January 11,2001
Wild, wild West
The Pac-10 should
be as competitive as
ever — for both the
men and women.
PAGES 6, 7
MARCHES
■After playing the role of
the sixth man last season,
Bryan Bracey has emerged
as one of the team’s main
go-toguys
By Jeff Smith
Oregon Daily Emerald
Their voices were quiet, barely
audible. Their mood was under
standably down.
After all, the seventh-seeded
Oregon men’s basketball team had
just been upset by No. 10 Seton
Hall, 72-71, in the first round of
the coveted NCAA Tournament.
This was an Oregon team that
had been brimming with confi
dence and was led by three talent
ed seniors in Alex Scales, A.D.
Smith and Darius Wright. The
Ducks entered the “The Big
Dance" with high hopes, but left
with empty stomachs.
But, after the game, as most of
the team spoke about their missed
opportunities, there was one no
ticeable exception. Out in the
hallway, beside the somber Ore
gon locker room, stood 6-foot-7
forward Bryan Bracey.
Obviously, Bracey was frustrat
ed about the loss, but he spoke
clearly, with his voice filled with
confidence. On this March day in
Buffalo, N.Y., Bracey took the first
step toward being a leader.
“I’m ready already for next
year,” said Bracey, who had 10
points in 21 minutes against Se
ton Hall. “This team has an oppor
tunity to be even better next year. ”
Even better than this year’s
team?
The thought hardly entered
people’s minds when they con
sidered that Oregon was losing 54
percent of its scoring and 37 per
cent of its rebounding with the
loss of its seniors.
Bracey, however, knew some
thing that the majority of the peo
ple didn’t. He knew he could be
Turn to Bracey, page 8C
■L
■jhl.
■Guards Kourtney Shreve
and Alissa Edwards continue
to grow through the season
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
Every once in awhile, some
thing happens to a team that puts
its true character to the test.
Such a thing happened to the
Ducks at McArthur Court Sept.
| 16.
Oregon players and recruits
j were playing an informal pickup
game when star point guard
Shaquala Williams drove past her
defender for the normally easy
layup.
But as Williams planted her
foot to jump, she tore the Anteri
or Cruciate Ligament in her left
knee.
With the departure of backup
point guard Karen Piers, it was
decided that the starting point
guard duty would be left to soph
omore Kourtney Shreve. Shoot
“ i n
ing guard Jamie Craighead would
shift to backup point guard, and
point guard Alissa Edwards
would play occasional minutes.
Suddenly, the Pac-lO’s most
experienced starting lineup was
being led by one of its most inex
perienced corp of point guards.
But so far, so good.
“Our guards are playing in
credibly right now,” senior for
ward Angelina Wolvert said.
“That really speaks a lot about
how much they’ve grown since
the beginning of the year.”
Shreve couldn’t believe her
ears when she heard she would
start back in September.
The young point guard from
Albany knew that Williams was
hurt bad, but she didn’t know the
extent of the injury — until she
paid a visit to head coach Jody
Runge the day after the pickup
game.
“She came up to me and said,
‘Are you panicked?”’ Shreve said,
Turn to Guards, page 2C
1