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The Oregon Ducks lost one of their best players at the worst possible time when Chris Boucher tore his ACL in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals.
It was a huge blow for the 6-10 senior on a personal level, but also for the team he helps lead.
That doesn't mean his presence isn’t still felt in the locker room, a fact highlighted in this March Madness TV clip:
.@OregonMBB was dealt a serious blow when Chris Boucher went down. Instead of crumbling, they've rallied around their fallen teammate. pic.twitter.com/uL9l3zO9Um
— March Madness TV (@MarchMadnessTV) March 18, 2017
“It’s my injury, but I feel like I injured everybody,” Boucher says.
Dana Altman says Boucher is probably the team’s most popular player, while his teammates say that he’s still part of the team and that if Oregon wins, Boucher wins with them.
“If we win, he still wins. He’s part of this team,” says junior forward Jordan Bell.
That certainly was the case in game one of the NCAA Tournament, when the Ducks easily handled Iona by the score of 93-77.
Dillon Brooks says the team is doing all it can for Boucher.
“We’re trying to win the national championship for him.”