Emerald
Editor in chief: Laura Cadiz
Sports Editor: Tim Pyle
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Best Bet
NBA Basketball
Philadelphia vs. San Antonio
5p.m.,TNT
„ Jeffrey Stockton Emerald
Senior tailback Reuben Droughns has carried 82 times for 390 yards in Oregon’s last two games and is “definitely feeling better.”
Driving force
is Droughns
By Tim Pyle
Oregon Daily Emerald
If senior tailback Reuben Droughns had
been as healthy all season as he has been the
last two weeks, the Oregon football team
could very well be undefeated and leading
the Pacific-10 Conference.
Say what?
Look at the facts.
In the season-opening loss at Michigan
State on Sept. 2, Droughns — in his first
game back since suffering leg injuries at
UCLA on Oct. 17,1998 — was by his own
admission tentative and not 100 percent
while rushing for 59 yards on 23 carries.
Fast forward to Oct. 2, when the Ducks
lost at Washington. Droughns did not play
because of a rib injury suffered the previous
week against Southern California.
With a pounding running game, the
Huskies dominated in time of possession in
their 34-20 win. A healthy Droughns could
have conceivably allowed the Oregon of
fense — which was almost exclusively re
duced to quick strikes through the air — to
eat up some clock and play some keep-away
of its own.
The following week, it was not known
until the Ducks boarded their flight for Los
Angeles whether Droughns would make the
trip to UCLA. He did, but his playing time
was limited because of the still tender ribs.
Still, he was a driving force in the Oregon
comeback attempt that fell just a foot short.
But let’s not dwell on Droughns’ injuries
because injuries — as any player or coach is
quick to point out — are a fact of fife in foot
ball.
Instead, let’s look at what Droughns has
done in his brief, but magnificent, Duck ca
reer.
During the last two seasons, Oregon is 9-3
with Droughns and just 4-4 without him. A
football player cannot be paid a higher com
pliment than to have the numbers prove his
team is markedly better with him in the
lineup.
“He does so much for this team because
he runs so hard and takes the pressure off
A.J. [Feeley] and I,” quarterback Joey Har
rington said. “They can’t key on our passing
game, which is loaded with weapons like
Tony [Hartley] andMarshaun [Tucker].
“You just can’t say enough about the
guy.”
Those three Duck losses with Droughns
playing? Two are the aforementioned de
Turn to Droughns, Page 9
During the last
two seasons,
Oregon is 9-3
when tailback
Reuben
Droughns
plays and 4-4
when he
doesn’t
Powers of the century, decade won’t rule NBA
When the New York Yankees
completed their World Series
sweep of Atlanta last week, it
was a fitting end to the
decade and century for professional baseball.
With their 25th championship of the 20th
century and third of the 1990s, the Yankees
were the best of both periods.
As the NBA tips off its last season starting
in this century and decade today, there is no
way either of those sensible conclusions will
be reached come June.
Boston, the 16-time NBA champion, is at
least a season or two away from making any
noise with a nucleus comprised of young
stars Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce.
And the team of the ‘90s, the six-time cham
pion Chicago Bulls, faces an even tougher road
this season. With Michael Jordan retired and
running mates Scottie Pippen and Dennis
Rodman long gone, the Bulls are expected to
start Will Perdue and Randy Brown, role play
ers in the championship days.
The rest of the league must be trembling.
On a more serious note, the outlook is
good here in the Pacific Northwest.
Portland, fresh off an appearance in the
Western Conference Semifinals, did any
thing but stand pat during the off-season. Our
beloved Blazers traded for Pippen and shoot
ing guard Steve Smith and also added free
agent forward netlef Schrempf to the mix.
Team those three with point guards Da
mon Stoudamire and Greg Anthony; for
wards Brian Grant, Rasheed Wallace and Jer
maine O’Neal; center Arvydas Sabonis; and
rapidly improving guard Bonzi Wells and
Portland is a legitimate title contender.
But with that kind of talent — not to men
tion a payroll of around $71 million — the
Blazers won’t be surprising anybody like
they did last season. Most publications have
picked either Portland or San Antonio, the
defending champion and team that beat the
Blazers last season, to win the title.
As we delve into my predictions, be ad
vised that I am a native Oregonian who grew
up with Blazermania flowing thickly
through my blood.
But also heed this warning: Portland is as
suredly red hot ‘n rollin’ this season, baby.
The East
Not much going on in the Eastern Confer
ence these days.
Well, I guess there is Allen Iverson and his
killer crossover, Alonzo Mourning and his
killer glare and Latrell Sprewell and his
killer choke hold, but the team power defi
nitely resides in the West.
Mourning’s Miami Heat is the popular
choice to earn the East’s berth in the NBA Fi
nals. Gutsy guard Tim Hardaway teams with
Mourning’s intimidating inside play to lead
legendary head coach Pat Riley’s squad.
But new rules designed to rev up the NBA
could fatally hurt the slow-it-down, bang-it
out Heat, who held opponents to just 84 points
per game last season with its physical play.
The New York Knicks, with Sprewell and
fellow guard Allan Houston paving the way,
Turn to PYLE, Page 12