3-14-22 Emerald Media - March Madness Edition

MARCH 14, 2022 March Madness Edition

Emerald Media

STAYING IN THE

MOMENT Te-Hina Paopao has been the energetic nucleus of the Ducks’ high energy, unselfish approach to basketball.

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2 0 2 2 , AT M AT T H E W K N I G H T A R E N A . ( L I A M S H E R R Y / E M E R A L D )

RESTORING THE MAGIC OF MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA

PREVIEW OF WOMEN'S PAC-12 TEAMS

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TE-HINA PAOPAO FUELING DUCKS' PLAY

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PAC-12 MEN'S TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

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MEN'S BASKETBALL'S 3-POINT PROBLEM

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MARCH MADNESS Both teams gather as Oregon plans their attack on what would be their last possession. The Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball team faces the Stanford Cardinal, on Feb. 20, 2022, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Liam Sherry/Emerald)

PREVIEW OF WOMEN’S PAC-12 TOURNAMENT TEAMS A closer look at the teams from the Pac-12 that will play in March Madness.

BY DYLAN CONWAY TWITTER @DCONWAY_3

Watson (22) and Scherr (23) contesting a Stanford layup.

The Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball team faces the Stanford Cardinal, on Feb. 20, 2022, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Liam Sherry/Emerald)

Oregon women's basketball is looking to make another deep run into the March Madness tournament after a strong 20-11 season. With the bracket soon to be announced, it’s time to look at the other Pac-12 teams that are likely tournament bound this year.

Stanford has been a powerhouse all season. Ranked at No. 2 and No. 1 on ESPN’s power rankings, the Cardinal went 28-3 this year with a perfect 16-0 conference record. Their only losses came to No. 7 Texas by 5, No. 1 South Carolina by 4 and South Florida by 3 points.

After Stanford’s loss to South Carolina put its record at 8-3, the Cardinal stormed through the rest of their games, going on a 20-game winning streak to finish the season.

The defending champions cruised through the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas, defeating Oregon State, Colorado and Utah, all by double digits. Haley Jones was named the most outstanding player in the tournament, capping off a great season where she averaged 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds.

She landed in second place on the team in these two categories behind forward Cameron Brink, averaging 13.6 points off 56.2% shooting and eight

rebounds.

As a group, the Cardinal look extremely strong heading into the tournament and are one of the favorites to win the whole thing.

There is one other ranked team in the Pac-12 heading into March Madness in No. 20 Arizona.

The Wildcats began the season with an 11-game winning streak but went only 9-7 the rest of the year.

Arizona is getting cold at the wrong time, losing three of its last four games, including a narrow 2 point loss to Colorado in the Pac-12 tournament.

Led by senior forward Cate Reese, the team will try to turn things around come March. She leads the team in points and rebounds by a wide margin with 14.6 points and 6.2 boards per game.

ESPN’s Women’s Bracketology projects Utah to secure an eight-seed for the tournament.

The Utes’ record is nothing special, 20-11 overall and 8-7 in conference play. But wins in five of their last seven and a top-25 win over BYU helped them into tournament position.

Utah players Gianna Kneepkens (12.0), Jenna Johnson (11.9) and Brynna Maxwell (10.9) all score more in the double digits. Guard Dru Gylten has also been effective, leading the team in assists (5.0) and

steals (1.3).

After Utah, ESPN projects Colorado to be a 10-seed and Washington State at an 11-seed.

Colorado finished fifth in the Pac-12 with a 22-8 overall and 9-7 conference record after winning its first 13 games of the season.

The Buffalos hit a rough patch midway through the year, losing six in a seven game stretch, but finished strong winning six of their last seven games.

Mya Hollingshed leads the Buffalos in points (14.1) and rebounds (7.5), as they hope to surprise people in March Madness.

Washington State has had its ups and downs this season but showed resilience, finishing strong to land No. 2 in the conference behind Stanford.

The team had a 19-10 overall record, going 11-6 in conference play. Sophomore guard Charlisse LegerWalker averaged 16 points on the year, as she’ll try to lead the Cougars on a run deep into March.

