CRN 33245 * 4 credits • 12-13:20 Tucs/Thurs • 115 Lawrence • James Givens
Why do some places
evoke deep feelings in
us while others leave
us cold? This course
will explore a range of
beautiful places from
around the world in
order to answer this
question. As such, it
offers a holistic view of
how great places are
made and why they
continue to evoke
deep feelings even
hundreds of years
later.
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■ In my opinion
Let's hope this season's sequel
is much better than the original
After three seasons of distinct
memories and memorable players,
what can a fan, a player or a coach
take away from the Oregon men’s
2004-05 basketball season?
In the 2001-02 season the Ducks
had Fred Jones, Luke Ridnour and
Luke Jackson and the amazing run to
the Elite Eight.
In the 2002-03 season Oregon won
the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament
with Luke and Luke.
In the 2003-04 season the last re
maining Luke provided McArthur
Court with one of the most spectac
ular games it has ever seen when he
scored 29 straight points to help
Oregon recover from an 18-point
second-half deficit to beat Colorado
in the opening round of the National
Invitation Tournament.
Well maybe this season will be
known as the slight bump in the road
before another great run by the Ducks
— the year the pieces were there, but
they never quite fit together.
There were so many close games
and moments where it seemed this
team could pull it together and make
a run at the tournament.
It was a matter of free throws
against Washington when the Ducks
lost at home to the then-ranked No.
11 Huskies 95-88 in overtime at Mac
Court. The Ducks shot a school
record 54 free throws, but connected
on only 33 of them.
There was the game against Ari
zona State in which the Ducks were
up by 13 points early and self-de
structed against the Sun Devils.
Speaking of the Sun Devils, the
Ducks lost to them at home and shot a
CLAYTON JONES
SEVENTH INNING STRETCH
disgusting 28.6 percent from the field
and an even worse 4 of 34 (11.8 per
cent) from behind the three-point arc.
During the Stanford game at Mac
Court the Ducks seemed to have con
trol of the game until they went on a
dry spell and didn’t hit a field goal in
the last four minutes of the game.
There are more examples of Ore
gon losses that could’ve easily been
wins. From the Oregon State game
at Gill Coliseum to the UCLA
contest in the second game of
the conference to the Cal game at
Haas Pavilion, the Ducks could
have an additional five or six con
ference wins, and I would be writ
ing about an NCAA berth, not a
what-could’ve-been rant.
This season’s team might also be
known for something else.
Maybe it’s the season of overhyped
and unrealistic expectations.
Everyone (including myself) put the
weight of the program on a team made
up of a majority of underclassmen.
For most of the season, two of the
starters (Malik Hairston and Bryce
Taylor) had never played in a college
basketball atmosphere.
Starting point guard Aaron Brooks
missed a lot of time last season with
an injury, and their most experienced
player, Ian Crosswhite, was kicked off
the team for unspecified reasons.
Maybe this season will be remem
bered as the one that gave us all a
glimpse of the future.
With everyone returning next sea
son (right Malik?), the Ducks will
have a season under their belt and
should be ready to make a bigger
splash in the conference race.
With Brooks gaining more and
more experience at the point and cut
ting down his mistakes, Oregon will
be a dangerous ball club.
At the other guard spot, the Ducks
will have a great amount of depth
with Taylor and Chamberlain “never
found a shot I didn’t like” Oguchi.
Taylor’s streakiness will probably
subside, and I was impressed by
Oguchi’s play at the end of the year
more than anybody’s.
Hairston should solidify himself
as one of the best players in the con
ference next season at the small for
ward position and Maarty Leunen
will have an offseason of working
out to bulk up and improve his
already talented game.
And in the middle, Ray Schafer
will look to improve his consistency
on the floor while still bringing tenac
ity and fire. Mitch Platt looks as if his
offensive game is improving and with
his 6-foot-10, 265-pound frame, he
should be a force inside.
So while the memories aren’t as
great as those from previous seasons,
this year might just be the prequel to
a spectacular main event for the next
few years to come.
claytonjon.es @ daily emerald, com
■ In my opinion
Drink up, Oregon: Landing in
Seattle just what Ducks needed
Sunday’s NCAA Selection Show
was taking a toll on Oregon women’s
head coach Bev Smith.
After it ended, Smith jokingly
admitted to the crowd of about 200
at McArthur Court that she needed
a drink.
Smith and the Ducks had just se
cured a berth in the 2005 NCAA Tour
nament, marking the first career bid
as a coach for Smith and the first for
the Ducks since 2000-01.
So it wasn’t a drink out of futility
or frustration.
It was a drink of celebration.
More importantly, Smith and her
team deserve it. So enjoy that
‘drink,’ because it was a reward for
a season that could have gone
in many directions, but instead a
team came out and refused to let
that happen.
“To see that ‘O’ up there on na
tional television, on ESPN, is just
fantastic for our team, for our pro
gram, for our university and for the
community of Eugene,” Smith said.
“I’m just so, so excited and so proud
of our team, and how they played
this year. ”
The Ducks were also rewarded by
BRIAN SMITH
LEFTY SPECIALIST
the selection committee by being
placed in Seattle for their first and pos
sibly second round tournament games.
“We’re really excited to be in
Seattle,” Oregon senior Cathrine
Kraayeveld said. “We feel like it can
be essentially a home court for us.
It’s so close, and we’re going to get
a lot of fans hopefully.”
The recent house of horrors that is
Bank of America Arena will now
serve as the home away from home
for the Ducks.
In the last two games in Seattle,
the Ducks have lost by a combined
71 points.
But that was against the Huskies.
On Saturday, Washington’s home
court will become neutral.
No Dawgs. No Washington fight
song.
By the way, the Ducks are 4-1 this
year on neutral courts.
Interstate-5 will serve as a direct
pipeline for the Mac Court fans and
Mac Court mo jo.
“We’re excited,” Oregon senior
Corrie Mizusawa said. “We’re going
to Seattle, having all of our fans come
up there. We feel we can make some
noise up there.”
That mojo led the Ducks to a
9-0 conference record in Eugene,
and now Oregon doesn’t have
to worry about seeing if that
magic could extend to the Chat
tanooga, Tenn., Kansas City, Mo., or
Philadelphia regions.
“I think there will be a lot of inter
est in going to Seattle,” Smith said.
“We know the area, and there will be
a lot of green and (yellow) in that
purple gym, and we can’t wait.”
Seattle is exactly where the Ducks
needed to land, and that psychological
boost should help Oregon have a legit
imate shot to start something special.
Or would it be a continuation of
what they have already accomplished?
“All the credit goes to our players,”
SMITH, page 11B
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