Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adamjude@dailyemerald.com
Assistant Sports Editor:
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, November 1,2001
Best Bet
NBA: Washington at Atlanta,
5 p.m., TNT
Ducks search for first win
■ Oregon returns home to the friendly
confines of McArthur Court looking for its
first conference win of the season
By Hank Hager
Oregon Daily Emerald
There are ivy-covered walls, seats so close to the
floor players can hear the fans breathe, and an at
mosphere unrivaled in the Pacific-10 Conference.
Those are just a few of the things the Oregon vol
leyball team will have in mind when it takes on
the California Golden Bears tonight at 7. The
Ducks (8-14 overall, 0-11 Pac-10) play at McArthur
Court for the first time in two
weeks and look forward to play
ing in front of the home crowd.
“We want to create an atmos
phere here where it is the most
difficult to play at in the confer
ence,” head coach Carl Ferreira
said. “This is purely a magical
venue and I think our players are
ready to grasp the moment.”
Coupled with the fact the match will be tape-de
layed and shown on Fox Sports Net on Saturday,
the Ducks should have no problem getting up to
play.
This is the second match of the season the Ducks
will play, with California (7-12,2-9) coming out on
top in the first one at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley,
Calif., in early October. The Golden Bears jumped
out to a quick 2-0 game lead, but saw the Ducks
fight back in the third, only to lose, 32-30. Since
then, Cal has 2-7 overall, including an impressive
win over then-No. 19 Santa Clara last week. The
Golden Bears, however, have not looked strong in
conference play.
Oregon Volleyball
vs. California Golden Bears
WHEN: 7 p.m. tonight
WHERE: McArthur Court
BROADCAST: Fox Sports Net
(delayed)
In addition, the squad has been ravaged by in
juries recently. Star freshman Mia Jerkov sat out
last week’s matches against the Broncos and Stan
ford with a strained tendon in her left foot, but
should be ready to go against the Ducks. Senior set
ter Candace McNamee has also been injured of
late, but has played with a sprained ankle.
Despite the mounting injuries, the Golden Bears
look to have a full but physically depleted squad
at McArthur Court. The Ducks will look to take ad
vantage.
“We want to draw blood,” Ferreira said. “We want
to be rewarded for our efforts. It’s an enormous week
end for us and an easy weekend for us to be really
motivated about what you’re trying to do. ”
Senior outside hitter Monique Tobbagi has been
one of those players who has been focused on her
play recently, and it has begun to show. Her 42
kills and 33 digs last week against Gonzaga, Wash
ington State and Washington paced the squad, and
her play of late has improved after a disappointing
first half, at least by her standards.
But Tobbagi is only one component of the big
three. Juniors Lindsay Closs and Stephanie Martin
have also come up big in recent matches and look
to continue their strong play against Cal. But it will
Turn to Volleyball, page 10
Jonathan House Emerald
Senior outside hitter Monique Tobbagi will have more to cheer about if the Ducks can pull off a win
against the Golden Bears tonight. California won the first match of the season, 3-0, on Oct. 5.
Men’s hoops set to embark on new year
■With a talented and deep
backcourt, the men’s basketball
team is looking to get back to the
NCAA Tournament this year
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
The leaves fall from the trees. The
trick-or-treaters roam the neighbor
hoods. The rain falls in buckets instead
of Dixie cups.
Freddie Jones rains dunks.
It’s fall in the state of Oregon, and
that means the return of men’s basket
ball. The Ducks are less than a week
away from the start of the exhibition
season, and only two
weeks from the start
of the regular season.
Oregon will open
the regular season at
home against the
Basketball Travelers
on Tuesday. The
Ducks will face
Global Sports on Nov. 11, then open
the regular season with the
America’s Youth Classic at McArthur
Court Nov. 15-17.
“Our goal in the preseason is defi
nitely to get some ’Ws,”’ said senior
guard Anthony Lever, who was for
merly Anthony Norwood until he
changed his name this summer. “The
mood of the team is positive. We’re
looking to have a good year this year.”
Lever leads a backcourt battery of
guards that should be Oregon’s strength
this season. Sophomore point guard
Luke Ridnour was last season’s Pacif
ic-10 Conference Freshman of the Year,
sophomore Luke Jackson was named to
■the Pac-10’s All-Freshman team, and
senior guard Jones was the team’s sec
Emerald
Sophomore forward Luke Jackson and head coach Ernie Kent hope to bring Oregon back to
postseason play this year. Jackson was named to the Pac-10 all-freshman team last season.
ond-leading scorer last season. Jones
averaged 14.8 points per game.
“We have a lot to prove,” Lever
said of the Ducks’ backcourt.
Scrimmage scramble
Jones and Jackson made a statement
already this season, in Oregon’s first
open scrimmage Saturday at Mac
Court. In three 20-minute periods,
Jackson led all scorers with 21 points
and also grabbed eight rebounds,
while Jones scored 20 points.
Several new team members made
their first public appearances in Sat
urday’s scrimmage. Robert Johnson, a
junior transfer from Santa Rosa Junior
College, snagged nine rebounds. Ju
nior transfer Brian Helquist grabbed
six boards. Ian Crosswhite, a 6-foot-ll
forward from Australia,-did not play
because of a nagging ankle injury.
The Kent connection
When Churchill High School stand
out Jordan Kent announced his intent
to attend the University of Oregon —
where his father, Ernie, coaches the
Ducks’ basketball team — a proud
family member beamed from the seat
next to Jordan.
Yes, Ernie was there, but the proudest
family member that day was Marcus
Kent, Jordan’s older brother and the Ore
gon basketball team’s newest walk-on.
“It’s amazing,” Marcus said of Jordan’s
announcement. “I always hoped he
would come here. I sort of knew he
would, but I just really hoped he would. ”
Marcus, now a freshman, could
get a chance to “live a dream” of
playing with his brother while being
coached by his father. Marcus will
Turn to Basketball, page 10
Trainers optimistic
of Morris’ return
■ Oregon’s starting tailback has not practiced, but
Bellotti is ‘encouraged’ he will return Saturday
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
Senior tailback Maurice Morris has not practiced this week, and
his status for Saturday’s game against Arizona State is uncertain.
Morris injured his left hamstring in the third quarter of Oregon’s
24-17 win over Washington State in Pullman, Wash., Saturday.
“Mo had a pool workout (Tuesday), and both he and the
trainers are optimistic that he will be back (Saturday),” head
coach Mike Bellotti said. “I will wait and see, but I’m encour
aged at this point.”
If Morris, who rushed for 138 yards
against the Cougars, is not able to play, soph
omore Onterrio Smith will get the nod.
Smith rushed for a school-record 285
yards on 26 carries and gained a school
record 343 all-purpose yards Saturday.
“There’s no telling how many carries I’ll get this week,”
Smith said. “But I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
A November to remember?
At 7-1 overall (4-1 Pacific-10 Conference), the Ducks are off
to their best start in school history. But the final three games
of the regular season will of course determine how this team
is remembered.
The Ducks are in good hands, though. Under Bellotti, Ore-*
gon is 15-3 in November. Two of those losses were to Oregon
State in 1998 and 2000, the other occurring to this week’s op
ponent, Arizona State (1997).
0-mazing performance
The Oregon offensive line has not allowed a quarterback
sack in five consecutive games and lead.; the Pac-10 in fewest
sacks allowed with six.
In fact, the Ducks’ O-line has led the conference in fewest
sacks allowed in each of the last two years.
Smith gave his blockers the credit for his record-setting per
formance and the Ducks’ 446 total yards on the ground
against Washington State, also a school record.
TumtoFqotball.pagelQ