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Dylan Ennis out for the season due to foot injury

Senior transfer point guard Dylan Ennis is done for the season after re-injuring his left foot.

After sitting out the first 12 games out the season with the injury, Ennis returned to the court against Western Oregon and Oregon State. In the latter contest, a 70-57 loss in Corvallis on Sunday, Ennis reaggravated the injury, according to a University of Oregon Athletics release.

At Tuesday’s practice during media availability, Ennis came out of the tunnel on a scooter with a walking boot on his left foot.

Ennis figured to play a huge role for the Ducks not only from a production standpoint, but also leadership. Head coach Dana Altman has acknowledged the lack of vocal leadership this season after Joseph Young’s departure to the NBA. Ennis appeared to be the most obvious replacement.

“Dylan Ennis is our biggest candidate (to be our vocal leader); he’s that way by nature,” Altman said at Tuesday’s practice. “Some of the other guys aren’t afraid to lead, but they’re just not as vocal. That takes some time.”

Ennis transferred to Oregon after playing three seasons for Big East power Villanova. In two games for the Ducks, Ennis played a total of 21 minutes with two points, three rebounds and two assists.

Here’s the release in its entirety:

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon senior guard Dylan Ennis will miss the remainder of the season due to a left foot injury that he reaggravated Sunday against Oregon State. The injury to the foot was initially discovered in the fall, after which Ennis went through surgery and rehabilitation, before returning to action Dec. 29.

Ennis appeared in two games for the Ducks after transferring from Villanova. For his college career, Ennis scored more than 800 points and accumulated more than 300 assists, and helped lead Villanova to the 2015 Big East title.

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Men’s basketball sneaks past Alabama, Ennis announces return from injury

– In a familiar narrative, Oregon men’s basketball faced another halftime deficit on the road. Playing Alabama on the road, the Ducks were physically outmatched early and trailed 38-26 at halftime. But the Ducks, led by Dillon Brooks, Jordan Bell and Chris Boucher, responded with a 26-8 run to open the second half en route to a 72-68 victory. Brooks had a team-high 23 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds for the Ducks.

– When the Ducks signed former Montana State graduate transfer quarterback Dakota Prukop last week, it was the second consecutive season in which Oregon looked outside its program for a successor at the position. Vernon Adams Jr.’s transfer from Eastern Washington last season proved to be right move, but Prukop’s arrival has some wondering if the Ducks are struggling to develop their own quarterbacks out of high school. Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich defended his team’s approach of developing and recruiting quarterbacks last Friday:

“I don’t think it speaks to the development of anything,” Helfrich said. “I think it speaks to the importance of talent certainly at that position. Yeah, it’s funny that all the teams that have recruited guys over the last years can’t develop people. I think that’s a little odd and nobody said one thing about not being able to develop centers that we brought in (graduate transfer) Matt Hegarty or (junior college transfer) Kyle Long or whoever.”

– Just 10 games into her collegiate career, Oregon women’s basketball guard Maite Cazorla was named Pac-12 freshman of the week on Monday. In recent victories over Portland State and UC Riverside, Cazorla tallied 19 assists while committing no turnovers. Cazorla’s assist-to-turnover ratio (4.18) is the fourth best mark in the country in addition to ranking seventh in assists per game (7.1)

– Dylan Ennis, Oregon men’s basketball’s transfer from Villanova, announced he will return from a foot injury in the Ducks’ next game against Western Oregon on Dec. 29. After Oregon defeated Alabama on Monday, Ennis tweeted, “Get to enjoy this Christmas break and be ready when we get back #TheWaitIsOver! 12.29.2015.”

Ennis, who sat out the first 11 games of the season, is the last key rotation player to return from injury.

– Oregon baseball was ranked no. 14 in Collegiate Baseball’s Fab 40 Poll released Monday. Coming off of a 38-25 2015 season, the Ducks received 463 points in the poll. Oregon had the fourth-highest ranking among Pac-12 teams, trailing Cal, Oregon State and UCLA.

– Former Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington, who was a three-year starter for the Ducks from 1999-2003, wrote a piece for Sports Illustrated’s The Cauldron reflecting on his collegiate and NFL career. More so than anything in his NFL career, Harrington’s biggest regret remains not reaching the Rose Bowl while at Oregon. Although many consider his seven-year pro career, in which he played for four teams, a failure, Harrington believes it was a success:

“To me, my career was a huge success,” Harrington wrote. “Not so much because of what I achieved or didn’t achieve, but in how it set me up for the rest of my life. In my mind, the only time you can view someone’s football career as a failure is if they didn’t use their success as a platform to better the world around them.”

