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Oregon Squeaks Past Hawaii in Poorly Played Game

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The Oregon Ducks needed a basket from Takai Simpkins with 2.5 seconds remaining to get past Hawaii 60-59 in front of 5,627 fans in Eugene in the Ducks’ home opener. Simpkins led Oregon with 18 points while center Nate Bittle added 12 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Hawaii was led by former Oregon player, Isaac Johnson, with 13 points.

This was not a well-played game. The teams combined for 39 turnovers, 21 of them by Oregon, 13 of them in the first half. The teams also combined for 7-of-43 shooting on three-pointers. Oregon shot 2-for-16 (12.5%).  The Ducks had trouble getting the ball into Bittle in the post. By late in the game, he had only three field goal attempts. He ended the night shooting 3-of-8 in 31 minutes of play. Bittle appeared a bit lethargic and in the final minutes he had a shot blocked at the rim by Johnson, on a play that he didn’t get much lift.

The end of the game sequence highlighted the type of game Oregon was playing. First Wei Lin missed a layup, then got his own rebound. Bittle them missed a three-pointer and got his own rebound. Lin then missed a three-pointer but the team retained possession. Drew Carter then substituted in for Lin and missed a three-pointer but Simpkins got the offensive rebound and subsequently made the game-winning shot.

Simpkins generally played well for Oregon ending the night shooting 7-of-12 overall but shot only 1-of-6 from deep. He added three rebounds and two steals, and showed a willingness to take the important shot. With Jackson Shelstad out with a hand injury, Chinese import Wei Lin started at point and had a poor game. In 17 minutes of pay he scored only two points, both from the free throw line, shot 0-of-7 overall, missing his four three-point attempts and added four turnovers. Through most of the second half Coach Altman went with the walk-on Carter at the point as he lost confidence in Lin. Lin was the leading domestic scorer in the Chinese Basketball Association last season, so the talent is there and will likely come out after an adjustment period.

Kwame Evans Jr. had some nice moments early in the game, finishing with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting and added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Evans suffered a lower leg injury early in the second half and did not return. The initial reports were that the injury is likely not serious, but he will probably miss some time.

Hawaii’s Isaac Johnson put up the best performance in the game. Despite fouling out after playing only 12 minutes, Johnson scored 13 points and added eight rebounds, three steals and a block. If he weren’t in such serious foul trouble throughout the game Hawaii would have likely won.

Oregon returns to action at home on Friday night against Rice. Hopefully they will show some improvement.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Maryland, Arizona Advance to Sweet Sixteen from Seattle

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Seattle, WA –The second round of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle featured matchups betweenNo. 4-seed Maryland vs. No. 12-seed Colorado State followed by No. 5-seed Oregon vs. No. 4-seed Arizona.

In the first game Derik Queen scored on a bank shot from the side of the basket to give Maryland a thrilling 72-71 win over Colorado State. His shot came right after Jalen Lake had given the Rams a one-point lead with four seconds remaining. In the nightcap, Arizona came back from a 15-point first half deficit to beat Oregon 87-83. Caleb Love was outstanding for the Wildcats, finishing with 29 points (5-of-7 3’s) and added nine rebounds and four assists. Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 25 points.

Colorado State got off to a good start in the opening game, going on a 16-2 run to pull out to a 22-10 lead. The Rams’ Lake hit his first three shots, including two three-pointers. Queen kept the Terrapins in it, scoring 10 of their first 14 points, including two 3’s. Colorado State maintained the lead through the half led by Nique Clifford’s 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. They went into halftime with a 37-30 lead. Queen had 12 points for Maryland but didn’t see the ball much after he scored his 10 early points. Julian Reese grabbed seven rebounds for the Terrapins.

Maryland came back quickly in the second half and took a 57-54 lead on five quick points from Selton Miquel, a long three-pointer and a basket after a steal. The Rams came right back with six straight points, with a Bowen Born basket on a drive giving them a 60-57 lead. The Terrapins tied the game at 64 after a Rodney Rice lay-in after a nice Queen block at the rim. They then took the lead on two Resse free throws. Maryland extended the run to 9-0 after a short Resse jumper. Clifford ended that run with two free throws, cutting the margin to 68-66 with 1:36 left.  Lake then tied the game at 68 on a jumper. Reese was then fouled after pulling down an offensive rebound, making both free throws to give Maryland a 70-68 lead with 22 seconds remaining. That set the stage for Lake’s three-pointer and then Queen‘s winning shot.

