SPORTS BRIEFS
Basketball teams host “Midday Madness”
Saturday is the first day that college basketball teams
nationwide can officially practice, and the Ducks are
kicking it off at 4 p.m. with a fan-oriented event at
McArthur Court.
"Midday Madness" will feature scrimmages by the men's
and women's basketball teams. An autograph session will
follow the scrimmage. Both teams and coaches will be
available for autographs.
The first 500 fans in the doors of Mac Court will receive
a free "Midday Madness' T-shirt.
Fans will also have the opportunity to have their pic
ture taken with Oregon cheerleaders and the Oregon
Duck. Free popcorn and soda will be given out to fans
during the event.
Graduate students from the University's Warsaw Sports
Marketing Center and EA Sports are giving away prizes
throughout the afternoon. Giveaways include video games
made by EA Sports. March Madness 2004, Madden 2004
and NCAA College Football 2004 will be among the
games given out at the event.
The "Midday Madness" event is free to attend. Doors
open at 3:30 p.m. at Mac Court.
— Mindi Rice
Cross Country sends
nine runners to Pre-NCAAs
The Oregon men's cross country team travels to Cedar
Falls, Iowa, on Saturday for the 2003 Pre-NCAA Invita
tional. It will be the first race for the men since they ran in
the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 27.
The men's team takes on an elite field, featuring many
of the teams it faced earlier in the season when it finished
fourth at the Roy Griak.
The women's team will only send two runners. Stand
outs Magdalena Sandoval and Eri Macdonald are looking
to take their team-leading times against some of the na
tion's most highly regarded harriers in anticipation of an
eventful season.
Sandoval has been Oregon's leading runner since she re
turned to the team a week before the Sundodger Invita
tional on Sept. 27.
The senior also ran well for the team at the Willamette
Invitational on Oct. 4., finishing second overall.
Macdonald finished the Sundodger Invitational in
fifth place overall with a mark of 17 minutes, 22 sec
onds. She finished behind two professional runners and
was the third collegiate finisher. When the team traveled
to the Willamette Invitational, Macdonald finished
14th overall.
The Pre-NCAA's first race is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start
time. It is hosted by Northern Iowa.
However, both the men's and the women's races are di
vided three ways because of the explosion in popularity.
Oregon will send nine runners to the event. Included are
Oregon's most dominant harriers: Ryan Andrus, Brett
Holts and Eric Logsdon. The Ducks will also send three
true freshmen, Kyle Alcorn, Alec Wall and Patrick Werhane,
will also run.
The men's team did not compete in the same race a
year ago, while the women sent their entire squad and
finished 18th overall.
The race features 74 teams, seven of which are in the
most recent top-10 poll, along with 20 top-25 teams.
— Scott Archer
BASKETBALL
continued from page 7
"Well, my initial goal is to keep the
team on the same track it is," Brooks
said. "I would feel a lot more pressure
if we didn't have a lot of good guys
here, but there are a lot of incredible
athletes here. I will step in there, dis
tribute the ball and play defense."
Leadership-wise, the Ducks will
count on a senior quartet that has
seen three of the best seasons in Ore
gon basketball history.
Luke Jackson let Ridnour go to the
NBA alone, deciding to stay for his sen
ior season. Guards James Davis and
Andre Joseph and center Jay Anderson
will be key leaders on the team, al
though one specific player is being
counted on for overall leadership.
That's Jackson. And all that comes
with him is 16 points and 6.9 re
bounds per game last season, as well
as 71 career starts. He's being touted
as a potential player of the year, both
in the Pac-10 and nationally.
"The seniors that came in with
Luke (Ridnour), they definitely want
to do some good things," Lincoln
said. "I'm going to be committed to
sending these guys out with a bang.
"We need a definite vocal leader and
we're all looking to Luke Jackson for
that. We have other seniors, but prima
rily the leadership role is going to fall on
Luke's shoulders. He knows that and
he's been preparing for it all summer."
Because the Ducks have always been
a mobile team, the ability to post up and
rebound is expected to play a key part in
the team's potential success this season.
Oregon returns a more experi
enced Crosswhite — now a sopho
more — as well as center Matt Short.
The sophomore is expected to be out
until mid-November with an injury
but won't miss much.
Short and freshman Ray Schafer
are both 7-foot, while Crosswhite is
6-foot-11-inches, freshman Mitch
Platt 6-foot-10-inches and Anderson
is 6-foot-9-inches.
The group will be bolstered by red
shirt freshman Adam Zahn, a muscu
lar forward the Ducks hope can come
in and play in key defensive situations.
Mark McCambridge Photographer
Aaron Brooks has been considered the heir apparent to Luke Ridnour, although head
coach Ernie Kent will not name a starting point guard just yet.
"I know our small lineup, because
there's going to be more experienced
guys there, is going to do well but I
think our big lineup is going to work
well against some teams," Crosswhite
said. "I think with a little experience
from our nonconference games, both
are going to be great. *
Oregon can do nothing but talk at this
point Saturday marks the first time the
team will practice, with the Ducks' first
game coming Nov. 9 against the Basket
ball Travelers in an exhibition game
The first real game of the season
comes Nov. 21 when Fresno State vis
its McArthur Court. From then on, a
prime time game comes against
Kansas in Kansas City, Mo., on Dec.
13.‘Pac-10 play begins Jan. 2 when
Oregon visits USC.
That'll show Oregon's true colors.
Contact the sports editor
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
SOCCER
continued from page 7
"When we're on, we'll score against
anybody," he said. "So it's a matter of
making sure we're on for the remain
ing games. We've been pretty good
about creating chances, we just haven't
been as good at finishing the chances."
Neither Washington school has won
its first conference game, so the Ducks
are the target However, Oregon tradi
tionally plays better on the road, evi
denced by a 2-1 record in the Palouse
"With our momentum, it's a good
weekend to go into the Washington
schools," Higa said.
Contact the sports reporter
at jessethomas@dailyemerald.com.
r
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
University of Oregon
The 25th annual
FESTIVAL
of BANDS
A rousing all-day competition, full of music
and pageantry, featuring 23 of the top high
school marching bands in the Northwest!
Saturday, Oct. 18
Autzen Stadium
Gates open 8:30 a.m. (South Entrance)
Prelims: 9:00 a.m. Finals: 5:30 p.m.
ALL-DAY TICKETS: $12 gen. admission;
$8 students & seniors; Family 4-Pack for $32
Free parking! (Leo Harris Parkway off MLK Blvd.)
You're always close to campus.
— . -> www.dailyemerald.com