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Ducks return to form in 78-63 victory against UC Irvine

Looking to bounce back from deflating losses to UNLV and Boise State over a three-game road trip, Oregon did just that in a 78-63 victory over UC Irvine on Tuesday.

The Ducks faced a tall task, literally, in the form of 7-foot-6 UC Irvine center Mamadou Ndiaye. But after Ndiaye easily dunked home the first two points of the game, he was a non-factor.

Chris Boucher and Jordan Bell, in only his second game back, held Ndiaye to just 10 points, five of which came from the free throw line. Boucher’s 13 rebounds and four blocks, to go along with Bell’s three steals, epitomized the effort and physicality that the Ducks sorely lacked against UNLV and Boise State.

“[Jordan] is our most physical player, which gives us a presence out there,” head coach Dana Altman said. “Chris gives us a presence with his shot-blocking … We looked like a different team tonight.”

The Ducks led by as many as 16 in the middle of the first half, but let off the gas just enough to give UC Irvine a chance. The Anteaters cut the lead to 44-36 going into halftime and the Ducks had lost some key momentum.

But on the opening three possessions of the second half, Elgin Cook singlehandedly restored a comfortable Oregon lead. Cook led the Ducks with a career-high 26 points, seven of which came to start the second half.

“That was a really critical four or five minute stretch,” Altman said.

With Cook’s father, Alvin Robertson, a former NBA all-star, recently visiting his son, Cook played his most complete offensive game of the season.

“Obviously he listens to his dad a lot better than he listens to me,” Altman joked. “He played a heck of a game.”

All three of Cook’s baskets to open the second half were set up by Casey Benson, who had a career-high 9 assists to go along with no turnovers. As a whole, the Ducks had 19 assists on 27 made field goals, the best ratio so far this season. Altman stressed the importance of ball-movement after two road losses, and it showed Tuesday.

“That was definitely a point of emphasis in practice – moving the ball around,” Dillon Brooks said. “We were just trying to make plays for our teammates and just get our assist-to-turnover ratio up. That just increases our chances of winning.”

Bell had a career-high 12 points, displaying a polished mid-range jump shot that he didn’t have last season. Bell’s foot injury limited his ability to practice, though he was still able to work on his shot while recovering.

“When I was hurt I couldn’t do anything but lift and shoot, so I got bigger and worked on that shot,” Bell said.

Though his numbers often don’t jump off the stat sheet, Bell’s presence on both sides of the ball might be exactly what the Ducks had been missing.

“I just want him to play his game,” Altman said. “He was working really hard when that foot went out last spring.”

The Ducks finish their non-conference schedule with games against Long Beach State, Alabama and Western Oregon. Tuesday’s win offered a glimpse of how good this team can be, but the never-satisfied Altman is looking for the Ducks to take the next step.

“There’s still so much more there,” Altman said.

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Pac-12 Conference releases 2016 football schedule

The Pac-12 Conference released the complete 2016 football schedule for all 12 schools on Tuesday.

The Ducks will open their season with home games against UC Davis on Sept. 3 and Virgina on Sept. 10, before hitting the road for a showdown with Big Ten power Nebraska. It will be the first game of a two-year series between Oregon and Nebraska.

The Ducks begin their conference schedule with a home game against Colorado on Sept. 24. Then the Ducks will play Washington State in Pullman on Oct. 1 before returning home to face rival Washington on Oct. 8.

The toughest part of Oregon’s schedule is once again its second half. After a Friday night road game against Cal, the Ducks face Arizona State, USC, Stanford and Utah for consecutive seasons. The Ducks conclude the regular season with the Civil War against Oregon State, this time in Corvallis.

For the second season in a row, the Ducks won’t face Pac-12 South foes UCLA and Arizona.

Here is the schedule in its entirety:

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Ducks lose to Boise State 74-72 on final possession

Dillon Brooks saw an opening with five seconds left and took it.

With No. 24 Oregon trailing Boise State 74-72 on the final possession, Brooks drove the left side of the lane, only to come up short on a contested layup attempt as the buzzer sounded. Brooks was visibly upset that a foul wasn’t called and he might’ve had a point.