Queen led the Terrapins with 17 points while Reese added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Clifford led the way for Colorado State with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Lake added 13 points, making 3-of-6 3’s.  Maryland advances to face Florida in the Sweet Sixten on Thursday evening.

In the second game Oregon got off to a hot start, running out to a 19-4 lead and led 24-10, helped by 10 points by Shelstad before Arizona came roaring back.  They were helped by strong offensive rebounding from Tobe Awaka, who had a double-double at halftime. The Wildcats went on a 32-14 run to end the half to take a 42-38 lead into the break.

Arizona extended their lead to 11 points (56-45) before Oregon battled back. A Shelstad jumper cut the lead to 72-70. The Ducks had a chance to tie the game late, but TJ Bamba missed on a shot after penetration. Oregon got within 81-80 on a lay-up by Shelstad but Arizona was perfect at the free throw line, making six in a row to end the game.

The Ducks came into the game with their best free throw shooting team in the past 11 years but that wasn’t the case tonight. They shot only 12-of-22, leaving ten points at the line. That, combined with their poor first half rebounding, was the difference in the game.  Awake finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds for Arizona. Arizona moves on to face Duke on Thursday in the East Regional in New Jersey.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner ofr NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Oregon and Arizona Head to Showdown on Sunday in Seattle

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Seattle, WA – The second session of the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle featured matchups between No. 4-seed Arizona vs. No. 13-seed Akron followed by No. 5-seed Oregon vs. No. 12-seed Liberty. Neither game was competitive. Arizona romped over Akron 93-65.  Oregon followed that with an easy 81-52 win over Liberty.  The two teams will face off on Sunday in an anticipated game to determine who gets to the Sweet Sixteen at the East Regional in New Jersey.

In the opening game Arizona scored the first nine points of the game and led 41-31 at halftime. They gradually pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Zips by 52-34 to get the 28-point win. Jalen Bradley led the Wildcats with 19 points, connecting on 3-of-5 3’s, and added six rebounds and three assists. Trey Townsend added 16 points on 7-of-8 from the field with eight rebounds.

Arizona enjoyed a large size disparity of took advantage of it throughout the game. They used Townsend on pick and rolls as Akron didn’t have the size to defend him at his position. Arizona out rebounded Akron 53-22, including 15-4 on the offensive glass. They dominated the paint to a tune of a 48-20 point advantage The Wildcats had 21 assists compared to only six for the Zips. They also shot 12-of-25 on 3’s.  The game would have been even worse for Akron if it weren’t for Arizona’s 17 turnovers.

The second game was similar.  Oregon has had rough starts in quite a few games this season but that wasn’t the case today. The Ducks came out focused and raced out to an 18-2 lead over the Flames.  Jackson Shelstad connected on his first four shots, scoring ten early points. This game was similar in height disparity as well, with Liberty’s tallest starter being 6’8.  That gave Nate Bittle a big advantage in the post. The 7’0 Bittle scored nine points and eight rebounds at the break, as the Ducks took a 44-20 lead into the locker room. Shelstad led Oregon with 15 points, making 3-of-4 3’s, one on the final shot of the half.  The Ducks had a 22-13 rebounding edge at the half.

Liberty came out with a little fire at the start if the second half, scoring the first four points but Oregon came right back, scoring the next six points and the rout was on. The only question was the margin of victory, with the lead being around 30 points for much of the rest of the game. Oregon was able to use their bench more than usual as they were able to get their starters some rest leading into the Arizona game on Sunday.

Shelstad led the Ducks with 17 points, making 3-of-4 3’s, and added four rebounds and three assists. The Ducks enjoyed a 43-27 rebounding edge and shot 10-of-21 on three-pointers.

Oregon has been a very good team in defending the three-point shot this year. They are holding their opponents to 31.7% and are ranked 61st in the country. Liberty came in as the 5th best three-point shooting team in the nation at 39.1%. The Ducks’ defense dominated, holding Liberty to 8-of-37 (21.6%) from deep.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner ofr NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Oregon Runs Away from Indiana Late for 6th Straight Win

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The Oregon Ducks, looking to extend their winning streak to six games, took on an Indiana squad looking to cement an NCAA Tournament bid with a win. The game was close throughout until Oregon scored the last ten points of the game to come away with aa 73-64 win. Jackson Shelstad made a long three-pointer at the end of the shot clock to give Oregon a late 66-64 lead and the Ducks ran away from there. Shelstad led Oregon with 17 points while Nate Bittle added 14 points (8-of-8 FT’s), seven rebounds, six assists and four blocks.

