The ATQ All-Time Oregon Basketball Fantasy Draft : Rounds 1 & 2

Last year ATQ put together an All-Time Oregon Ducks Fantasy Football Draft. If we did that again, I wonder what round De'Anthony Thomas would go? But that's for another time. For now, the mods have decided to put together an All-Time Fantasy Basketball Draft.

The rules are similar to that of the football draft:

• There are 6 mods drafting (Tako, Paul, Nick, David, Matt and Jeff)

• When you draft a player, you own the rights to every season he played. So we aren't drafting individual seasons

• You have to draft your starting 5 and 3 reserve players for your 8 man rotation. You don't have to draft starters first, but the player you draft has to have played that position at Oregon (so Tako is not allowed to take Tajuan Porter for his center spot)

• The draft order was chosen at random. Tako won the first pick, followed by PaulSF, ntrebon, David Piper, Matt Daddy, jcgoducks

• The order will progress snake style, so Jeff will get picks 6 and 7, Tako will get 12 and 13, etc.
• Once the draft is finished, we will set up a tournament where you, the reader, will get to vote on whose team would win on the field (or is just your favorite)

I'll post two rounds at a time but I'm not posting the draft conversation that accompanied it (you don't want to read all the Jeff has AOL jokes, trust me). The conversation is all yours, so make your claims on who has the best team.

Go Ducks!

Round 1

Tako: With the first pick, the decision making process is simple: do I draft the best guard of all time, or the best big man of all time? There's no question, Ron Lee is a star, and would be a great addition to any team, but of the top 15 scorers in Oregon history, only three made their living inside the paint. I made the mistake in the football draft of picking flash and talent at a deep position (QB) over taking best players at scarce positions (anything on defense). I won't make that mistake again with my first pick. He's the only player in Oregon history to amass over 1000 rebounds, the highest Duck ever chosen in the NBA Draft (4th overall), and a self-described "ballplayer. Ballplayers do everything, and they do it every night." And he sure did it in 1976-77. The year after Ron Lee graduated, my pick put up one of the best statistical seasons in Duck history: 21.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, while shooting 51% from the floor and garnering All-American accolades. My first pick is Greg Ballard.

Paul: Tako's reach is my gain. With the second pick, I'm taking Oregon's all-time career scoring leader, Ron Lee. Perhaps known more for his hustle than his numbers, he's still one of Oregon's all-time greats statistically, ranking in the top 5 in career points (1st), assists (2nd), field goals made (1st) and 3-pointers made (5th). He was also the first player in history to record a triple-double, and still holds the record for most assists in a game (17). The season prior to Lee's arrival in Eugene, the Ducks finished a paltry 6-20. In the four years following, Oregon went 71-41. I'll take the King of the Kamikaze Kids without hesitation.

Nick: Well, this may not be the most popular pick but I am going to take a page out of Tako's big and go after an all-time great Oregon big man. Center Stan Love was twice an All-American during his four years at Oregon. He is tied for seventh all-time in scoring and sixth in rebounds. He's also the only Duck to ever average more than 20 points in two seasons (both seasons he led the conference in scoring). After the 1971 season, he was a first round pick (ninth overall) in the NBA draft.

David: You guys are all out-thinking the room. This isn't like the football draft, and the talent pool isn't as spread out. Yes, there are more elite PGs than any other position, but they'll all be gone by the time you get to pick again. So at pick #4, I'm left with the best player in school history, Terrell Brandon. As a sophomore in 1991, Brandon averaged 26.6 points on nearly 50% shooting, while still finding time to dish out five assists and pilfering over two steals per game. This guy would have had the record for everything had he not left two years early for the NBA, and as it stands has the Oregon career record for points per game.

Matt: I've tried to convince myself that there was a better option, but I just can't do it. With my first pick in the draft, I select Luke Jackson. Not only is Jackson a local boy that helped lead Oregon to an elite eight appearance, he's also the second leading scorer in Oregon Ducks history with 1,970 points. On top of all that, I'll never forget the NIT game against Colorado where, with Oregon down 18 in the second half, Jackson scored 33 of the final 35 points for the Ducks including both overtimes to finish with 40 and the win.

