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After the longest of seasons, the Oregon Duck basketball team needs to regroup. The squad lost point guard Kamyron Brown to a transfer that was probably in the best interest of both parties involved. Through it all Duck fans and players suffered their way to an eight win season and yet, they retained their much maligned Head Coach, Ernie Kent. It is hard to imagine but there is really only one way to go for a program just a little over a year removed from back to back NCAA Tournament appearances. That way is up. It has to be, right? Duck Territory has a few reasons why we think that Ernie Kent’s team will bounce back quicker than may be expected.

There will be some new blood coming in this year as well as some experience, albeit the junior college type. Experience is experience though, and two junior college stars PG Malcolm Armstead and SF Jeremy Jacob from Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida have signed on with the Ducks. The Ducks will also welcome in E.J Singler from Medford, OR and highly touted swingman Jamil Wilson from Milwaukee, WI.

In addition to the injection of talent and fresh bodies to the program the team went through a tough year that made them mentally, if not physically tougher. With some off-season issues put to rest and the rumors of more transfers being put to bed, the staff and the players are surely ready to move on.

The team returns the core of its nucleus including experienced seniors in the versatile, yet wildly inconsistent Joevan Catron and the enigmatic Tajuan Porter. LeKendric Longmire, who at times looked unstoppable in the open court, has to overcome his propensity to disappear during games. The young and talented front court of Michael Dunnigan, Josh Crittle and Drew Wiley are a year older and a year wiser, both on and off the court. With the new infusion of talent from the high school and junior college ranks, Kent’s squad, if nothing else has an extremely deep and talented, if unproven front court.

The front court is one thing, but it has been proven time and time again that Kent’s system works much better when he has a point guard capable of carrying the team. With the addition of Armstead, Tajuan Porter is expected to play off the ball, which in spite of his height seems to be the best fit for him and the team. The emergence of Matthew Humphrey towards the end of last season gives this team perhaps its best depth in years.

During the Ducks Elite 8 runs in 2002 and 2007, Kent’s teams survived on a few stars to get them by. This edition of the Ducks looks to be more balanced from top to bottom and with a mass exodus of players from other PAC-10 teams there is no reason to believe this team can’t challenge for a spot in the top half of the PAC-10. If Coach Kent is able to find the right combination of players to put on the court at any given time, this team could surprise a lot of people around the league in 2009.

Coming soon, Duck Territory will have a breakdown of the additions and subtractions of each PAC-10 team as well as a closer look into the class of 2009 recruits for the Ducks and the rest of the league.

The ultimate addition by subtraction would be tossing Kent. He needs to go. Rumor has it he's hardly participating in leading the workouts while our new assistant is taking the brunt of that work (sounds like transitioning to me). Add that to his past history, especially his cheating on his wife in Cabo paid for courtesy of recruiting funds a while back. His time has come. He stays for a transition year and he gets tossed next season if we don't make the NCAA tournament (which we probably won't unless if Jamil Wilson can dominate or Dunigan decides to play like he should).

Does anyone know when the schedule for this next season is supposed to come out?

goducks75 wrote:The ultimate addition by subtraction would be tossing Kent. He needs to go. Rumor has it he's hardly participating in leading the workouts while our new assistant is taking the brunt of that work (sounds like transitioning to me). Add that to his past history, especially his cheating on his wife in Cabo paid for courtesy of recruiting funds a while back. His time has come. He stays for a transition year and he gets tossed next season if we don't make the NCAA tournament (which we probably won't unless if Jamil Wilson can dominate or Dunigan decides to play like he should).

Aren't the coaches restricted by the NCAA as to how much participation they have in off season workouts? Chip Kelly isn't at the football conditioning sessions. Mosley's article today on the women states "With the Ducks making the transition to first-year coach Paul Westhead and his up-tempo style of play, the extra month of training together is invaluable, even if coaches can’t be involved on the court."