“Winning a national championship is the most important thing for me right now,” Benson said. “It’s my main focus while the record sits in the back of my mind. I’m not going to lie, though, I want to break that record. But after, it’ll be time to reflect on how I got this far.”

Growing up, Benson was a self-titled “gym rat.” She is the middle child, sandwiched between two brothers who grew up playing all kinds of sports. Her brothers instilled in her a competitive drive from playing basketball, softball and football.

At 11, Benson played volleyball for the first time. She was terrible at the sport. But the following year, Benson’s talent developed. With it, accolades followed. Before playing at Oregon, Benson was a gold-medal winner on the national team, an All-American in high school and an Arizona state player of the year.

With her individual legacy in tact for the Ducks, Benson has added to the legacy of great Oregon liberos from the past 12 years. Swoboda started all four years as a Duck beginning in 2005, before giving way to Haley Jacob, another four-year starter, in 2009.

Then it was Benson’s turn.

“For Amanda to come in and do what she’s done is incredible — she’s by far the rock for our team and our program,” Oregon head coach Jim Moore said. “More importantly though, her legacy will live on through Lindsey Vander Weide for years to come.

“This will be Lindsey’s team the next couple years and I’ve already noticed the change in Lindsey as she’s emulating what Amanda has done and taught her — that’s a legacy.”

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

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