Stanford is at the center of Pac-12 women's basketball heading into tournament time, as the team hopes to defend its title from last year. Behind the Cardinal, there are a lot of teams in the Pac-12 conference that have the potential to make some noise come late March.

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MARCH MADNESS

OREGON’S EFFERVESCENT TE-HINA PAOPAO FUELING DUCKS’ JOYOUS PLAY “We have the goofiest team to ever play basketball,” junior forward Sedona Prince said. “We go to the locker room and laugh for 20 minutes before the game.”

BY ERIC BERNIKER A 52-47 mid-season victory for Oregon women’s basketball over a below .500 Cal team did not incite its typical joy and celebration.

“We were like, we won the game, but it doesn’t feel like it,” junior forward Sedona Prince said. “Everyone feels really bad, everyone feels really heavy… This just doesn’t feel right.”

Despite the win, the Ducks were not having fun and enjoying playing together. Although the desired result of the game was achieved, it didn’t feel like a win.

It was a significant moment for an Oregon team which is equal parts formidable and joyous to watch.

The Ducks play a high energy, unselfish brand of basketball. Players laugh and dance together before games, showing unwavering support that translates into dominant performances on the court.

“We have the goofiest team to ever play basketball,” Prince said. “We go to the locker room and laugh for 20 minutes before the game.”

The nucleus of the Ducks’ joyous attitude on the court is All-Conference sophomore point guard TeHina Paopao.

Leading the Ducks with 3.4 assists per game and top three in scoring with 13.4 points per game, she tirelessly orchestrates Kelly Graves’ high-octane offense which is third in the Pac-12 in scoring.

“That kid’s a gamer man,” Graves said. “When it's on the line the ball is going to be in her hands somewhere.”

Paopao credits former Oregon point guard and NCAA all-time triple double leader Sabrina Ionescu for her positive demeanor on the floor.

Paopao points to a specific conversation with Ionescu in which the older guard told her, “You just have to stay in the moment, cause the next moment you can not be playing basketball anymore.”

Keeping in mind that basketball is temporary and meant to be enjoyed, Paopao makes a constant effort to remain positive and enjoy every moment of her basketball career, despite being a highly touted player with integral responsibilities to the Ducks’ success.

Paopao’s unique personal flair dates back to her freshman year at Oregon when she turned heads

at pre-season workouts, opting to wear fluorescent Spongebob T-shirts instead of team issued Nike athletic gear exclusive to Oregon athletes.

“She would be smiling ear-to-ear the whole workout, and we would be like, ‘Dude, who is this goofy little kid making jokes,’” Prince said. “And then we realized that's just Te-Hina, that's how she handles stress and pressure and the moment.”

Paopao’s style, which from afar could look unprofessional and distracting, has been effective in cultivating a positive winning culture in the wake of the Ionescu teams.

The 5-foot-9 guard can be seen laughing and smiling throughout Oregon games with her braces and multi-colored black and bleach blonde hair bouncing with each step. Players and coaches alike feed off of the positivity she exudes.

“She's having fun with it, you can tell that she's having fun at all times,”Prince said. “When she's smiling and goofing around it makes us all happy too” Prince describes the high level of trust players and coaches have in Paopao. Although Graves makes the game plan, Paopao’s consistent play has earned her the autonomy to call plays on the fly as she sees favorable matchups and scoring opportunities arise.

“She’s my favorite point guard that I have played with in my life,” Prince said. “I can feel that she truly believes in me and loves me.”

Moving forward, the Ducks will need to lean on Paopao for not only her high-level game management, but also the confident positive demeanor that she sets for the team. For a group with three All-Conference players and a supporting cast of knock down shooters and savy defenders, the Ducks will need Paopao to continue to be the team’s emotional heartbeat, to be successful in March.

“I think we're just going to have to trust each other and come out every game with intensity and effort,” Paopao said. “We just gotta stay aggressive and stay together.”

Most of all though, the Ducks’ have to stay focused on what’s gotten them to this point: their exuberance and trust.

