Oregon Weekly MBB Release - Week 14
02/09/11 | Men's Basketball
For the complete release with full notes, statistics, etc., view the PDF version
EUGENE, Ore. -- The University of Oregon men's basketball team (12-11, 5-6) will face road games against UCLA (16-7, 7-3) and USC (12-11, 4-6) this week. The Ducks-Bruins contest is slated for 7:30 p.m. (PT) on Thursday, while the UO-USC contest is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Oregon is currently tied for sixth in the Pac-10 Conference standings, having won five of the last seven games. UCLA, which sits in second place, is also hot having one seven of the last eight contests, coming off a pair of wins over USC (64-50) and St. John's (66-59) this past week. The Trojans have lost three of their last four games entering the week, the most recent a loss to their cross-town rival. USC is in eighth place in the league standings.
UCLA leads the all-time series over UO, 80-29. The Bruins won this year's earlier match-up, a 67-59 victory at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. The Ducks won last year's meeting at Pauley Pavilion (70-68), completing the season sweep of the Bruins in the process.
USC has a 60-47 edge in the series history with Oregon, but the Ducks have won the last three meetings. Oregon won 68-62 in the Matt Arena opener on Jan. 13, and posted a season-sweep of the Trojans last season. The last time the teams met in Los Angeles, the Ducks tallied a 54-44 win.
UCLA LIVE COVERAGE
• TV: OSN on Comcast SportsNet NW and Fox Sports Prime Ticket
• Radio: Oregon Sports Network affiliates; Jerry Allen, play-by-play
• Satellite radio: Sirius 91, XM 194 (UCLA broadcast)
• GoDucks.com: Live audio, video, stats
USC LIVE COVERAGE
• TV: Fox Sports Prime Ticket
• Radio: Oregon Sports Network affiliates; Jerry Allen, play-by-play
• Satellite radio: Sirius 91, XM 193 (USC broadcast)
• GoDucks.com: Live audio, stats
Follow Oregon men's basketball on twitter @duckbasketball for in-game updates.
SIM FINDING 3-POINT TOUCH IN PAC-10 CONFERENCE PLAY
Junior guard Garrett Sim has found his shooting touch from behind the 3-point arc in UO's 11 Pac-10 Conference games. Sim's 20 made 3-pointers in league play is a team best, while shooting a team-high 42.6 percent on 3-pointers (20-of-47). He ranks fourth on the team in scoring average in those games (9.3 ppg).
Three games standout for Sim, road wins over Oregon State and Stanford and a home win over Washington State. In the victory over OSU, Sim hit 3-of-7 from behind the arc (6-of-10 on field goals) en route to a 15-point effort.
In the historic win over the Cardinal, Sim hit a pair of timely 3-pointers and finished with 10 points, one of four UO players to score in double figures.
Sim added 13 points, going 3-of-5 on 3-pointers, in the blowout victory over the Cougars this past weekend.
CATRON HONORED BY PAC-10, AVERAGING CAREER BESTS
Senior forward Joevan Catron, the reigning Pac-10 Conference Player of the Week, has now played in 117 career games averaging career-bests for points (16.0 ppg) and field goal shooting percentage (.528, 113-of-214). He leads the team in scoring, rebounding average (6.7 rpg) shooting percentage, field goals attempted and field goals made, while ranking second in minutes played (27.0 mpg).
Catron has scored 61.0 percent of his points after halftime, with 205 of his 336 total points coming during the final 20 minutes (and OT). In his most recent 20-point performance against No. 20 Washington, Catron tallied 16 second-half points to secure the upset. In the game at UW, Catron scored 17 of his team-high 20 points in the second half (including 11 straight points to open the stanza). In an overtime win over North Dakota State, he tallied 16 of his career-best 27 points in the second half.
OREGON BENCH COMING UP BIG IN RECENT WINNING WAYS
The reserves have been vital in UO's last seven games, out-scoring the opposition's bench five times during that stretch (the Ducks are 4-1 in those contests). The Ducks had lopsided bench point differentials in games with USC (31-16), Stanford (28-16), California (31-13) and Washington State (23-10). UO had a 22-18 edge in bench points in the upset of No. 20 Washington.
Senior guard Jay-R Strowbridge (11.0 ppg, 49.2 percent on field goals, 41.4 percent on 3-pointers) and junior guard Malcolm Armstead (8.9 ppg, 45.9 percent on field goals) did most of the damage.
Strowbridge scored in double figures in four of the seven, tallying 15 points in both the Oregon State road win and the recent home win over WSU. He ranks second on the team in scoring and third in field goal percentage dating back to the Jan. 13 win over USC.
Armstead's best offensive outing during that stretch was a 16-point performance at California, where he went 7-of-9 on field goals (2-of-3 on 3-pointers). He also added a team-high six assists in 27 minutes of action off the bench at Cal. During the last seven games, Armstead has also averaged a team-high 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game, while maintaining a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.
ARMSTEAD NO. 9 ON OREGON LIST FOR CAREER STEALS
Junior guard Malcolm Armstead has 113 steals in 54 games which ranks him No. 9 all-time in career steals at UO. Armstead is coming off back-to-back five-steal games against Washington State and Washington, moving by Tajuan Porter (103) the process. Last season, Armstead set a new single-season school record for steals, recording 65 in 32 games. He broke UO's single-season record previously held by Terrell Brandon (63 in 28 games, 1990-91), Fred Jones (63 in 35 games, 2001-02) and Luke Ridnour (63 in 33 games, 2002-03).
