Freddie
Continued from Page 7
outstretched arms of a defender.
More often than not, that pass is
heading to Freddie, who usually
receives the ball at about the
Ducks’ three-point line.
Somehow managing to catch
the ball and remain in stride,
Freddie heads toward the hoop.
By this time a defender is in the
key and is setting himself to take
the charge, for with the athletic
ability that Freddie has, going for
the block would be ludicrous.
As Freddie begins to drive to
ward the hoop, the opponent is
deciding how to defend a line
backer in shorts.
That defender is thinking only
one thing:
Freddie Jones is coming.
By his own admission, Freddie
could have gone to more than a
few schools around the country,
but he says he felt Oregon had as
good a chance of winning as any
one, so he chose to stay in-state,
much to the delight of Duck fans.
And win the Ducks did,
throughout the preseason sched
ule. Oregon began the season 8-1
heading into its Pacific-10 Confer
ence opener at California on Jan.
2.
As much as any game, that was
Freddie’s coming out party. He
scored in double figures in each of
the previous two games and man
aged 10 on that night, none more
important than the final two.
With the game tied at 69-69, the
Ducks missed a jumper for the
lead. Scales and Freddie both
went up for the tip, with the fresh
man eventually being credited
with the game-winner.
“I don’t think it was just the tip
— the best part of it was after the
game when everybody was in the
locker room, and how excited we
were,” Freddie says. "Every per
son on our team was just glowing,
had a smile on their face, and we
were looking forward to the sea
son.
“We just knew that we were go
ing to be one of the teams to beat.”
If only Freddie knew the frus
tration that lay ahead.
The Ducks faced nationally
ranked Arizona at home five
games after the Cal game. Freddie
was in double figures for four of
those games, including his 23
point effort in the triple-overtime
Washington State game, the
Ducks’ only other Pac-10 win at
that point.
Despite a Herculean 37-point
effort from the Wildcats’ Jason
Terry on Jan. 21, the Ducks found
themselves down one at 84-83
with 23 seconds left. Who did
head coach Ernie Kent decide to
put the ball, and the game, in the
hands of?
Freddie, or course. The fresh
man took the ball into the middle,
drew the foul and was suddenly
staring at two free throws to win
the game.
"I’d always dreamed of being in
that situation, and when I went to
the line, I wasn’t nervous or any
thing,” Freddie says. “I was going
to go up and hit the shots and it
was going to be over.”
Then, the unthinkable: two
misses, and a Duck loss.
Things just haven’t been the
same since.
Freddie has scored in double
figures just twice since, owing as
much to the improved play of
Terik Brown and the “wall” that
all freshman hit as to his own
troubles. But it took him a while
to shake the demons from the Ari
zona game, he says.
Even considering his recent dif
ficulties, Freddie continues to im
press his teammates.
"Anytime you get in that situa
tion — especially for a young kid,
but any of us — it’s going to both
er us,” Smith says. “To me, he’s
not a freshman. He doesn’t do
many things like freshman do. He
doesn’t go out there and throw the
ball away, he doesn’t take bad
shots and he’s really improved
defensively, so you wouldn’t con
sider him a liability.
“He’s not a freshman to me.”
Now, with just three games left,
as well as a possible postseason
tournament bid, the inevitable is
happening. With the return of all
but two Ducks and the addition of
redshirt David Jackson and recruit
Anthony Norwood, everyone has
half an eye cocked toward next
season.
“The program "is on the up
and-up, definitely,” Freddie says.
“We’re going to be real tough next
year, but we’re just trying to do
the best we can for the remainder
of this season.”
And what a season it’s been.
The prettiest move seen from
an Oregon player this season is
beginning to take shape.
Freddie streaks toward the bas
ket, where a defender stands with
his arms stretched to the ceiling of
the arena, waiting to take the foul.
And then it happens.
Freddie jumps, angling his body
Nick Medley/Emerald
Jones and junior-college transfer Alex Scales (not pictured) team up to give Oregon a
combination of athleticism and skill nearly unmatched in the history of Ducks basketball.
around the defender and sailing
past the basket, then switches the
ball to his left hand and throws up
a high toss that banks gently off the
top of the backboard and drops
through the hoop.
A perfect reverse layin.
The crowd lets out a sudden
yell, as much in recognition of the
defender’s embarrassment as in
envy of Freddie’s moves.
The other Ducks might let out a
chuckle, and the opposing coach
may just shrug his shoulders in
admission of greatness, while
Kent turns and walks toward the
other end of the Oregon bench to
set the defense.
But while some may play it off,
everyone associated with the Ore
gon basketball team — fans,
coaches, players, even opponents
— is thinking only one thing:
Freddie Jones has arrived.
Mortar Board Junior Scholars 1999
In recognition of outstanding academic achievment of 3.75 G.P.A. or higher, we honor:
Angela L. Adams
Jeffrey L. Adams
Nadima Adi
Beth R. Ahnert
Jonas M. Allen
Rachael J. Allen
Tiffany R. Allison
Jeb S. Andrus
Prasasti Arief
Kathleen R. Aronson
Dorothy M. Attneave
Melanie M. Ayres
Adam W. Baker
Heather L. Barczak
Joshua D. Beam
Noah M. Bean
Brandon H. Beebe
Christopher A. Beeson
Dawn C. Berry
Brian D. Bigatel
Gabriel J. Bloch
Jennifer A. Block
Charlotte M. Boeschen
Erica C. Boettcher
Jessica E. Bom
Shaun K. Brandt
James S. Bruce
Anthony D. Burt
Lakota D. Burwell
Michael W. Casey
Nga Yee Chan
Merlinda Chavez-Kenyon
Travis D. Childers
Alison M. Childs
Chin-wen Chiu
Man Kam K. Chiu
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3 Tami L. Claxton
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