Men’s Sweet Sixteen Preview: Eugene Omoruyi Would Take a Charge from a Rhino
The best thing about the Oregon Ducks being in the Sweet Sixteen, is that it’s the Oregon Ducks, and they are in the Sweet Sixteen.
The best thing about the Oregon Ducks being in the Sweet Sixteen, is that it’s the Oregon Ducks, and they are in the Sweet Sixteen.
Some quick Ditch Rich MBB Bracket Challenge housekeeping:
Here is the top of the Official Standings as we head into the second weekend of the tourney:
Yes, that is “My Cousin Andy” at the top. And other than the fact that he picked G*nz*g* to win it all, his bracket seems to be pretty damn good.
Scary Jalen Terry (me) is right there because he BELIEVES, so let that be a lesson to all of you the next time Oregon isn’t your auto-champ, huh?
First place is at 410 right now, and last place has 300. These next rounds have games worth 40, 80, 160, and 320 points, so I still think it’s anyone’s game (especially the true heroes with the Os next to their names like the Vos Family, Mr. Lipps, and Mr. Hoskins).
May the Madness continue…
For the fourth time in the last five tournaments, Dana has set up shop as one of the sixteen best teams in the nation. And after the beatdown they put on Two-Seeded Iowa, it’s clear that the Ducks look more and more like a Four-Seed every day.
The Tinkle Guys of Corvallis are joining us in this sweetness, too. Along with the UCLA Bruins (who are, back?). Oh, and Average Andy Enfield is bringing his Trojans directly to the Ducks’ permanent residence in the Sweet Sixteen.
It’s so nice of the Pac-12 to join us this year, isn’t it?
Chris Duarte led the way with 23 points and 7 assists, but his field goal percentage—along with everyone else in an Oregon uniform—tells the real story of this game.
Duarte was 9 of 12 shooting, and the Ducks shot lights-out with 55.9% as a team, and 44% from three. They showed out in a way that made “the most efficient offense in college basketball” look like not that.
The stellar shooting is really where the fifteen point difference exists between these teams. We locked up 34-34 in rebounding with the Hawkeyes, and only had one less turnover than they did.
Dana came into the game knowing his guys could shoot fresh, and he challenged Luka Garza to literally score all their points. And while he tried valiantly, he just couldn’t be the Superman that the Ducks demanded.
TL;DR: Dana is a mastermind and VCU honestly avoided standing between a freight train and a nest of unsuspecting Hawkeyes.
Now it’s time for USC. The Trojans got us back in the regular season, for sure. But this is Dana’s Tournament, and everyone else seems to be just visiting.
Isaiah Mobley made a David Crisp-y postgame comment when talking about the upcoming rematch when he claimed that, “[Oregon] stole the Pac-12 Title,” from them.
All you can do with a comment like that, as a Duck fan, is thank him for his service.
If we didn’t already have the momentum, and motivation, and every-reason-in-the-world to beat a conference opponent in the Sweet Sixteen, we sure as shit do now.
Also, in the team’s down time, the Ducks took a little trip to the Indianapolis Zoo this week. With that, Oregon social media gifted us with an incredible four minute film called: Franck’s Day at the Zoo.
In this film, the beloved Franck Kepnang guides us throughout the animal kingdom, jokes around with his teammates, and overall exists as a ray of sunshine in human-form.
Watch the whole film here because it is happiness, but I want to talk about a specific clip where Franck pulls Eugene (from Eugene) aside and asks him if he would take a charge from a rhino if that meant the Ducks would go to the Elite Eight.
Of course, he said yes.
So I say bring on the Trojans.
The Ducks welcome all challengers.
Go Ducks.