“I believe that she can play at the next
level, whether that’s in Europe or even
at the WNBA. It’s up to Cicely. ”
Oregon women’s basketball coach Bev Smith on guard Cicely Oaks’ potential.
■ In my opinion
SHAWN MILLER
FULL-COURT PRESS
Duck future
hinges on
Hairston's
leadership
Malik Hairston’s role is to be a leader.
He and coach Ernie Kent agree with that
sentiment, and following Saturday’s embarrass
ing home loss to Georgetown, Oregon severely
needs to step up his leadership.
“His role is our captain; he’s our leader,”
Kent said. “He needs to score the ball, and
I’ve thought he has been doing a great job of
it so far.”
Hairston scored eight straight points late in
the first half for Oregon, a team that had
managed only 13 points through the first 15
minutes of the game. Early in the second half
Georgetown built a 12-point lead and Hairston
answered with a three-pointer on the next
possession to cut the deficit back to single
digits. Four minutes later Hairston did the
same, tipping in a missed free throw. Ironically,
he was successful and led the team in
everything excluding free throws.
Hairston led the Ducks with 17 points and
five rebounds, the second consecutive game to
hold that honor in both categories. In fact, he
has scored in double figures in all six games
this season and leads the Ducks in scoring with
15.8 points per game.
The 6-foot-6 sophomore has seemed to be
breaking out solid performances each game
highlighted by a career high 25 points during
last Wednesday’s loss at Vanderbilt.
I just teel that I am a leader, Hairston said.
“That I just need to get done whatever this
basketball team needs me to and if they need
me to step up and do more I am here to do it.
If they need me to sacrifice more, I am here
to do it. In times like this I know I need to
step up more. ”
However, the biggest concern for Hairston is
that the Ducks have lost two straight games and
that the free throws aren’t falling.
The Ducks made only seven of 17 free
throw attempts Saturday, including one of
seven in the second half. Hairston made two
of seven attempts on the afternoon and has
struggled this season, connecting on only 13
of 23 free throws.
“We missed a lot of free throws, I take
responsibility for that,” Hairston said.
However, the free throws will come with
practice and Hairston has made most of his
shots from all of the other areas of the floor.
While the season isn’t even one-quarter com
plete, comparisons to last season are imminent.
In order to reverse the comparisons and end the
losing streak, Hairston has to continue to
progress as a leader on the court and in the
locker room.
Hairston thought about heading to the NBA
after high school and initially had thoughts of
leading Oregon to a national championship last
season. While the words haven’t been as strong
this season, the leadership has started to form.
If success is to follow, Hairston’s teammates
should do the same.
sm.iller@ dailyemerald. com
Standing
mi
through adversity
Oregon guard Cicely Oaks has followed a trying
high school career with continued growth at UO
BY JEFFREY DRANSFELDT
SPORTS REPORTER
Every day last summer,
Cicely Oaks ran with a
clear purpose of contribut
ing to the Oregon women’s
basketball team.
Getting to this point, where
Oaks enjoyed a career-high 15
points against Drake on Nov. 28,
required patience through two
years of little playing time and a
turbulent high school career.
The attention Oaks has en
joyed with her breakthrough this
season is nice, but something she
says she is happy to bypass for
team success.
The same went for high school.
“She was a star who enjoyed
the spotlight, but didn’t crave it,”
her high school coach Margaret
Calvert said.
That is why now, with the jun
ior Oaks playing regularly, she
deflects attention to senior
guards Chelsea Wagner and
Brandi Davis.
Oaks’ play, though, has gotten
her noticed with 6.7 points, 2.3
rebounds and 1.7 assists per
game. She is second on Oregon
(5-1), shooting 54.5 percent from
the field and 92.9 from the free
throw line.
A prolific scorer in high school,
Oaks provides points and all the
dirty work on the basketball
court: Diving for loose balls,
making steals and creating easy
baskets for teammates.
Against Drake, Oaks stole the
ball under the hoop and fed cen
ter Gabrielle Richards for a layup.
On another possession, she made
a wide open three-pointer on the
right wing. Late in the game,
Oaks whipped a pass to Kristen
Forristall for an open layup.
Oaks also showed she can
drive to the hoop and draw fouls
with 10 made free throws.
