Tag: oregon basketball

Blazers hire former Oregon star Edniesha Curry as new assistant coach

The Blazers hired former Ducks basketball star Edniesha Curry as their first female assistant coach in franchise history.

The Portland Trail Blazers continue to fill out the coaching staff behind controversial new head coach hire Chauncey Billups, and the latest addition has some ties to the team’s home state.

Edniesha Curry will become the first female assistant coach in Blazers history, about 20 years after she spent her final collegiate season with the Oregon Ducks.

Curry made a strong impression in her lone year in Eugene, earning all-conference honorable mention honors and helping to lead Oregon to an NIT title during the 2001-02 season.

Curry went on to play professionally in the WNBA and overseas for about a decade.

Since then, Curry has served as an assistant coach at the University of Maine, first with the women’s program from 2015-2017 and starting with the men’s team in 2018 – after working with the NBA Assistant Coaches’ Program and coaching in Vietnam, China, Israel, and Palestine.

“She is extremely talented at developing players, especially within the context of defensive and offensive systems,” said Maine head coach Richard Barron, who also praised her scouting and video ability.

Curry joins Billups’ staff after the team opted to hire the longtime NBA point guard over other, more experienced candidates – notably San Antonio assistant coach Becky Hammon, who is vying to be the first female head coach in league history.

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Ranking 50 Oregon Ducks who could have made the most money off of name, image, and likeness

Today’s college athletes can now profit off of their name, image, and likeness. But what about the Oregon legends? These are the 50 Ducks who we think could have made the most money.

July 1st was a monumental day in the world of amateur athletics.

For the first time in the history of collegiate sports, it became legal for athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness.

They aren’t being paid to play, as some had hoped, but for the first time ever, players are now free to seek out sponsors and sign endorsement deals. We’ve already seen some athletes release new logos, while others have started podcasts or affiliated themselves with media networks, like Barstool Sports.

RELATED: Oregon’s NIL bill helped convince USC transfer Endyia Rogers to choose Ducks

This is a big deal when it comes to athletics, and will massively benefit those players who are still in college. However, former athletes who are either playing in the professional ranks now, or have gone pro in something other than sports, may feel a little chapped by the news. Why wasn’t this around when they were in school?

Why indeed?

We don’t have a good answer, but we at least wanted to conduct a thought experiment and see who the former Oregon Ducks were that would have stood to gain the most from being able to profit off of their NIL. So we ranked them.

It started out with ideas of who would be the most acceptable face on an advertisement, and it ended up being, for the most part, a ranking of the 50 most popular Ducks of all time. Either way, broken down into four tiers, these are the 50 Oregon athletes we believe could have made some serious cash had they come through the program in 2021:

Oregon transfer guard De’Vion Harmon withdraws from NBA draft

The #Ducks got some good news from Oklahoma transfer De’Vion Harmon, who withdrew his name from the 2021 NBA draft.

Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball program got good news as the calendar turned to July, with Oklahoma transfer guard De’Vion Harmon withdrawing his name from the 2021 NBA draft process – making it official that he will play at Oregon during the 2021-2022 season.

Harmon initially entered his name into the draft pool on March 26, about a month before he transferred from Oklahoma to Oregon. Now, he’s made it clear he plans to play for coach Altman, and even plans to be in Eugene this weekend:

Harmon averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and two assists per game for the Sooners as a sophomore last season, good for second on the team in scoring. He’ll give this Oregon squad some much needed experience and scoring in the backcourt.

Harmon is part of a very promising group of transfers joining the Ducks next season, including Jacob Young from Rutgers and Quincy Guerrier from Syracuse, which should keep this team atop the standings in the Pac-12 even after the loss of Chris Duarte.

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Oregon transfer guard De’Vion Harmon withdraws from NBA draft

The #Ducks got some good news from Oklahoma transfer De’Vion Harmon, who withdrew his name from the 2021 NBA draft.

Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball program got good news as the calendar turned to July, with Oklahoma transfer guard De’Vion Harmon withdrawing his name from the 2021 NBA draft process – making it official that he will play at Oregon during the 2021-2022 season.

Harmon initially entered his name into the draft pool on March 26, about a month before he transferred from Oklahoma to Oregon. Now, he’s made it clear he plans to play for coach Altman, and even plans to be in Eugene this weekend:

Harmon averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and two assists per game for the Sooners as a sophomore last season, good for second on the team in scoring. He’ll give this Oregon squad some much needed experience and scoring in the backcourt.

Harmon is part of a very promising group of transfers joining the Ducks next season, including Jacob Young from Rutgers and Quincy Guerrier from Syracuse, which should keep this team atop the standings in the Pac-12 even after the loss of Chris Duarte.

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Oregon Ducks move up to No. 11 in pre-season Top-25 after addition of transfer Jacob Young

With Jacob Young putting a cap on Oregon’s incredibly successful transfer period, the Ducks have now moved up to No. 11 in the 2021-22 rankings.

