Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adamjude@dailyemerald.com
Assistant Sports Editor:
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@dailyemerald.com
Tuesday, March 13,2002
Best Bet
NBA: Sacramento
at Philadelphia
5 p.m., TNT
Oregon women’s first WNIT
test is St. Mary’s
■ It’s not the NCAA Tournament, but the Ducks are
looking to make the most of their chances in the WNIT
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
The class: WNIT 101.
The subject: St. Mary’s of California.
The final: 7 p.m. today at McArthur Court.
The Oregon women’s basketball team is cramming. The
subject was just assigned three days ago and the Ducks are ex
pected to have it mastered.
They’ve watched some film, which is allowable under the
NCAA ethics policy. But they haven’t even seen St. Mary’s
(16-12), a team from the West Coast Conference, in seven
years, much less know what to expect in the test.
But the basis of Oregon’s studying has been itself, not the
subject.
“Not knowing too much about St. Mary’s is a good thing for
us,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “I think we’ve done
fairly well in preparing for teams we don’t know a whole lot
about because what we’re basing our preparation on is play
ing our game of basketball — doing the things we need to do
in order to be a successful team.”
Tonight’s first-round bout with St. Mary’s is not exactly a
final exam for the Ducks (17-13), but it could be. In the one
and-done Women’s National Invitation Tournament, first
year coach Smith will have to have her squad well versed in
how to stay alive.
“There’s not a whole lot (the coaches) can teach us that they
haven’t already taught us,” Oregon senior guard Jamie Craig
head said. “Now it’s just about playing basketball. We’re just
going to go out and play.”
The Ducks haven’t played a game in 11 days (a loss to Ari
zona State in the semifinals of the Pacific-10 Conference
Tournament), but are well rested for a run in the 32-team field
of the WNIT.
"We want to win this tournament,” Oregon senior guard
Edniesha Curry said. “In postseason play, you don’t know
much about any team. You just have to play hard because it’s
one and done. You go out and play your game and play with
100 percent effort.”
One advantage the Ducks will have is playing at McArthur
Court, where they are 8-5 this season (including two wins in
the Pac-10 Tournament). The Ducks also led the Pac-10 in at
Turn to Women’s, page 8
Adam Amato Emerald
Sophomore forward Cathrine Kraayeveld’s work on the boards will be key against St. Mary’s today at Mac Court.
ESPN is following the Ducks everywhere they go during their NCAA Tournament run.
* * ‘ ’ * m m it i it ( i i i i m i m i mi» i it it i i i i
Adam Amato Emerald
Oregon’s postseason run
captured by ESPN cameras
Men’s Notes
■The Ducks and head coach
Ernie Kent will be filmed over
the next few weeks as they travel
through the NCAA Tournament
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
Even though the NCAA Tournament
will be broadcast on CBS, the Oregon
men’s basketball team will be stars on
ESPN in the near future.
The Ducks have been under the
scrutiny of ESPN’s cameras since Sun
day’s selection show, and a documen
tary of Oregon’s postseason run will ap
pear on the all-sports network.
“They’re going everywhere we go,”
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said of
the cameras. “They’re in the locker
room, in the buses, in the airplanes, in
staff meetings, at halftime, everything.
But it’s a great opportunity to show our
basketball team on a national level, be
cause no other team in the country has
that right now.”
Kent had a small microphone at
tached to his sweater as he talked to re
porters Tuesday before practice, and
joked that the scribes should be careful.
“They’re hearing everything you’re
saying,” Kent said. “I’m surprised
they’re not up here right now. They roll
all the time.”
Scary.
Helquist Hurtin’
Oregon’s backup center, Brian
Helquist, is still questionable to play in
this weekend’s games.
“He’s practicing today, but he won’t
do a lot of live stuff,” Kent said Tuesday.
Helquist strained his right knee in
Oregon’s win over USC on the final
weekend of the regular season. The
Ducks managed two wins without the
big man, but lost in the second round of
the Pac-10 Tournament to USC.
Helquist averaged four points and 2.8
rebounds per game coming off the
bench. He played 14 minutes per game
in relief of starting center Chris Christof
fersen.
Senior center Mark Michaelis ad
mirably filled Helquist’s shoes during
the Pac-10 Tournament. Michaelis
scored seven points and grabbed three
rebounds in the first round of the tour
nament, then got two boards in the sec
ond game.
Oregon guard Freddie Jones, who
had a high fever during the Pac-10 Tour
nament, will be healthy for the NCAA
Tournament, as will forward Luke Jack
son, who fell on his hip after a dunk
against Washington.
Turn to Men’s, page 9