In quite a few games this year the Ducks have gotten off to a poor start. In their last game against USC, the Trojans took an early 15-4 lead. Tonight, Oregon was crisp on offense from the start, making over 50% of the field goal attempts and half their three-point attempts after the first 12 minutes of play. They kept a small lead through most of the first half, leading 25-19 at the under-12 time out. Indiana helped by two three-pointers from Kanaan Carlyle, then went on a 13-2 run to take a 32-30 lead. The Ducks came right back and took the lead on a three-pointer from Kwame Evans Jr.  Oregon went into halftime with a 35-32 lead.

Evans Jr. played the best for Oregon in the half, finishing with eight points (2-of-3 3’s) and four rebounds in ten minutes of action. Bittle also scored eight for the Ducks. Oregon cooled off after a solid shooting start, making only two of their last ten three-point attempts to finish the half at 5-of-16. Indiana shot only 3-of-10 from deep and gave up some points at the free throw line, hitting only 1-of-5.

Indiana came out hot in the second half converting on their first four of five 3’s to take a 50-47 lead. The Hoosiers’ three-point shooting and offensive rebounding helped them retain a small lead at 59-57 at the under-8 time out. At that point the Ducks were 0-of-6 on 3’s in the half. The teams were tied at 61 at the under-4 time out with Oregon 0-of-8 from deep at that point. A three-pointer from Trey Galloway gave Indiana a 64-63 lead with 1:57 remaining.

Shelstad then hit their first three-pointer of the half, a 30-footer at the end of the shot clock to give the Ducks a two-point lead. Bittle then came up with a steal, was fouled, and made both free throws to give Oregon a 68-64 lead. Oregon kept Indiana scoreless for the rest of the contest.

The Ducks had a +7 rebounding edge and won despite shooting only 6-of-25 from deep. Trey Galloway led the Hoosiers with 16 points. Indiana shot 9-of-25 from deep, 6-of-15 in the second half.

Oregon (21-8, 11-8) will finish their regular season on the road against Washington on Sunday at Noon local time. Indiana (18-12, 9-10) will finish their regular season at home against Ohio State, an important game in deciding whether they will get an NCAA Tournament berth.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Oregon Rolls Past USC

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The Oregon Ducks took on the USC Trojans this afternoon in Eugene looking for their fifth-straight win. The Ducks came on strong in the second half, outscoring the Trojans 43-27 to get the 82-61 win. Keeshawn Barthelemy connected on 4-of-6 3’s and led Oregon with 20 points. Jackson Shelstad added 19 points, hitting 3-of-6 from deep, and added four assists. Nate Bittle dominated the smaller USC team inside and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots. Rashaun Agee had a career-game for USC, finishing with 29 points, 14 rebounds, six blocked shots and three steals.

USC started the game strong, pulling out to a 15-4 lead. Oregon came back quickly on a nine-point run to tie the game at 17-17.  The teams battled evenly for most of the remainder of the half before the Ducks pulled away late and took a 39-34 halftime lead. Oregon took the lead despite shooting only 1-of-7 from deep. They got the lead by forcing USC into 10 turnovers and scoring 10 points off those turnovers. Shelstad led Oregon in scoring at the break with nine points while Bittle had eight. Agee led USC with 15 first half points, scoring 10 of the Trojans first 12 points, including two three-pointers.

Oregon extended the lead to 10 points early in the second half before USC closed the margin to five points. The Ducks put the game away on a 16-0 run later in the half, finishing up the run with back-to-back-to-back three-pointers, two by Barthelemy and one by Shelstad. That extended their lead to 76-53 and the Ducks coasted to the win from there.  Oregon connected on 9-of-20 three-pointers in the second half while they held the Trojans scoreless on ten three-point attempts. They forced USC into 16 turnovers in the game and had a 19-10 edge in points off turnovers. Oregon’s defensive intensity improved in the second half.