Putting much weight on a pre-season top-25 poll is risky business. For starters, it is called a ‘Way-too-early’ poll, and there are a handful of iterations of them throughout the offseason. This isn’t the first version we have seen from ESPN this year, and it won’t be the last, either.

However, when the Oregon Ducks make as significant of a move as they’ve done, it’s worth taking note of. With the home runs that they keep hitting in the transfer portal, Dana Altman and the Ducks have risen in the polls once again, now sitting at No. 11 in the nation, according to ESPN.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Dana Altman has reshaped the Ducks’ roster this offseason via the transfer portal. The most recent addition, Rutgers transfer Jacob Young, pushes Oregon up a few spots in the top 25. Young, the younger brother of former Oregon guard Joseph Young, is a very good scorer who can shoot it from the perimeter. He had the best offensive season of his career last season, averaging 14.1 points and 3.4 assists while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range as a senior. Oregon needed some more perimeter scoring after the departures of Chris Duarte and LJ Figueroa, and Young should be able to fill that role. He will join returnee Will Richardson and Oklahoma transfer De’Vion Harmon in a versatile backcourt group, while Eric Williams and Quincy Guerrier should shoulder most of the scoring load in the frontcourt. Altman could trot out a lineup with the aforementioned five players, but he can also use one as a sixth man and then start top-10 recruit Nate Bittle, N’Faly Dante or Franck Kepnang down low.

In the last version of the pre-season rankings, Oregon sat at No. 15 in the nation, so the addition of Young to the backcourt provides a significant boost. Despite that, the Ducks are still the second-highest ranked team in the Pac-12, with the UCLA Bruins sitting at No. 3 in the nation after their trip to the Final Four a few months back.

While the rest of the college basketball landscape continues to be settled, we will see if Oregon can continue to move up in the rankings at all. For now, though, it’s clear that they should be one of the perennial powers in the nation next year, with high hopes for March.

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Top 2022 PG Dior Johnson commits to Oregon

Dior Johnson surprisingly committed to the Pac 12 powerhouse on Tuesday afternoon.

After months of speculation that Dior Johnson, the top point guard in the class of 2022, would snub college basketball in favor of playing professionally straight out of high school, the California native offered his college commitment on Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson surprisingly committed to Oregon over a group of finalists consisting of Alabama, Kentucky and Washington. Johnson was also thought to be heavily considering an offer from the New Zealand Basketball League, which has landed top recruits such as RJ Hampton in the past. He was originally slated to announce his commitment this Friday.

According to Tipton Edits, Johnson’s estimated offer from the NBL is expected to be worth a whopping $1.2 million.

RELATED: Prized 2022 recruit Dior Johnson’s offer from NBL reportedly over $1 million

Johnson was originally committed to Syracuse, but backed off his commitment to the Orange in November. Once Johnson decommitted from Jim Boeheim’s program, many expected him to opt for the professional route. Now, he will suit up for Dana Altman and the Ducks.

“Good length and stature for a point guard,” 247Sports Director of Basketball Scouting Jerry Meyer said in his scouting report of Johnson. “Quick athlete with superb body control. Has tremendous instincts as a driver and passer. Delivers the difficult pass. Finishes the difficult shot. High-level lay-up maker. Has multiple fade-away moves to his right shoulder.

“Shoots the ball well enough to be considered a three-level scorer. Has the potential to rebound his position well and be a dangerous versatile defender. Has bounced around to multiple high schools, which some view as a yellow flag.”

Report: Oregon’s LJ Figueroa to work out with the Boston Celtics ahead of NBA draft

Though he won’t be attending the NBA Combine, Oregon’s LJ Figueroa will reportedly be working out with the Boston Celtics this week.

Oregon Duck fans only got a single season to enjoy the play of transfer guard LJ Figueroa, but seeing his potential success at the next level will be none the lesser because of that.

According to a recent report from Adam Zagoria, with The New York Times, Figueroa will be working out with the Boston Celtics on Wednesday ahead of the NBA draft combine. Figueroa was not invited to participate in the combine, but still has hopes of making a splash with teams and scouts this spring, looking to get drafted by one of the 30 squads in the league.

League sources tell me that LJ’s size and versatility are very appealing as he enters the draft process. Whether it be this year or a few years down the road, these sources say that they can see Figueroa having a real chance in the NBA.

Regardless of what happens with that pursuit this summer, most evaluators see Figueroa having a huge career in Europe, at a minimum.

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Rob Mullens is hopeful Autzen Stadium will be full of Duck fans in 2021

Oregon’s athletic department lost millions due to empty venues in 2020. Winning in multiple sports will help make up the deficit soon.

It was difficult to watch the Oregon Ducks play in an empty Autzen Stadium in 2020 for everyone involved. It stunk for the players, coaches, fans, and even opponents.

But according to Athletic Director Rob Mullens, the Ducks’ pocketbook took a worse hit than another Pac-12 quarterback in the sights of Noah Sewell.

