Lindquist
continued from page 7
pointers, which he says takes
him about 160 shots. Then he
schedules an appointment with
one of his assistant coaches to
meet him in the morning to do
the exact same thing.
Why such hard work? Well,
when you’re Ben Lindquist and a
member of a Pac-10 team, there’s
no way you can take anything for
granted.
“I used to always see these
guys on T.V. wearing their Nike
gear, and think, man, that’s
something I want to be a part
of,” said Lindquist, who is aver
aging close to 17 minutes per
contest. “And now, look, it’s fi
nally here. The main thing for
me is to keep working hard
every day.
“Because there’s always some
body out there who is working
just as hard and wants to play
just as much as me.”
Not likely.
The St. George, Utah, native’s
work ethic is a main reason he
has quickly established a niche
in a program that he came into
this fall as the less-touted of the
four junior college transfers. The
other three were forward Bryan
Bracey, forward/center Julius
Hicks and guard Anthony Nor
wood.
After a nine-point breakout
performance off 3-of-4 shooting
from three-point range on Dec.
11 against Cal-State Northridge,
Lindquist was quickly thrust
into a starting role that lasted
seven games. During that span
he scored 13 points in back-to
back games against Denver and
Minnesota, the latter coming in
the Portland Jam at the Rose Gar
den.
“He was a mild surprise when
we threw him out there in the
starting role,” Oregon head
coach Ernie Kent said. “You al
ways see someone in their own
environment and wonder how
they’ll respond in a much more
intense one. He has just come
right in and become a part of
our family, and that’s a big rea
son we’re having so much suc
cess.”
Sophomore guard Freddie
Jones, who has since resumed
the starting role that Lindquist
had, is grateful to have a com
petitor such as Lindquist on the
team.
“He came out and gave us a lot
of energy when he was starting,”
Jones said. “[He] pushed the mo
mentum just as he pushes me
every day in practice, he has
proved that he belongs at this
level. A lot of people think that
just because we play the same
position that we would be fight
ing between one another, but it’s
not like that at all.
“We’re all about winning and
we support each other the best
that we can.”
Winning is nothing new to
Lindquist, who played at one of
the premier junior colleges in
the country at Utah Valley State.
His team was ranked as high as
No. 11, and every player on that
team went on to play at a Divi
sion I school. Lindquist, who
spent his seventh and eighth
grade years in Newport,
dreamed about someday playing
for Oregon.
“I always knew I could play,
but coming from a small town I
was worried I never would,”
Lindquist said. “When Coach
Kent approached me this past
summer, I told him that whatever
the situation was, I wanted to be
a part of it. And if that meant
cheering somebody else on, that
was OK, as long as we were win
ning.”
Kent loved that type of attitude
and found a place for him on the
roster.
“Ben has done a really good
job in a number of areas,” Kent
said. “Number one, he’s allowed
us to coach and teach and he’s re
sponded. Number two, he fits in
really well.”
When talking about the
toughness of the Ducks (10-2
overall, 1-0 Pac-10), Kent often
refers back to the 82-75 win
against previously unbeaten
Minnesota as a turning point in
the season, when the team
proved that it can play with
anybody.
Not only did Lindquist start
that game and play 27 minutes
in front of a national television
audience, but his 13 points,
four assists and two steals
warranted him MVP honors
for the game. He was honored
with a plaque at mid-court af
terward.
“That was a real surprise to
me and I still don’t know what
to really think about that,”
Lindquist said. “I tried to
downplay the award. The game
itself was a lot of fun, and that
was the game that I finally start
ed relaxing and feeling comfort
able.”
But by no means do games
such as those make Lindquist
complacent. He is entering his
first Pac-10 season with great an
ticipation and seems to be will
ing to do whatever it takes to
help his team win. Whether that
be grabbing a key rebound, div
ing into the stands for a loose
ball or knocking down a clutch
three.
“I’m really excited for this
weekend,” Lindquist said. “This
is what it’s all about. This is the
opportunity I’ve waited for and I
don’t want to be sitting here two
months from now wishing I had
done this or that.”
As his admirable practice
habits clearly indicate, odds are
that he’ll come away pleased.
Make a Difference
in a Kid's Life
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and Master's degree programs in elementary
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Special education programs at the UO are ranked in the top 5
nationally. Employment opportunities are plentiful, and UO
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training. Full and part-time programs are available starting
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