Te-Hina Paopao (12) passes the ball from the floor to an incoming teammate. The Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball team takes on the Arizona State Sun Devils, on Feb. 1, 2022, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)

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Ducks player Te-Hina Paopao (12) receives the ball and drives towards the hoop. Oregon Women’s Basketball takes on UCLA Bruins at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Feb. 16, 2022. (Mary Grosswendt/ Emerald)

Te-Hina Paopao signaling a play at the point. The Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball team faces the Stanford Cardinal, on Feb. 20, 2022, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Liam Sherry/Emerald)

MARCH MADNESS

RESTORING THE

MAGICAL ATMOSPHERE OF MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA

The Oregon Duck joins fans in performing “Shout.” The Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball team faces the Stanford Cardinal, on Feb. 20, 2022, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Liam Sherry/Emerald)

Oregon Ducks fans returned to MKA arena for the 2021-22 season, and their effect resonated with the players. BY AARON HEISEN • TWITTER @AARON_HEISEN In front of their home crowd, the Oregon women’s basketball team surged back from a 17 point thirdquarter deficit taking the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats into overtime. The Ducks had a chance to win on the final play.

Tied at 66, Endyia Rogers flew through the lane and kicked a pass out to Sydney Parrish for the gamewinning 3. Parrish hit the front rim and the shot fell short. In response, groans from the fans echoed throughout Matthew Knight Arena. The game seemed destined for a second overtime period.

Out of nowhere, Rogers snatched the offensive rebound and knocked down the game-winning fadeaway jump shot. The groans turned to a joyous ovation.

The Ducks’ fans seemed to relish the moment following the magical last-second shot — almost as if they didn’t want to take it for granted. During the 2020-21 season, the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country and wiped out fan attendance.

The pandemic slowly died down and fans grew comfortable attending games this season. With fans back in their seats, a sense of normality was restored and with it, they experienced memorable moments such as the one on Jan. 15, when the Ducks upset the Wildcats.

Throughout the 2021-22 season, Pit Crew and alumni fans alike felt the nostalgic buzz that made Ducks games memorable before the pandemic took it all away.

“The stadium erupted,” Ducks’ fan Patrick McMahon said. “I remember Parrish missed the 3, and instantly I’m thinking [Arizona] can win it here… and then Rogers pops out of nowhere, grabs the ball, and puts it in.”

McMahon, a junior at the University of Oregon, can

be spotted toting his silver “O” chain at every Oregon sporting event. His dedication to fandom earned him the title of “Secretary of Student Defense” for the Pit Crew — a student-led group of passionate Duck sports fans.

“It’s always been my dream to be part of the Pit Crew since I heard about it in eighth grade,” McMahon said. “I sought them out right when I stepped on campus as a freshman.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, McMahon and the Pit Crew were the heartbeat of Oregon’s packed student section. As the pandemic surged and fans weren’t allowed to attend games, interest in the Pit Crew diminished. The group had just four members before the fall term.

“It was tough to maintain members because the whole point of Pit Crew is to go to Ducks games,” McMahon said. “When that opportunity became unavailable, the club stopped growing.”

A few months later, though, the Pit Crew was the epicenter of the fans' return to MKA, which culminated in a high of 73% occupancy at the Ducks game against No. 2 Stanford on Feb. 20.

Throughout the season, McMahon and his cohorts led the student section in chants and tried to get in opponents’ heads. His chant caught the attention of UConn coach Geno Auriemma at the women’s basketball game against UConn on Jan. 17. “[Auriemma] looked right at me and I said, ‘Your haircut sucks,’” McMahon said. “He gave me a really confused shrug, and everyone started laughing.”

The student section will also get in opponents’ heads by chanting “left foot, right foot, left foot,” etc. after an opponent fouls out. The whole stadium joins

in with them. In fact, it’s Laura Vencill’s favorite chant.

Laura and her husband, Gary Vencill, who graduated from UO in 1970, have attended every women’s game for the past eight years. They saw the Ducks and Matthew Knight at their peak when Sabrina Ionescu led them to victory against the women’s USA national team in front of 11,530 fans.

At first, Laura didn’t feel all too comfortable returning to a packed arena during the pandemic.

