Sports Editor
Peter Hockaday
peterhockaday@dailyemerald.com
-Oregon Daily Emerald
Sports
Best bet
NBA: Indiana at New Jersey
4:30 p.m., TNT
Thursday, February 20,2003
Jeremy Forrest Emerald
Bev Smith led her team to a WNIT Championship last year, but injuries may keep the Ducks from this year's postseason.
The Bev-olution
ROCKS ON
Bev Smith arrived at Oregon amid
much fanfare, and it has been an
interesting year and a half
Women’s basketball
Jesse Thomas
Sports Reporter
It has been almost a year and a
half since Bev Smith’s coaching de
but with the Oregon women’s bas
ketball team, and it has been a
coaching culture shock for the vet
eran the whole way.
From all her international ex
pertise, Smith has encountered a
much different experience in her
time at Oregon.
“It’s been everything and even a
little bit more; there’s been some re
ally interesting things that have hap
pened, and I’ve enjoyed it,” Smith
said. “It’s been a challenge, and I en
joy challenges.
“With the team and the coaching
staff we have, it’s been something
that has certainly been a significant
thing in my life.”
Smith faced her first challenge
right away, accepting the position
after the turmoil and controversy
that surrounded former head coach
Jody Runge.
The Ducks’ first season with
Smith proved she was for real.
That season, Oregon won the
Women’s National Invitation Tour
nament Championship and netted
22 wins.
Smith became just the third first
year Pae-10 coach to achieve the
20-win landmark — the first in
more than nine years.
The next challenge was choosing
a recruiting class that would
lead Oregon back to the NCAA
Tournament. Smith, a Canadian na
tive, added two Canadians, who
brought both size and dominance in
the post.
“She’s done a really good job of
not
only
mak
ing the
transi
tion for
herself
b y
coaching, but helping the players
make transitions, too,” freshman
Carolyn Ganes said.
The recruiting class of Ganes
and Yadili Okwumabua has been
setting solid examples of what
Smith wants Oregon women’s bas
ketball to represent.
Despite the pre-season expecta
tions and hype, this season has pro
vided enough adversity to be worthy
of a Golden Globe nomination for
best drama.
Every team has ups and downs,
but the rollercoaster ride for Oregon
has not ceased. And for Smith, the
journey has been draining.
“When you are dealing with ad
versity, there is a lot of emotion and
a lot of energy that you give, and you
don’t realize that you are giving it,”
On tap
Who: Oregon women
vs, Washington State
When: 7 p.m.
Where: McArthur Court
Turn to Bev-olution, page 10
Ducks pin PSU in
final Pac-10 dual
of 2002-03 season
Neil Phillips earns his first major decision
and Bob Pool pins his opponent in his first match
this season in the Ducks' win
Wrestling
Mindi Rice
Freelance Sports Reporter
PORTLAND — The Oregon wrestling squad dominated
Portland State Wednesday night, earning the Ducks their
first shutout victory this season in a 42-0 win.
"What we talked about was looking at this as a (Pacific-10
Conference) tournament first-round matchup,” Oregon head
coach Chuck Kearney said.
Senior Casey Hunt opened the dual at 141, dominating
Viking Eddie Dahlen with two near falls. Dahlen earned his
only points on escapes, with Hunt earning the four-point ma
jor decision, 17-5. It was Hunt's third major decision of the
season and of his collegiate career.
At 149, redshirt freshman Bob Pool wrestled in his first
match of the season, getting a pin for the victory 25 seconds
into the match. Pool started quickly with a takedown before
pinning his opponent.
Junior Branson Phillips and his opponent held each other
scoreless through two periods. After starting the third period
down, Phillips earned two points for a reversal and one point
for riding time to win the 157 match, 3-0.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Larwin faced Portland State’s
top wrestler, Eric Arbogast, in the 165 match. Larwin and
Arbogast fought a close match through all three periods,
Turn,to Wrestling, Rqgp,1pt , v ,
Adam Amato Emerald
Blaine, Wash., native Luke Ridnour faces his home-state schools.
V V » tf * » * I* V » » * 0 * 4 » V A «? * » » 4 4 4 V 4 « 4
Ridnour takes
family section
to Washington
The Evergreen State native always has a large
cheering section when he goes back home
with the Ducks, who take on WSU tonight
Men’s basketball
Peter Hockaday
Sports Editor
Rooting against Luke Ridnour in Washington is like
rooting against the Space Needle.
Washingtonians love their Blaine boy. Even when he
beats the pants off Washington and Washington State.
Even when the Ridnour fans outnumber the Cougar fans
in Pullman.
“Probably not, but we’ll have a good crew,” Ridnour
said when asked if that latter feat might happen.
Ridnour has a large family contingent in Spokane and
a bigger fan base in his northern home town of Blaine.
Both contingents will be there as Oregon faces the
Cougars tonight in Pullman and squares off with the
Huskies in Seattle on Saturday.
For Ridnour and the Ducks, both games are must-win
Oregon is 2-3 on the Pacific-10 Conference road, and
this weekend presents an opportunity as golden as a
goblet to prove to the NCAA Tournament committee
that the Ducks can win on the road.
Washington State is 0-13 in Pac-10 play. Washington
is 3-10.
Turn to Men's, page 10