Boise State forward Nick Duncan moved underneath Brooks, clearly within the the restricted circle and made contact with Brooks as the shot went up. The baseline official raised his hand as if to call a foul, but elected not to blow the whistle.

The Ducks had a right to protest the non-call on the final possession, but the officials weren’t to blame for the loss.

Oregon struggled to make shots for long stretches of Saturday’s road contest. After starting the game 8 for 10, the Ducks hit just 2 of 18 shots for the remainder of the first half, and trailed 41-28 at the break.

Boise State pushed their lead to as much as 17 points in the second half, but Oregon fought its way back into the game in the last few minutes. Oregon scored seven unanswered in the final 1:30 of the game, getting threes from Brooks and Elgin Cook and a Kendall Small made free throw. Boise State guard Anthony Drmic, who had a team-high 19 points, committed two costly turnovers down the stretch that nearly lost the game for the Broncos.

Jordan Bell made his much-anticipated return to the Ducks on Saturday. Nursing a foot injury, the 6-foot-9 forward sat out the first eight games of the season. Bell finished with four points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

Brooks tied a career high with 26 points, including 5 for 10 three-pointers, showing consistency from deep that has eluded Brooks in the past.

After going 6-0 at home with important wins over Baylor and Valparaiso, the Ducks have come back down to earth. Combined with a 80-69 loss to UNLV on Dec. 4, Oregon has lost two of three games away from Matthew Knight Arena.

Fortunately for the Ducks, they now return home to play two more non-conference games. Next up, Oregon faces UC Irvine on Tuesday at 8 p.m.

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Joseph Young’s return reminds Ducks they’re still looking for new leader

No. 15 Oregon proved once again early into the season that just about anyone is capable of leading the team in scoring.

Against Arkansas State, Dwayne Benjamin led the Ducks with 25 points. In Wednesday’s 78-73 victory over Fresno State, he scored three.

Conversely, Dillon Brooks scored just four points against Arkansas State, but led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulldogs.

With Indiana Pacers guard Joseph Young back at Matthew Knight Arena to watch his former team, the Ducks were reminded of how different the team’s scoring output has been from last season to the present. Young led the team in scoring last season with 20 points per game, and the second highest scorer, Elgin Cook, averaged 13.

This season, however, Tyler Dorsey leads the Ducks with 15 points per game, while Chris Boucher, Cook, Benjamin and Brooks are all averaging around 12 points.

While Oregon’s offense has become incredibly balanced, head coach Dana Altman believes the Ducks are still missing Young’s leadership on both sides of the court, particularly his communication.

“He was a really good leader,” Altman said. “He talked a lot when we were having a little trouble communicating. We don’t have a lot of guys that talk [this season]… That’s just got to improve. Guys have to have accountability and we have to communicate a little better.”

Oregon led Fresno State by as many as 19 points early in the second half. But routine problems once again plagued the Ducks down the stretch. Oregon committed 17 turnovers, were outrebounded by Fresno State 41 to 32, and once again missed timely free throws, shooting just 26 of 36 from the line.

“We’ve definitely made progress, but I’d like to finish games stronger,” Altman said. “That’s the third time now we’ve had a double-digit lead and let the game come back. Baylor, Valpo and [tonight]… We’re not finishing the game.”

Fresno State guard Marvelle Harris, who had a team-high 18 points, brought the Bulldogs to within four after hitting a three with 1:51 remaining. Brooks bailed out the Ducks with a layup, and Cook followed with two made free throws to give the Ducks an eight-point cushion. It was just enough to get the win.

The Ducks have had the luxury of catching teams on bad nights, including Wednesday. Although Fresno State came into the game 5-0, the Bulldogs looked sluggish from the opening tip. Oregon quickly built an 11-0 lead, and Fresno State managed just 25 first half points while shooting 9-for-31 (29 percent) from the field. Oregon won’t have this luxury for long.

“At times I really feel like we’re ahead defensively,” Altman said. “You hold somebody to 25 points in the first half, 29 percent from the field, guys are flying around and they don’t get many good looks. You have pretty good feelings. Then in the second half, they shoot 50 percent and get a lot of good looks. That’s discouraging. It just shows how far we have to go.”

The Ducks are 6-0 through six home games, but now will be tested with three consecutive games on the road, beginning Friday against 6-1 UNLV in Las Vegas.

