In the mix with Ducks, LeBron, Niners and Yoplait
So it’s that time again. Time to bust out the
semi-bi-annual notes column.
We need a title for this mix tape. How about
winter clues r
You’ll see why.
Track 1: Say what? So
how do you respond
when your friend asks
you, “What happened to
the Ducks this weekend?”
Pretty much like I did.
Peter
Hockaday
Two minutes for
crosschecking
well... see ... its like
this ... well ... what I
mean to say is ... umm
mm ... they can’t rebound
... but... yeah ... can you
repeat the question?”
And how do you re
spond when another
friend asks, “The same thing that happened to
the football team isn’t going to happen to the
basketball team, is it?”
“Don’t bet on it.”
Track 2: Tampon thoughts. One of the worst
feelings in the world, if you’re a guy, is watch
ing a television show, thinking that it’s a per
fectly normal show, and then you see Tampax
and Yoplait commercials ... back to back.
Nothing worse than thaj right there.
This happened to me while I was watching
“Joe Millionaire” on Monday. So it brought up a
dilemma. Do I continue watching the show, or
preserve my manhood and flip to ESPN?
The decision wasn’t that hard. I found out
who got the sapphire necklaces, and that was
n’t on Sportscenter.
Track 3: Bron Bron my baby. So LeBron
James, high school hoops phenom, is driving
around in a Hummer H2, supposedly bought
by his mother for his birthday.
Please. Give us a little respect. We’re not
that stupid, are we? It’s a Hummer, for crying
out loud! The gas bills alone are going to run
him about $200 per month.
And do you know how long I’ve wanted a
Hummer? Did any sports agents come knock
ing down my door when I was a senior in high
school, offering me the keys to a big, beautiful
car? Heck no. And let me tell you, I was a high
ly-touted sportswriting prospect in high
school. I could’ve pulled a Bron and gone pro
early. But I chose education.
Kids these days.
Track 4: Pavilion pushing. The Oregon
men, in their trip to the Bay Area last week
end, saw two arenas that they should serious
ly consider modeling the new McArthur
Court after: Haas Pavilion in Berkeley and
Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto.
Haas is a classic court with all the amenities
of a new stadium. The student section is as
close as it is at the Pit, and the bleachers are
more severely sloped so the students actually
feel more on top of the court than at Mac.
Maples is another in the mold of not-a-bad
seat-in-the-house arenas, but there is one
particular feature that Oregon officials need
to consider when building a new Mac. The
student section stretches the entire length of
the sideline, it’s not broken up at all. Talk
about intimidating.
Track 5: 49er (scarlet) fever. Many of you
§
know I’m a big Niner fan after I wrote about the
near-heart attack I suffered during The Come
back last Sunday. So what do I think about
Sunday’s debacle in Tampa Bay?
I think it never happened.
The Niners of 2002-03 gave us The Come
back, which ranks right up there with The
Catch and The Drive as great moments in Nin
er history. Cheers to that.
And on another Niner note: See ya, Mariuc
ci. Good-bye, good luck, don’t send a post
card. Mooch has always been of the
Packer/Holmgren mold, not the 49er/Walsh
mold, and there’s always been something just
a little bit off about him. If the Niners want a
real crimson-and-gold product, they should
pry Mike Shanahan (offensive coordinator for
the Niners’ ’94 Super Bowl win) away from the
Broncos and keep him as far away from GM
duties as possible. Just a thought.
Track 6: Close. That’s it, kids. Keep on sporting.
Contact the sports editor
at peterhockaday@dailyemerald.com. His views
do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald.
» . —law
Adam Amato Emerald
Andre Joseph (35) started for the first time on Saturday, thanks in large part to his
performance against Jason Gardner (22) and the Arizona Wildcats.
Men's
continued from page 9
“some stuff out,” redshirt freshman
center Matt Short said. “And I
think we’re going to come out with
a lot more intensity.”
Kent said individuals have been
“trying to do too much” instead
of getting in the flow of the game
and opening up Oregon’s transi
tion offense.
“They’re a little antsy with each
her, and they need to be because
j know we let some things get
vay from us in the Bay Area,”
ent said.
Kent said he has not made a de
cision on tonight’s starting lineup.
Short and guard Andre Joseph
made their first career starts
agamsf " "Stanford,* supplanting
Brian Helquist and James Davis.
“It doesn’t matter who starts,”
Kent said. “It matters how we’re go
ing to play and if we can get back in
our rhythm.”
The Ducks, traditionally, have a
good rhythm against Portland State.
In their last meeting on Nov. 25,
2000, Oregon defeated the Vikings,
84-66, at McArthur Court. Guard
Jeb Ivey leads the Vikings with 14.5
points per game this season.