Jeff: The turn in the 1st round. It's a blessing at some times, you know, when like, its your first pick. It's a curse at other times, like when you finish picking and now you have ten picks before my next two choices. Given this luxury of two straight picks, no guessing games, I have to address a big man due to the scarcity Tako pointed out. His final two years at Oregon this forward was shooting just over 52%, is seventh all-time on Oregon's career scoring list with 1644, pulled down 598 rebounds in his career, 244 assists with 71 block parties. Number six in the draft order, number one in your hearts... MALIK HAIRSTON GET ON MY TEAM.

Round 2

Jeff: For my second pick, and to kick off the second round, I've decided to deviate from my game plan. Zig when others zag since I'm at the corner spot. I'm going to bring in a big guy. This 7-foot center played for the Ducks between 1981 and 1985. 116 blocks in his career, 40 steals, grabbing 544 rebounds his last three years, and never dipped below 69% shooting in his career. Started every game while at Oregon and is tenth in career points scored. He was drafted 15th overall in the 1985 NBA draft, don't confuse him with the Russian, Rasputin. BLAIR RASMUSSEN, COME ON DOWN! (/cue Price is Right music)

Matt: To compliment my first pick I need someone that is a high flyer, can get out on the break, and can throw it down with the best of them. No one did that for Oregon better than eventual NBA slam dunk champion, the one and only Freddy Jones. Jones is tied for 7th all time in scoring for the Ducks, and averaged 18.6 points per game in his senior season as one of the leaders that went to the elite eight. For all his scoring prowess, Jones is also 6th all time in assists and 5th in steals. My one two punch is bringing back the dynamic duo of Luke Jackson and Freddy Jones.

David: So much for my prediction of all the elite PGs being gone. That said, Terrell Brandon with pick #4 is tremendous value, and so is my next pick. Already having the best PG is school history, I'm going to fill out my backcourt with the best one of the best two guard(s) in school history. Anthony Taylor is the third leading scorer in school history, averaging double digits in all four seasons in Eugene, including 19 and 21 his junior and senior years. And excellent shooter from all spots on the floor, Taylor was also a very good rebounder for a guard (4.0 rpg career) and also averaged over a steal per game for his career. He ranks in the career top ten in scoring, assists, steals, and three point percentage.

Nick: With my next pick, i'll take a point guard whose name can be found all over the Oregon record books, despite only playing three years as a Duck. His highlights include the top spot for assists in a single season (#3 for his career), twice appearing in the top 10 for three-pointers made in a season (#3 and tied for #9) and the fourth highest steals total in Oregon history. He was selected for the conference all-freshman team before earning spots on the all-conference teams his sophomore and junior year, along with multiple All-American honors. I select Luke Ridnour to run my team.

Paul: With my second pick, I'm taking Aaron Brooks, a player who struggled to live up to expectations his first three years, then exploded his senior year to lead the Pac-10 in scoring and eventually helped the Ducks to the Elite Eight. Brooks was absolutely phenomenal his last year in 2006-07, posting top-10 single-season marks points, field goals made and assists. He's also in the top 10 for career assists, steals, free throws and 3-pointers made. Plus, if you need a buzzer beater to knock off No. 1 UCLA, Brooks is your guy.

Tako: Since I went big with my first pick of Greg Ballard, I'm gonna need a guard with my second pick. And I allllmost got lucky with Brooks or Ridnour falling to me. But I need a point guard, and what my pick lacks in highlights and NBA pedigree, he makes up for in consistency, grit, and a lasting legacy as the Bill Musgrave of Oregon's basketball renaissance. He is Oregon's career leader in assists and steals; a four-year starter under head coach Jerry Green, he led Oregon to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 34 years, never missed a game. A 2009 Oregon Hall of Fame inductee, I select point guard Kenya Wilkins.