Eugene The general public’s wait-and-see attitude toward the Oregon men’s basketball program is no longer suitable.
With several high-profile victories already in nonconference play, the No. 12 Ducks (9-0, 1-0 Big Ten) have soared into the top 15 in both efficiency and polls. Five figures are more than expected and well-deserved when UCLA (7-1, 1-0) visits Matthew Knight Arena this afternoon (3 p.m., Big Ten Network).
“My top priority is to create a fantastic environment for the guys,” Oregon coach Dana Altman stated. We prevailed at home. We won a lot at home for a spell. And when everyone is participating, including the students, the environment in this facility can be incredibly positive.
Although we have been consistent, it hasn’t been top 10 or top 20. I can therefore appreciate why the supporters want to see us perform better. The boys have always competed, though, I thought. Our men always seem to show up and compete, even if I didn’t think they were playing hard and we were undermanned in a couple games. I hope the vibe will be fantastic. We must set up a home court.
UO has only had one sellout in 92 home games since 2018–19, the season before against Arizona, despite having 14 consecutive seasons with 20 wins under Altman.
Early in the season, the four Big Ten West Coast schools lag far behind the rest of the conference, with the exception of Northwestern.
This season, Oregon’s average attendance of 5,681 places it 16th in the Big Ten and 74th nationwide, ahead of just USC and UCLA. It is now the lowest in the building’s 14-season history, but it will undoubtedly become better as conference play starts, especially after New Year’s.
We must turn this like a home court for our supporters. Compared to those, our football stadium is smaller, but it’s vibrant and makes a difference, Altman remarked. In basketball, it makes a difference because everyone is on top of things. Over the years, we’ve had some fantastic crowds. It’s one of those years where I hope our supporters want to stay up with some of the other fan bases as we move into the Big Ten.
According to KenPom, the Bruins have one of the worst schedules in the nation so far, ranking 348th out of 364 Division I teams. The game this afternoon will drastically alter that.
Two key members of this year’s UCLA team are former USC guard Kobe Johnson and former Oregon State forward Tyler Bilodeau (14.1 points, 6.1 rebounds). Mick Cronin’s teams have faced the Ducks in competitive games regardless of their personnel.
According to Altman, they will physically grip and cling in a defensive manner. They will grind you down offensively in an attempt to acquire the shot they desire. There is no question that we will have to play the game physically.
They have talent, and we are aware that the game will be tough and physical, much like our matches have been for the past three to four years since Mick took over.
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