Now, she’s grown more comfortable but can’t say the same for all of her peers.

“It’s emptier than I’d like it to be,” Laura said. “I’m hoping next year that people will be coming back and seeing the excitement that’s generated in this arena.”

Matthew Knight Arena is at its liveliest when the Pit Crew is leading chants, and the whole stadium is engaged. It’s an act of teamwork between the student and alum fans to create an arena that players will want to play in.

Ducks center Sedona Prince understands the importance fans play in the success of the team. She said, “It's always fun interacting with the crowd, and they gave us that energy to say ‘We’re at our home court, and we’re not going to get beat here.’”

Fans are just as important to the MKA experience as the players are. They are a driving force behind the team’s results, and it was visible each time the Ducks played in the arena this year compared to last.

With the Ducks’ basketball season coming to a close, fans must wait for next season to attend the games. The progression of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown to us all. But, for now, the Ducks fanbase can bask in their comeback just as its team did against the Wildcats on Jan 15.

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MARCH MADNESS

PAC-12 MEN’S TOURNAMENT

ke stretches out to ma De ’Vion Harmon s Me n’s ck Du n ego Or e a tough layup . Th jans, on faces the USC Tro Bask etball team ew Knight Arena. tth Ma at , 22 20 Feb. 26, rald) (Liam Sherr y/Eme

PREVIEW

Three Pac-12 teams that are expected to be in March Madness.

BY DYLAN CONWAY • TWITTER @DCONWAY_3 With Oregon men's basketball eliminated from March Madness, there are three teams in the conference that have a solidified spot in the bracket.

On its senior night last Saturday, No. 2 Arizona defeated California to become the 202122 Pac-12 conference champion. The Wildcats are expected to hold one of the four No. 1 seeds when the tournament kicks off in a few weeks.

Arizona was consistent from start to finish this season, going 28-3 with losses at No. 9 Tennessee, at No. 13 UCLA and at Colorado. The Wildcats were a perfect 20-0 at home and held a stellar 18-2 conference record.

Freshman guard Benedict Mathurin was the Wildcats’ star throughout the campaign, averaging 17.3 points per game off 46.8% shooting. Games like his 30 point performance against Illinois helped him to be one of the 15 nominees for the Wooden Award for most outstanding college basketball player.

Forward Azuolas Tubelis also averaged 14.7 points off 55% shooting, and center Christian Koloko went for 11.8 points on 61.5% shooting this season.

The Wildcats will be on everyone’s radar heading into the tournament, as they finished the season with three blowout wins, including a 20 point rout at USC. A few games later, they capped off the season with a 28 point win over Cal. Last year, UCLA was one of March’s Cinderella stories, making it to the final four after beginning the tournament as a play-in 11 seed. This year, the Bruins are expected to make some noise in the tournament, finishing the season ranked No. 13 with a 23-6 overall and 15-5 conference record.

The Bruins were ranked in the top-5 for a majority of the season, going 16-2 in their first 18 games before hitting a rough patch in early February, losing three in a four-game stretch.

Even with two losses to Oregon and one against Arizona State this season, UCLA has still managed to build a strong resume.

On every metric of the NCAA team sheet, the

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Bruins rank in the top 16, including a top-10 ranking in both KenPom and BPI. Big wins against No. 2 Arizona and No. 8 Villanova also boosted their profile, as they don’t have any losses lower than quadrant 2. They are 11-6 against quadrants 1 and 2.

The Bruins are getting healthy and into rhythm at the right time. They’ve won six of their last seven and got their star Johnny Juzang back after he missed three of five games before returning against USC last Saturday.

Juzang leads the team in points per game with 16.7. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is second, with 13.3 points per game off 48% shooting. Tournament experience makes UCLA dangerous, with returning players like Juzang, Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campell trying to replicate last year's run.

No. 21 USC will also be in the tournament, but seem to be sliding at the wrong time. The Trojans started the season 13-0 and finished with a 25-6 overall record, going 14-6 in conference play.

