It's been a relatively quiet week, despite two CBI victory for the Ducks. But don't fear, spring football starts next week.
- Oregon may be into the CBI finals, but coach Altman is making sure his team knows the real goal, and what they team will have to do to get to the NCAA tournament. The CBI has been great, but winning (or losing) the CBI doesn't make this season any more or less of a success. It's a very small taste of postseason play, and will hopefully spur hard work over the next few months. I'm glad to see Altman keep that in the players' minds.
- While some may question the CBI, that's not stopping this Creighton fan from catching the fever. Creighton has been a roll, and should provide a good test for the Ducks.
- The New York Times has a great profile on the growth of statistics in college basketball, led by Ken Pomeroy, who runs KenPom.com. Pomeroy's site has become the go-to place for coaches and fans, and are helping many look at stats in terms of efficiency and opportunity, rather than just raw numbers. A quick KenPom scouting report on Crieghton, they are very good on offense, and terrible on defense.
- Oregon baseball starts a 4-game homestand today as they host the Witchita State Shockers. Oregon is currently on a 7-game winning streak, but Witchita State will provide a test they haven't seen lately. The Shockers are 15-6 and have a team ERA of 2.35 and opponent batting average of .214. Oregon's hitters have been improved, but haven't seen pitching of this caliber recently. This series is really big, not only to keep momentum going into the Pac-10 schedule, but these games will be closely looked at when NCAA selection rolls around.
- Rob Moseley continues his spring previews with a look at the strength of the defense, the secondary. Though the Ducks lose their best overall CB, Talmadge Jackson, they have a lot of young talent waiting to make an impact. With Boyett, Pleasant, and Harris having a full year under their belts, this position is in great shape. Speaking of Harris, he's already getting some pre-season accolades.
If you find any other quack, leave it in the comments. GO DUCKS!