OFFSEASON ADDITIONS PROVIDING A SPARK FOR UO
Senior guard Jay-R Strowbridge, junior forward Tyrone Nared and freshman guard Johnathan Loyd have made an impact in the lineup.
Strowbridge has played in all 23 games, a starter in seven contests. He is UO's third leading scorer (8.9 ppg), having scored in double figures in four of the last five games: 12 vs. Washington, 15 vs. Washington State, 13 at Stanford and 15 at Oregon State.
Nared has also played in all 23 contests, including starts in the last five games. The high-flying forward from Woonsocket, R.I., recently recorded double-double effort against Cal where he posted career-highs with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in that road defeat.
Loyd has played in all 23 games, starting the last 11 contests. He has 54 assists (to just 27 turnovers), leading the team in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0). Loyd's 23 steals (1.0 spg) ranks third on the team. He's also shooting 78.1 percent on free throws (25-of-32).
SINGLER STEPS INTO KEY ROLE
Sophomore forward E.J. Singler leads the team blocks (0.9 bpg, 19), ranks second on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg, 258) and rebounding average (5.7 rpg, 131), while ranking second in 3-point field goal percentage (.354, 28-of-79) and third in field goal percentage (.443, 82-of-185). Singler has reached double figures in scoring 16 times in 23 games. In the near upset of No. 9 Missouri, Singler tallied a career-best 19 points to go with nine rebounds. On Dec. 11, Singler posted an 18-point, 17-rebound (career high) effort in the win over Willamette.
OREGON'S PAC-10 STATISTICAL RANKINGS
Oregon holds the top turnover margin (+3.4, 283-357) in the conference while ranking second in free throw shooting (.735, 314-of-427), steals (8.3 spg, 190) and tied for third in offensive rebounds (12.0, 276). UO's turnover margin in conference games only is +3.09 (137-171), far and above better than Stanford (136-151) and Oregon State (155-170) which are tied for second at +1.36.
Senior forward Joevan Catron ranks fifth in scoring (16.0 ppg, 336), ninth rebounds (6.7 rpg, 140) and 10th in field goal percentage (.528). Sophomore forward E.J. Singler is fourth in free throw percentage (.825, 66-of-80). Junior guard Malcolm Armstead is third in steals (2.2 spg, 48) and sixth in assists (3.6 apg, 80). Junior guard Teondre Williams has the fifth-best 3-point field goal percentage (.429, 18-of-42) but does not have enough made 3-pointers to qualify.
UO'S WIN/LOSS RECORD BASED ON STATISTICS
A better field goal percentage than the opponent, grabbing more rebounds and holding a first-half lead have been essential for the Ducks in their 12 wins in 2010-11.
The Ducks have a 10-1 record when they have a better field goal percentage (just 2-10 on the year with a worse field goal percentage). UO is 5-1 when they shoot 50 percent or better (just 6-10 when under 50 percent).
Oregon is 8-3 overall when they grab more rebounds (3-8 when out-rebounded). In two of the five league wins, UO has led in rebounds: 39-30 edge vs. Washington State, 33-29 edge at Stanford, 34-31 edge at Oregon State.
UO is 8-2 when they hold a first-half lead (3-9 when behind at halftime). The only two occasions when UO lost despite leading at halftime were in home games to San Jose State and UCLA. The Ducks were tied at the half in the win at Stanford.
OREGON ADDS FOUR PLAYERS IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD
Dana Altman announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent. Joining the Ducks' 2011-12 squad are guards Bruce Barron (Carbondale, Ill./Brehm Preparatory School), Jabari Brown (Oakland, Calif./Oakland HS) and Brett Kingma (Mill Creek, Wash./Jackson HS) along with center Austin Kuemper (Portland, Ore./Westview HS).
Bruce Barron: Plays prep basketball at Brehm Preparatory School in Carbondale, Ill. … led AAU basketball team (Illinois Titans) to a national title in 2009, averaging 18 points per game in the senior national tournament … chose Oregon over Oklahoma State, Marquette and Indiana … also played AAU basketball for Mac Irvin Fire.
Jabari Brown: Started junior season at Findlay Prep (Nev.) where he averaged 16 points per game before transferring mid-year to Oakland High School … averaged 23.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game at Oakland High the rest of his junior campaign ... led Oakland High to second round of the state playoffs … chose Oregon over Arizona State, Connecticut, Georgia Tech and Washington … played AAU ball for Drew Gooden Soldiers.
Brett Kingma: Averaged 25 points, four steals and four assists per game as a junior … Led Jackson High School to the 2010 Washington Class 4A title game … chose Oregon over Arizona State, Brigham Young and Washington … played AAU ball for Friends of Hoop.
Austin Kuemper: Averaged 12.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a junior for Westview High School … Lead WHS to the 2010 OSAA 6A Boys state title game … also led WHS to a second-round appearance at the 2009 OSAA 6A Boys State Tournament … chose Oregon over Iowa State, San Diego State, USC and Washington State … played AAU ball for ICP.