Oregon (21-8, 10-8) will stay home and next face Indiana on Tuesday evening at 6pm on senior night. They will finish the regular season next Sunday at Noon at Washington.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Kyei Leads Oregon Women Past Rutgers in Home Finale

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The Oregon women played their final home game of the season, facing the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Rutgers came into the game with a 2-14 Big Ten record, but it took the Ducks awhile to pull way for a 77-58 victory. Rutgers has no player remotely close to the size of the Ducks’ 6’8” center Phillipina Kyei. Kyei, a senior in her final home game, dominated in the paint and had one of the best games of her career, leading the way with 20 points and a career-high 25 rebounds. Deja Kelly led Oregon with 19 points while Payton Scott contributed 15 points, all in the second half.

The teams played a close first half with Rutgers leading 17-14 at the end of the first quarter. The Ducks took a 27-24 lead on a three-pointer by Kelly and went into the halftime break with a 34-26 lead after five quick points from Ari Long. Kyei had a first half double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Oregon held onto their lead at the close of the third quarter at 51-44 despite shooting only 2-of-14 on three-pointers. Kelly (12 second half points) and Payton Scott (15 second half points) picked up their scoring in the fourth quarter to help the Ducks pull away. The Ducks outscored Rutgers in the final quarter by a 26-14 margin. Oregon won despite shooting on 3-of-16 on 3’s. They outrebounded Rutgers 45-34.

Oregon (19-9, 10-7) will finish the regular season on the road, facing Washington next Sunday afternoon (March 2nd) as they try to improve their seeding in the Big Ten Tournament which starts on March 5th.  The Ducks finished the home season with a 15-3 record.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Oregon Pulls Away From Rutgers in Second Half

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The Oregon Ducks took on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a Big Ten contest with only a handful of games remaining in the regular season. The Ducks took control of the game in the second half with hot shooting from downtown and tremendous play from the duo of Jackson Shelstad and Nate BIttle, who combined to score 34 points. Shelstad led with a game-high 19 points while Bittle pitched in 15 points and ten rebounds along with five blocks to lead Oregon to a 75-57 win at Matthew Knight Arena in front of 8,635 fans.

Rutgers was able to capitalize on the Ducks early miscues led by Dylan Harper, a highly talented NBA prospect for the 2025 Draft. The 6’6” freshman is dynamite with the ball in his hands and creates his own shot, whether getting to the basket or stepping back for the 3-pointer. On the season he averages 18.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Harper made some impressive baskets to give Rutgers a 27-22 lead and contributed to team’s 56 percent first half shooting. Harper did have a tough game shooting the ball overall, only going 5-of-14 from the field to score 13 points (2-of-8 3PT) and added three rebounds.

After trailing for most of the first half, TJ Bamba’s aggressive play started a late half run, in which he finished with a solid overall performance. The senior had 11 points (4-of-9 FG), six assists and four rebounds and showed signs of confidence shooting from the outside, making two jumpers. The 16-6 scoring run ended with a Shelstad’s lay-in with a few seconds remaining to give Oregon a 38-33 halftime edge. Keeshawn Barthelemy and the Ducks had one of their best shooting performances of the season. Barthelemy netted both of his two 3-point attempts in the first half and Oregon for the game shot 59 percent on 13-for-22 shooting from deep.

The second half was the Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad show, as they scored 23 of the team’s 37 second half points. The 7-foot Bittle started out the half with a 3-pointer and tip-in second chance basket. Shelstad was on fire shooting the ball including knocking down a couple of tough 3s with a crossover dribble and step back move. Shelstad has been Oregon’s best player this season as he scored 19 points (3-of-6 3PT) on 8-for-13 from the field and dished out three assists. The game was out of reach when Bittle had a rim rocking jam followed by hitting a spot up 3-pointer to give Oregon its biggest lead of the game at 69-50 with only a few minutes remaining.

Rutgers’ other potential Top-5 NBA selection Ace Bailey had an off night shooting by rushing several shot attempts. The 6’10” wing went 3-for-14 to score 8 points, well under his season average of 19.1 points per game. The bright spot for the Scarlet Knights was big man Lathan Somerville who had a team high 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Rutgers rough shooting was in part to the Ducks applying pressure on the defensive end, holding Rutgers to just 10 percent on 3s (1-for-10) in the second half. Another key stat was Oregon only turned the ball over three times in (9 total turnovers) in the final 30 minutes of the game while handing out 16 assists on 28 made field goals to cruise to the 75-57 win.

Oregon (18-8, 7-8) will go on the road to try and improve their spot in the conference standings against Iowa (14-11, 5-9) on Wednesday evening. Rutgers (12-14, 5-10) heads up north to take on Washington (13-12, 4-10).

This article was written by Chad Mart, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

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