Her strong performance fol
lowed an eight point and five re
bound showing against a scrappy
Arkansas team.
“We play off her energy,”
Oregon forward Jessie Shetters
said. “She just loves the game
and loves to get out there and
get after it.”
Oaks can also be a lockdown
defender with a long wingspan
and lateral quickness, Oregon
coach Bev Smith said.
The only thing holding her
back was conditioning, which
Smith said Oaks fixed with her
summer work.
Oaks’ success comes after two
seasons of work and her high
school career, where success
mixed with strife.
Calvert became Grant High’s
head coach when Oaks joined
varsity as a freshman. In her first
two seasons, Oaks helped Grant
reach the state tournament twice.
Her junior year came and with
it came issues off the court. Oaks
struggled with personal problems
that extended onto the court.
Calvert reportedly suspended
Oaks for a pair of games in De
cember and was later dismissed
from the team.
Smith attended a game to
scout Oaks and realized the 5
foot-7 guard wasn’t there. Calvert
told Smith that Oaks was talent
ed and a good student but wasn’t
acting like it.
After the first couple games
off, Oaks followed the team
as she attended games and
maintained relationships.
“What she went through in
high school was hard and we
shared a lot of that,” Calvert said.
Oaks adjusted. She became
more positive and outgoing.
Oaks maintained relationships
with teammates, which helped
ease her return as a senior.
Calvert supported her the
entire time, Oaks said, focusing
on helping Oaks get a college
education if basketball
didn’t work out.
it was a growtn year, uaxs
mom Beryl McNair said. “I
appreciate the way she came
through it.”
Colleges cooled on Oaks
during her junior year absence.
When she returned as a
senior, Calvert said she was
confident in Oaks and interest re
turned with numerous schools in
cluding Washington State, UTEP
and San Francisco taking notice.
Oregon remained supportive and
stood by her, Oaks said.
“(Smith) asked me why she
should consider bringing me
here, and I just told her it was a
good learning experience and
something like that would never
happen again,” Oaks said.
Smith received numerous let
ters of support from Grant and
the surrounding community.
Even though they are now
apart, the bond Calvert and Oaks
created continues as they talk
regularly on everything from
basketball to living in Eugene.
“I feel like she cared about
me more as a person than a
basketball player,” Oaks said.
Next Saturday, Calvert and
players on the Grant basketball
team will visit the Rose Garden
to see Oaks and Oregon
play against Prairie View A&M.
McNair and family and friends
will be there as well. Saturday’s
game is Oregon’s first in
a month-long road trip which
includes games at UCLA and
Tim Bobosky | Photo editor
Oregon guard Cicely Oaks is having a breakthrough junior year. The 5-foot-7
Portland native is averaging 6.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
Zane Rrn | Photographer
Oregon guard Cicely Oaks defends Drake's 6-foot-l center, Jill Martin while fellow
Duck Carolyn Ganes looks on.
USC before returning to
McArthur Court on Jan. 5 to
play California.
With Oaks, it’s important to
get to know her and get past her
sometimes tough exterior,
Calvert says. Teammate Shetters
played against Oaks with Wilson
High. Both said they didn’t like
the other as competitors in high
school, whereas now the two are
best friends.
“We were both ... just judging
each other from what we saw, and
we didn’t really dig in any deeper
than that,” Oaks said.
Relationships developed be
tween Oaks and Shetters and oth
er teammates during stays in resi
dence halls as freshmen. Smith
gained tips from Calvert on how
to get to know Oaks, how to speak
to her and get the most out of the
Portland native.
“We both had to take a step in
the right direction and come
towards each other,” Smith said.
Smith and Oaks sat down
before the season and discussed
expectations. The mutual under
standing has helped Oregon
and Oaks to a successful early
season start.
When Calvert and Grant players
see Oaks play, they see a role
model and what is possible with
work, Calvert said.
“She shies away from really
saying I’m going to motivate oth
er people — tries to downplay
it,” Calvert said. “(But) she offers
a very concrete ..example of
what’s possible.”
Personally, college has provid
ed Oaks with opportunity,
McNair said.
“If nothing else she does in this
life, God has given her a wonder
ful gift ... of a degree to carry her
on,” McNair said.
jdransfeldt@dailyemerald. com