“We have to [go on the road] sometime,” Altman said. “We’ll have our full hands full, the crowd will be a good one, but it will be a really good experience for us.”

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Pac-12 roundup: Rivalry games solidify conference standings

The Pac-12 standings are in the books. In the final week of conference play, USC knocked off No. 22 UCLA to clinch a date with Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship.

Oregon finished with a 7-2 conference record, second best in the Pac-12, but early season losses to Utah and Washington State were too much for the Ducks to overcome.

No. 9 Stanford knocked off No. 6 Notre Dame 38-36 on a last second field goal. The Cardinal finished with the best conference record and remains the only team in the conference with a chance to reach the College Football Playoff.

Washington 45, No. 20 Washington State 10

Playing without injured starting quarterback Luke Falk, the Cougars (8-4, 6-3 Pac-12) looked over-matched against in-state rival Washington in the Apple Cup. Washington’s defense held Washington State to three first half points and returned three turnovers for touchdowns in the second half. Huskies running back Myles Gaskin led the team with 138 rushing yards and two touchdowns. With the win, Washington (6-6, 4-5) became bowl eligible for the second consecutive season under head coach Chris Petersen.

No. 23 Utah 20, Colorado 14

Another lackluster performance from Utah (9-3, 6-3) ended its regular season schedule with mixed feelings. Though the Utes never trailed, they hardly looked like the team that upset Oregon earlier in the season. The Utes leaned heavily on running back Joe Williams, who ran for 187 yards and one touchdown. Colorado (4-9, 1-8) finished the season as a Pac-12 cellar-dweller, but hung tough with Utah for much of the game. Buffaloes quarterback Cade Aspay threw for 145 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before leaving the game in the second quarter with an injury.

USC 40, No. 22 UCLA 21

USC (8-4, 6-3) turned around a tumultuous season with a trip to its first ever Pac-12 title game. The Trojans snapped a three game losing streak to crosstown rival UCLA (8-4, 5-4) and improved to 5-2 since former head coach Steve Sarkisian’s tenure ended midway through the season. Senior Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler threw for two touchdowns and rushed for one more in his last home game. Josh Rosen, UCLA’s freshman quarterback, played well in stretches of Saturday’s contest, but three second half turnovers ultimately cost Rosen and the Bruins.

No. 9 Stanford 38, No. 6 Notre Dame 36

Arguably the most thrilling game of the weekend in college football, Stanford (10-2, 6-1) prevailed with a game-winning 45-yard field goal from Conrad Ukropina on the last play of the game. Cardinal senior quarterback Kevin Hogan threw for four touchdowns in his last home game, leading a drive in the final 30 seconds to set up Ukropina. Quarterback DeShone Kizer put Notre Dame ahead on a two-yard run with only 30 seconds left. Kizer threw for 234 yards and ran for 128 more. Though slim, Stanford kept its College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Cal 48, Arizona State 46

In another thriller, Cal kicker Matt Anderson kicked a 26-yard field goal as time expired. The Golden Bears (7-5, 4-5) trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half, but came back thanks in large part to quarterback Jared Goff’s five touchdown passes and a school-record 542 yards. Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzales kicked a school-record six field goals, though it wasn’t enough for the Sun Devils (6-6, 4-5). Both Cal and Arizona State are bowl eligible, though neither are guaranteed to make one.

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Three Ducks receive Pac-12 football All-Academic first team

Three Oregon football players made the Pac-12 football All-Academic first team, conference commissioner Larry Scott announced on Tuesday.

Quarterback Jeff Lockie (3.82 GPA), linebacker Johnny Ragin III (3.62) and offensive lineman Doug Brenner (3.51) were named to the first team. Lockie had the third highest GPA of all players on the list, just behind Oregon State offensive lineman Will Hopkins and Arizona linebacker Carter Hehr.

Defensive lineman TJ Daniel (3.15) made the second team, while 10 other Ducks were listed as honorable mentions.

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Lexi Petersen leads Oregon past Clemson, Cheserek claims another award

– Lexi Petersen’s 15 second half points propelled Oregon women’s basketball past Clemson 69-56 on Tuesday. Clemson came within six points in the second half, but the Ducks responded with a 9-2 run to close the game. With the win, the Ducks are now 4-0, their best start since the 2011-12 season when they began 6-0.

