Oregon Daily Emerald
Thursday, March 3, 2005
“In high school, we didn’t know if he could
defend, because he never defended. ”
Ernie Kent about recruiting Bryce Taylor
■ Men’s basketball
Taylor to
make first
visit home
as a Duck
The Encino, Calif., native is
both eager and anxious about
his homecoming against USC
BY CLAYTON JONES
SPORTS EDITOR
After a 25-game roller coaster ride this
season, freshman Bryce Taylor finally gets
to go home when the Oregon men’s basket
ball team faces Southern California tonight in
Los Angeles.
The Encino, Calif., native is third on the team
in scoring at 11.2 points per game and admits
that going back to Southern California will be a
good experience for him.
“I’m real excited,” the 6-foot-5 guard
said. “You definitely want to go out there and
play well. ”
Taylor attended Harvard-Westlake High
School where he was a three-time CIF Divi
sion III Player of the Year. The 18-year-old
averaged 25 points, seven rebounds and five
assists per game, while hitting more than
50 percent of his three-point shots his senior
season. He also owns school records for
points in a season with 1,003 and points in a
game with 54.
Taylor said coming home also gives him a
chance to show that coming to Oregon wasn’t
a mistake.
“I want to prove to everybody that for me to
be successful, I didn’t have to stay home,” he
said. “People were saying a lot of things when I
decided to come up here to Oregon.”
But one aspect that might be tough when
coming home, according to Taylor, will be keep
ing his wits about him and not getting too
pumped up on the court.
“I just have to relax and approach it like any
other game and not put too much pressure on
myself to perform in front of friends and fami
ly,” Taylor said. “That’s all nice, but it’s just an
other important game for us, and I can’t let my
self get too excited.”
Taylor has seen his offensive production
fluctuate throughout the season. He scored in
double figures in six of his first seven games
at Oregon, but only hit double digits in four of
his next 12 games. Taylor seems to be escap
ing his recent slump, averaging 11.2 points
per game in his last six contests.
While his offense hasn’t been consistent,
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said there has
been a steep improvement in his play on the de
fensive end of the floor.
“In high school, we didn’t know if he could
defend, because he never defended,” Kent said.
“Starting here in the fall, he was a long way
away. But for him to do the job he did on
(Chris) Hernandez the other night... I thought
that was a tremendous effort.
“He has come so far in terms of defending
the basketball.”
Taylor admits there was a lack of effort on the
defensive end before coming to Oregon.
“Coming in I didn’t play much defense
in high school, because you can relax on
the other end of the court and still get your
30 points,” Taylor said. “Coming in on day
one (at Oregon), that’s one of the things I
wanted to focus on. Now when Coach puts
me on assignments against (Chris) Hernandez
TAYLOR, page 14
Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Oregon point guard Aaron Brooks dropped 34 points on USC when the two teams met at McArthur Court
on Dec. 31.
■ Men's basketball
Ducks must
win to keep
postseason
hopes alive
Oregon needs at least one victory
in its last two games to gain a
berth in the Pac-10 Tournament
BY JON ROETMAN
SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER
It’s now or never for the Oregon men’s
basketball team.
After blowing numerous opportunities to
clinch a berth in the Pacific-10 Conference Tour
nament, the Ducks need at least one win in
their final two regular season games to earn a
trip to Los Angeles.
Oregon (13-12 overall, 5-11 Pac-10) is tied for
the eighth and final spot in the tournament with
California (12-14, 5-11), but the Golden Bears
hold the tiebreaker. Washington State (11-14,
6-10) is a game ahead in seventh place, with the
Ducks owning the tiebreaker over the Cougars.
Oregon’s first step toward earning its goal of a
tournament berth is to defeat Southern California
(12-16,4-12) at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Los Ange
les Sports Arena. The Trojans are currently in last
place in the Pac-10. Oregon prevailed in the first
meeting between the two teams with a 90-83 win
on Dec. 31 at McArthur Court.
The Ducks can clinch a tournament berth
tonight with a win — and some help. Along
with beating the TVojans, Oregon would need
Washington to beat Cal and Stanford to beat
Washington State.
The scenario would leave Oregon and Wash
ington State tied with a 6-11 conference mark,
while Cal would drop to 5-12. With the Cougars
and Golden Bears playing each other on Satur
day, and the Ducks holding the tiebreaker if all
MEN, page 14
■ Women's basketball
Oregon hopes to advance past first round
After failing to win in the Pac-10 Tournament the
past two years, the No. 2-seeded Ducks are ready
BY STEPHEN MILLER
SPORTS REPORTER
The Pacific-10 Conference Women’s Tournament is still a fairly new
event, appearing for the first time at McArthur Court upon the con
clusion of the 2001-02 regular season. That year, Arizona State
claimed the championship game; Stanford has won the last two.
Oregon reached the semifinals in the inaugural tournament but fell
to the Sun Devils. Since then, the Ducks have not been able to make it
past the first round, losing to UCLA in 2003 and California in 2004.
The Oregon teams that fell short in the tournament included mem
orable and skilled players, such as Shaquala Williams, Jamie Craig
head and Kayla Steen. Also on those rosters from the start were center
Andrea Bills and forward Cathrine Kraayeveld. Point guard Corrie
Mizusawa transferred in the following season.
Bills, Kraayeveld and Mizusawa are now seniors, and there is no
doubt they’ve gained experience and have observed what it takes to
win at the tournament. With that said, and with all the knowledge in
hand from three seasons of coming up short, the Ducks are ready to
test what their seniors have learned.
“Hopefully we’ll last a bit longer this time around,” said Bills, who
is second on the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game. “We’re
really looking forward to making it all the way to the championship
game this year.”
So, is this the best team Oregon has brought into the four-year-old
Pac-10 Tournament?
“I think we’re more determined,” Bills said. “We have a good
record this year and we’re more complete as a team.”
This season, Oregon posted a 12-6 Pac-10 record, its best since the
Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer
Senior center Andrea Bills, Oregon’s second-leading scorer and rebounder this
season, has played in the Pac-10 Tournament since its inception in 2002.
tournament was introduced. Even after a long regular season, the some
what tired Ducks finished with a 19-8 overall record and earned the
conference’s No. 2 seed — their best previous spot was No. 5.
WOMEN, page 14