The last four games are a show of concern for USC’s tournament hopes. After going to overtime against the 3-27 Beavers and defeating Oregon by 1, the Trojans lost to both No. 2 Arizona and No. 13 UCLA to finish third in the Pac-12.

Going only 1-3 against ranked teams this season, USC still has a good foundation to be successful in March.

Forward Isaiah Mobley is a force in the paint, averaging 14.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Along with Mobley, guard Drew Peterson has proved to be a big time player with 12.5 points per game off 46.4% shooting.

Peterson has shown his ability to shine in big time moments, hitting a game winning 3 in a hostile environment in Eugene to cap off a 20 point performance.

There could be another Pac-12 team advancing to March Madness with a Pac-12 tournament championship, but for now, Arizona, UCLA and USC are the conference’s only shoo-ins.

Jacob Young is celebra ted on senior night, marking his last year with the Ducks . The Ore gon Ducks Me n’s Basketball team faces the USC Trojans, on Feb . 26, 2022, at Matthew Knight Are na. (Liam Sherry/Emerald)

MARCH MADNESS

TROUBLES FROM DEEP: OREGON MEN’S BASKETBALL’S 3-POINT PROBLEM For the Ducks, it’s not a matter of talent, but of consistency that has dictated their ability to score from 3.

BY CHARLES GEARING • TWITTER @GEARINGCHARLIE The Oregon men’s basketball team played perhaps its most important game of the year on Saturday, Feb. 24. Hosting the No. 16 USC Trojans, the team had its chance to not only keep tournament hopes alive, but to garner momentum in classic Dana Altman late-season fashion.

The team fell short, 70-69, to the visiting Trojans. And instead of a gust of wind in the sails, the loss served as another reminder of one of the team’s most glaring weaknesses: its 3-point shooting. With loads of talent on the roster, but spotty, inconsistent results from the field, it can be difficult to get a read on this team.

Oregon was outshot 50% to 26% by USC. Starting point guard Will Richardson tallied just 2 points — 12 below his average. The team’s strongest shooter converted zero of his field goal attempts, in stark contrast to his 45% season percentage.

“Just one of those nights, we didn’t shoot it very well,” Altman said following the team’s loss to USC. “Our guards, we’ve kind of depended on them all year to be scoring threats, and they didn’t shoot it well tonight.”

For the Ducks, it was far from a first. The team shot 19% from 3 in its 24 point loss to Arizona State on Feb. 19, 18% in its upset loss to Cal on Feb. 12 and 21% in the early-season defeat to BYU. “I didn’t like our shot selection,” Altman said after the team’s 32-point loss to BYU. “Yeah, we missed some good ones, but after you take four or five bad ones it’s hard to get any rhythm.”

The Ducks rank 110th nationally in field goal percentage, 208th in 3-point

shooting percentage and 284th in free throw percentage.

As low as the floor has been, the team has had its share of sky-scraping highs. It was Oregon’s shooting that put it over the top in its back-to-back wins over UCLA and USC in mid-January. The team was proficient down low and defensively but added strong performances from the field in order to hurdle two then-top-five programs in a matter of days.

In the two games, Oregon shot 42% and 50% from the field, respectively. Against then-No. 5 USC, the Ducks shot 47% from 3. Richardson had 28 points, going 5-for-8 from 3.

But 10 days after the pair of wins in Southern California, the Ducks were outshot

by Colorado, falling 82-78 and ending a six-game win streak.

This team doesn’t lack shooting talent. Instead, it’s a matter of inconsistency that continues to hold back its aspirations.

Richardson (39%), Devion Harmon (36.7%) and Eric Williams Jr. (34.7%) all rank within the conference's top-25 3-point shooters. N’Faly Dante leads the conference in field goal percentage (66.7%). The Ducks rank third in the conference in field goal percentage (45.2%) and sixth in 3-point scoring (33.4%).

The Ducks’ difficulties from the field have seemed to strike right when they appear to gain momentum. In the clutch moments, the vital must-wins, just as they’re beginning to take off, they run out of offensive fuel, unable to get off the ground.

It’s that offensive sluggishness that sank Oregon’s NCAA Tournament chances.

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