– After Oregon track and field star Edward Cheserek won his third consecutive NCAA Division I Cross Country title Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, he received another award. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named Cheserek the Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year, the organization announced on Tuesday. His NCAA title victory was the fifth win of his season, which included titles at the Dellinger Invitational, West Regional and Pac-12 Championships.

– Oregon football moved up to No. 17 in the College Football Playoff rankings, released on Tuesday. Although the Ducks have a slim to none chance of getting into the four-game playoff, these rankings also determine which teams will play in the “New Years Six” bowls such as the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl.

– The Emerald’s Chris Keizur previewed key matchups and players to watch heading into the 119th Civil War between Oregon and Oregon State.

– Oregon men’s club soccer won the NIRSA national championship over the weekend in Phoenix, Arizona. The Ducks defeated UC Davis in the championship match 3-2 thanks to a game-winning golden goal in overtime by forward Andrew Saenz. Saenz took home tournament MVP honors with 10 goals, including two hat tricks, during the tournament.

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Bowl projections: Where the Ducks are most likely to land

Week 13 of the college football season provided some clarity to a murky Pac-12 title race. With No. 11 Stanford’s win over Cal, No. 18 Oregon will not be going to the Pac-12 Championship. But outside of the Pac-12 title and College Football Playoff, the Ducks’ bowl game fate has plenty of intriguing possibilities.

Assuming that Oregon can win the Civil War against Oregon State, who is 0-8 in the Pac-12, the Ducks can reach as high as the Rose Bowl or Fiesta Bowl. Much of it, however, will depend on key Pac-12 games this weekend, particularly Stanford’s matchup with No. 4 Notre Dame and the winner-take-all game between USC and No. 22 UCLA, with the victor representing the Pac-12 South in the conference championship game.

Here are the best, worst and most realistic bowl game scenarios for the Ducks:

Best: Rose Bowl (Jan. 1)

A couple of things outside of Oregon’s control would have to happen in order for the Ducks to get back to Pasadena, California, for the second consecutive season. Most importantly, Stanford would have to sneak into the College Football Playoff, which would require a (convincing) win against Notre Dame and a win in the Pac-12 Championship. If those two things happen, and the Ducks are the highest-ranked team in the conference not named Stanford, they have a slim chance of reaching the Rose Bowl. The Ducks would face an opponent from the Big Ten, possibly the loser of its conference’s championship game. Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa could all land here.

Worst: Sun Bowl (Dec. 26)

The Ducks likely won’t fall this far, but if Oregon State manages to pull off a major upset at Autzen Stadium, it could happen. Stanford most likely will bump Oregon out of the Rose Bowl, but for the Ducks to finish the Pac-12 season behind UCLA, Washington State, USC and Utah in the standings, a lot would have to go against them. An ACC team is slated to play against the Pac-12 in the Sun Bowl, likely a middle-of-the-pack team such as Miami, Duke or North Carolina State.

Most realistic: Alamo Bowl (Jan. 2)

The Ducks last played in the Alamo Bowl in 2013, when a Marcus Mariota-led team defeated Texas 30-7. Though the Ducks were somewhat disappointed to land there in 2013, they should consider it a success this season. This bowl is the Ducks’ most likely scenario, mainly because Stanford and the winner of UCLA-USC will have an extra game on the Ducks regardless of the outcome. Oregon would face a Big 12 team that’s not playing on New Year’s Day in this bowl. Possibilities include Baylor, Oklahoma State and TCU, all of whom would present good matchups for Oregon.

Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 1)

The Fiesta Bowl selects two “at-large” teams in the rankings for this New Year’s Day game. The Ducks would certainly have to win convincingly in the Civil War to have a chance of getting in, but more importantly, a significant shakeup in the top 10 would be a must for the Ducks to climb that far in the rankings. Notre Dame could land in this bowl, especially with a loss to Stanford.

Holiday Bowl (Dec. 30)

This scenario could happen if UCLA beats Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship game. Both teams would finish with a better overall record than the Ducks, regardless of the Civil War result. Oregon would likely slide down from the Alamo Bowl, making the Holiday Bowl its best bet. However, if USC beats UCLA, it seems unlikely USC would reach a better bowl than the Ducks, considering their convincing 48-28 victory over the Trojans last Saturday. Realistically, second-tier Big Ten teams Wisconsin or Northwestern will land in this bowl.

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