“I have been riding on the hope wave for quite a while, and I’m still on the hope wave,” Mullens told Ryan Thorburn of The Register-Guard. “I am hopeful that vaccination is in fact the path to a full Autzen.”

Oregon lost a total of about $60 million of revenue mostly by having no fans inside Autzen or Matthew Knight Arena for the 2020-21 sports calendar season. A lot of big games were scheduled for last fall, including Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State visiting Autzen for the very first time. Ohio State has said they’ll pay Oregon $3.5 million to help make up for the Buckeyes not being able to make the trip to Eugene last year.

The Ducks also missed out on having rival Washington come to Eugene, a game that could have meant the Pac-12 North title.

Mullens is hoping the department can quickly make up the lost revenue in the next couple of seasons. Having highly successful programs in the big sports such as football and both basketball teams will ease the burden for sure.

Also, the eagerness of fans just being able to watch their favorite teams in person is going to go a long way. Mullens is grateful for the unwavering support the Duck fans have shown in this unusually difficult time.

I really appreciate how our fan base stepped up. I think that we are off to a great start and I think our season-ticket renewal will be something that is very high. People are excited to get back into Autzen Stadium, wanting to support the Ducks and to see the new video board and so much more. I’m confident, and really pleased at the support that we’ve received from our season ticket base.

Fans will a lot to cheer for in the 2021-22 season and let’s all hope venues such as Autzen, Matthew Knight Arena, PK Park, Jane Sanders Stadium and Hayward Field are never, ever empty on gameday again.

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2020 NCAA Tournament Sim: Final Four Is Set

Find out who advances in our NCAA Tournament title game in our sim.

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2020 NCAA Tournament Sim: Final Four Is Set

Who advances to the national title game.

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

There are only four.

The Final Four of the NCAA Tournament was scheduled to be played. this weekend in Atlanta but with March Madness canceled we decided to simulate the entire tournament.

The teams that are left are No. 1 Kansas from the Midwest and they will be taking on the No. 1 Dayton and this will be a rematch from when the two played in the Maui championship with the Jayhawks winning 90-84 in overtime. Some may think this is the de facto national title game as they are the only No. 1 seeds to make it to the Final Four.

The other half of the bracket features No. 7 Arizona from the South region and they will take on conference mate and No. 4 Oregon Ducks. These two played twice this year already and it was the Ducks who won each game but they were just one point victories for each.

As a reminder, we are simulating these games over at What If Sports and are doing just like the NCAA Tournament, one loss and you’re out.

Midwest vs. East

Final score: No. 1 Kansas 87,  No. 1 Dayton 77

Kansas won the second match vs. Dayton this year and this victory gives Bill Self is in his third championship game as the Jayhawks head coach and if he wins it will be his second national title and first since 2008.

The first half it looked like Dayton had the edge as they were up by six but the second half saw Kansas go on a huge run to outscore the Flyers by 16 points. The Jayhawks went on a lot of mini-runs to slowly pull ahead for the win.

The Flyers tried to chuck its way to the win by shooting 30 shots from three-point range and they did make a respectable 11 of those but it was not enough.

West vs. South

Final score: No. 7 Arizona 87, No. 4 Oregon 72

Arizona is one of the lowest seeds to ever make it to a national title game by topping Oregon by 15. This is the first time al year the Wildcats were able to top the Ducks who won both previous matchups by a single point each.

In this game, Arizona was great on both ends of the court. They shot 56 percent and the defense clamped down and held Oregon to 36 percent from the field.

The second half is when Arizona started to run away from this game and a 17-3 run is what propped up the Wildcats to advance to a national championship game.

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2020 NCAA Tournament Sim: West Region, Elite 8

2020 NCAA Tournament Sim: West Region, Elite 8 There are just two teams left out West Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire Oregon vs. Seton Hall Out West there are just two teams left fighting for a spot in the Final Four. The Pac-12’s Oregon who …

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2020 NCAA Tournament Sim: West Region, Elite 8

There are just two teams left out West

Contact/Follow @JeremyMauss & @MWCwire

Oregon vs. Seton Hall

Out West there are just two teams left fighting for a spot in the Final Four. The Pac-12’s Oregon who is a four seed and Seton Hall from the Big East is a three seed.

If the Ducks win it will be the second time that Dana Altman led Oregon to the Final Four and the first time in four years. As for Seton Hall, if they win it will be the Pirates first Final Four since they made it to the national title 1989.

As a reminder, we are simulating these games over at What If Sports and are doing just like the NCAA Tournament, one loss and you’re out.

Final Score: No. 4 Oregon, 84, No. 3 Seton Hall 72

Oregon returns to its first Final Four in four years after topping Seton Hall and it was a strong second half that saw the Ducks score 51 in the second half. The 23-4 run is how Oregon pulled away for the win and while the Pirates made a late surgery they were not able to make it close after that run.

Leading the way for Oregon was the trio of Payton Pritchard, Chris Duarte, and Anthony Mathis who combined for 54 points.

 

 


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