Is Monson a savior?
Players believe in coach J
By Doug Levy
Of the Emerald
It was only 10 minutes into the
fourth day of practice, and most
players on Oregon's basketball
team probably weren't warmed
up yet.
Don Monson was warmed up.
The team was running a three-on
two drill, and Reggie Wallace, a
freshman from National City,
Calif., found himself alone for a
layup after two fine passes. All he
had to do was go straight up for
two points; instead, he tried a
finger roll and missed.
"Hold it!" screamed Monson.
"We make two pretty passes, and
you throw up that garbage? Forget
being All-American and make the
layup!"
It was pure Monson. Oregon's
new coach has built a reputation
on stressing fundamentals while
winning 100 games in five years at
Idaho.
"He (Monson) is going back to
basics because we've abused
them before," says senior captain
David Brantley, referring to
Oregon's 9-18 record of 1982.
For Monson, coaching the
Ducks is just another challenge.
At Idaho, he inherited a team that
had won 26 games in four years
and turned it into a club that won
52 games and played in two NCAA
tournaments from 1980-82.
Monson performed his magic
with unheralded players and a
willingness to work them as hard
as he needed to. He sees the same
situation at Oregon.
"My first impression," says
Monson, "was of a group of
players with a good attitude. We
might be short on talent, but we
can make up for it in other ways."
So there was Monson the first
day of practice, blasting his
players when they goofed, patting
them on the butt when they
didn't.
"He doesn't play any favorites,
that’s for sure,” says Gary
Gatewood, Oregon's third-leading
scorer a year ago (8.7 ppg).
Blair Rasmussen, whose 14.8
scoring average helped him earn
second-team all-Pac-10 a year ago.
Despite the efforts of Jeff Stevens (right), Blair Rasmussen is
headed for two points at a recent Oregon basketball practice.
Kenny Sprague (back) looks on.
Don Monson
understands Monson's shouts
and lec tures.
"That's his job," says
Rasmussen. "There's nothing per
sonal involved — it's just construc
tive criticism."
What it boils down to is that the
coach dearly wants to win.
"I’m not used to losing," Mon
son says, chuckling at the state
ment. "I know myself — if I can’t
turn it (Oregon's program) around
in three years. I'll probably go
somewhere else."
The Pac-10's rookie coach cer
tainly has won everywhere else
he's been. In 26 years of coaching,
Monson has won an astounding
401 games while dropping 195. He
knows people at Oregon want
similar results.
"I know expectations are high,"
says Monson. "I can see it every
time I'm on the street. People
come up to me and wish me luck
— I know they want a winning
season..
His players do too "They're
frustrated — they lost a lot of close
games last year," says Monson.
The Ducks seemed to lose every
game down the wire last year but
"we're very confident this year,"
says Gatewood. "We have a ma
jority of our starters back. Blair's a
hell of a center, we have good for
wards, good guards, and. .
"And we're confident in him
(Monson),” says Brantley. "If we
carry out what he expects, we can
win."
Monson won't go that far. He
cautions that the Ducks may have
a losing record by Christmas,
thanks to a killer schedule of Min
nesota, Wichita State and Brigham
Young. Then he straightens up in
his chair.
"If I didn't think I could turn
this program around, I wouldn't
be here. People demand a winner.
That's fickle, but it's fair."
STUCK AT SCHOOL
THIS WEEKEND!
Weekend Special
at the Fishbowl Deli:
Cup of Soup with the
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