Even though Oregon State comes
to Mac Court on Saturday, the
Vikings will have the Ducks’ atten
tion tonight.
“Portland State becomes a very
dangerous team if we start looking
ahead to Oregon State,” Kent said.
“They’re going to get our best effort.”
Contact the senior sports reporter
at adamjude@dailyemerald.com.
Women's
continued from page 9
ailment in her left foot. Although it
is a painful matter, Bills is not ex
pected to miss any games because
of the injury.
Junior Kayla Steen has been nurs
ing a chronic back problem and re
ceived an injection Tuesday, which
caused her to miss practice, yet she is
expected to play this weekend.
Post representing
for Oregon
Oregon’s post players have been
doing more than their part in help
ing keep Oregon in the running, as
both starters rank in the top-10 in
individual statistics categories for
the Pacific-10 Conference.
Bills has the strongest influence,
as she is tied for ninth in the re
bounding standings. She has
brought down 95 rebounds in her
15 games, averaging 6.3 per game.
She has hit 65-of-130 for exactly
.500, good enough to place her in
10th place in the field goal per
centage category. And Bills cur
rently holds fifth place in the
blocks category, totaling 15 thus
far this season.
Ganes has had a strong influ
ence from the free-throw line. She
has gone 31-of-37 in her 15 games
to lead all Oregon players. Ganes,
who hits 83 percent of her shots,
is in second place in the Pac-10
in shooting.
Senior Alissa Edwards has made
her mark, as she is in fourth place
in both the steals category, ac
counting for 32 in her 15 games,
and in 3-point field goal percent
age, where she has gone 19-of-43
for 44 percent.
Contact the sports reporter
at jessethomas@dailyemerald.com.
Pac-10
continued from page 9
at Stanford, but came back to win
the Pacific-10 Conference Champi
onship and go to the Elite Eight.
Three years later, in 2000, UCLA
went 4-8 to start the Pac-10 season
but came back to win two NCAA
Tournament games and advance to
the Sweet 16.
Two seasons ago, rumors about
Rick Pitino taking over Lavin’s
job swirled as the Bruins started
4-4, but Lavin again led UCLA to
the Sweet 16. Last year, UCLA
lost in the opening round of the
Pac-10 tournament to California,
but advanced, once again, to the
Sweet 16.
“I’ve never advocated changing
coaching in the middle of the
year,” Guerrero said. “Pve been
consistent on letting coaches do
their job, then I evaluate at the
end of the season.”
But Bruin fans don’t lie. The
12,819-capacity Pauley Pavilion
was filled with 8,503 people for
Saturday’s loss to St. John’s. And
many of those fans may not come
back until Lavin stops roaming
the court.
Wazzu woes
If we’re comparing empty are
nas, then Washington State’s Friel
Court has Pauley Pavilion beat in
every way.
The Cougars drew just 2,772 fans
— total — for their Pac-10 opening
games against USC and UCLA Jan.
2 and 4. Friel Court has a capacity
of 12,058.
Want a ticket for this weekend’s
games against Stanford and Califor
nia? The nicest seats in the Friel
house will run you #12 each. Gen
eral admission tickets are half that
price, and student tickets are a
mere #3.
Washington State doesn’t just
have basketball ticket problems.
The Cougars have gotten some
heat in recent weeks for not sell
ing enough tickets to the Rose
Bowl, which had its lowest atten
dance figure since 1944. The
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
Ike Diogu (5), a freshman forward for Arizona State, has scored in double figures in
every game this season, one of the main reasons the Sun Devils are on a 7-1 tear.
Washington State Athletic Depart
ment sold 26,000 of its allotted
32,000 tickets.
And the game wasn’t even that
good.
Arizona heat wave
Both Arizona schools are hotter
than a fire poker, and they won’t be
able to burn each other until they
meet next weekend; They travel to
Los Angeles this weekend.
Arizona State is 7-1 in its last
eight games, and 3-1 in the Pac-10.
The Devils are led by their star
freshman, Ike Diogu, who has
scored in double digits Tn every
game this season.
Arizona’s story is typical in Wild
cat country. Arizona started the
season at No. 1 in the nation, lost
one game, then started the Pac-10
season 4-0 and moved back into
the nation’s No. 2 slot.
Watch out, Pac-10, here’s a
daunting statistic: The Wildcats
have started the Pac-10 at 4-0
five times under Lute Olson, and
every time they’ve gone on to
win the conference.
Things certainly are hot in Arizona.
Contact the sports editor
at peterhockaday^dailyemelraldcdm.
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