Buddy Hield, Oklahoma too much as Oregon’s historic season comes to a close

ANAHEIM – In the far left corner of the Oregon locker room, Dwayne Benjamin sat with a towel over his head. Fighting back tears, Benjamin slowly collected his red and black Jordan sandals and packed his bag. The graduating senior, who had transferred from Mt. San Jacinto College two years ago, realized this was it.

“Best team I’ll ever play for,” Benjamin said. “Best two years of my life.”

Before media members entered with cameras and recorders, cramming the compact locker room following Oregon’s 80-68 Elite Eight loss to Oklahoma, the team took the 10-minute cooling off period to thank its two seniors for everything they had done.

“It was just the seniors, that’s all we were talking about,” Chris Boucher said. “They worked hard for us and knowing they’re leaving like that just hurts.”

Elgin Cook, who scored 24 points in his last collegiate game, had one of his best outings. On the other hand, Benjamin struggled from the floor, and finished with just three points on 1-of-6 shooting.

“Not a lot of seniors have this moment,” Dillon Brooks said. “Elgin fought so hard, same with Dwayne. It’s hard to go out like this. The seniors will always be in our hearts and they’ll always be Oregon Ducks.”

Oregon lost to a more experienced, better prepared Oklahoma team.

Oklahoma guard, Buddy Hield put on a spectacle.

Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield (24) hits another three to start the second half. The Oregon Ducks face the Oklahoma Sooners on March 26, 2016 in the Elite 8 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Kyle Sandler/Emerald)

Shaking past Cook and other Oregon defenders as if they were kids on a playground, Hield splashed his way to a 37-point, one-man show. It knighted him into NCAA Tournament royalty with the likes of Stephen Curry, joining an elite circle of players who have scored 100 points prior to the Final Four.

“Buddy’s performance … we just haven’t seen that,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said.

For the second straight game, he resembled a certain NBA legend who was enjoying every minute of the shooting barrage from the stands.

“He’s been Kobe since I came here,” Oklahoma freshman center Jamuni McNeace said. “He plays like Kobe, he’s competitive like Kobe, he scores like Kobe. Buddy gets buckets, Kobe gets buckets.”

But in a game where Oregon dug itself in an 18-point first half hole, missed 17 3-pointers and gave up 16 second-chance points, it was clear it wasn’t just Hield doing the damage.

The Pac-12 regular season and tournament champion, the team who won 31 games in a season and became the first No. 1 seed in program history, did not play that way Saturday.

“That first half is etched in my mind already,” Altman said. “It will be a tough six months thinking about that.”

“We had a great year and we’ve accomplished things that have never been done,” Brooks said. “We put Oregon on the map for sure.”

Altman didn’t provide a clear answer about what may happen with this program next year. He told media members that he wants what’s best for his playerss futures. Some will consider the pros — Tyler Dorsey, Boucher, Brooks — and others will look forward to another year.

“I hope all of them come back. I’d sure like to work with them again, but that has to be a decision made by their families,” Altman said. “I want what’s best for them, and when they decide what they want to do, then we’ll try to put a team together and do the best we can.”

Realistically, Brooks, Dorsey and Boucher should return. The group could make for a roster filled with more experienced, more developed, and potentially, more talented players.

“Everybody grew up this year,” Dylan Ennis said. “We’re showing that Oregon is one of those basketball powerhouses now. Hopefully, the momentum will push into next season.”

For now, the loss hurts. But Altman said he knows this season will be one he looks back on fondly.

“Once the hurt of this game, once we get through that, we’ll reflect back on this year with great pride,” Altman said. “I’ll look back on it with a lot of love.”

Buddy Hield draws comparisons to Oregon: ‘You kind of watch yourself out there’

ANAHEIM – Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield said he didn’t find out about his head coach Lon Kruger’s long back history with Oregon head coach Dana Altman until one of his teammates gave him the low-down while stretching at the team’s shoot around.

The two coaches first came together back in 1986 when Kruger took over Kansas State and decided to bring Altman, a young coach from Moberly (Mo.) Junior College at the time, along as his assistant. It was Altman’s first gig at the Division I level.

Kruger and Altman have been close ever since and will be going head-to-head for the first time as opposing head coaches with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

“We talk all the time, so when opportunities have come up, we’ve bounced different things off each other,” Kruger said. “We’ve got a handful of coaches that are best friends and, certainly, Dana’s one of them, without question.”

Altman mirrored Kruger’s sentiments.

“He’s been a great friend and mentor for 30 years, and we’ve never played each other for a reason: We didn’t want to play,” Altman said. “If we are fortunate to win, I’m sure he’ll be happy for us, and if we lose, I know I’ll be happy for him.”

The more Hield, the front-runner for national player of the year, started to think about the history between the two long-time coaches who will meet tomorrow night in the Elite Eight, the more he couldn’t help but light up with interest.

“It’s cool; I didn’t know that (before). Good history.”

Like his teammates, Hield had some time last night to watch film on Oregon. The more he watched, the more he could see how similar the two teams were.

“It’s kind of weird watching them because you kind of watch yourself out there.”

Hield had a point.

Oregon and Oklahoma do have a lot in common — at least more than you would expect. A lot of that probably has to do with the shared principles and views of the game between Kruger and Altman. The rest of it falls on the shoulders of players who prioritized learning and developing under two renowned teachers of the game.

“You can tell that Coach Kruger taught him and he’s carried it over, too,” Hield said. “The system is working.”

You look at a senior in Hield and you see an older version of sophomore Dillon Brooks: both are skilled, emotional leaders for top-tier programs who play with a passion for the game that the national media eats up, and both always teeter the line between hyperbole and enthusiasm when in front of a camera.

Oregon forward Dillon Brooks talks with media members the day before Elite Eight matchup with Oregon (Hayden Kim/ Emerald).

“I can tell he’s very emotional,” Hield said about Brooks. “He’s their team energy. Having a guy like him helps the team, just like me. My team feeds off my energy too. It’s going to be a fun matchup.”

You hear about Oregon’s mantra of “make plays for each other” all season long — sometimes it’s you, other times it’s me, it’s always us— then you hear all five of Oklahoma’s starters at the podium uttering and repeating the same phrase minutes later.

You watch both teams play, and you see programs that succeed through their athleticism, shot-blocking ability, sharpshooting and speedy guard play.

“They spread it out, they like to get in transition, a lot of them can shoot, they like to drive, pass to each other and that’s what we kind of what we base ourselves off of,” senior forward Ryan Spangler said.

Need more proof? Look at the side-by-side stats for yourself.

Their similarity in unselfish ball movement and camaraderie on and off the court are uncanny.

“They’re just like us,” Hield said. “They’re tough. They’re one of the best teams in the country.”

Kruger and Altman’s even-keel demeanors are almost identical; both creating interactive, positive classroom-like environments that cater to their players rather than a totalitarian regime.

“Never seen him mad,” Spangler said about Kruger. “He never yells, never curses at us. We get after it, but at the same time, he’s going to stop and tell us what we need to do better or what we’re doing wrong.”

Earlier today, Kruger put Altman’s name into the hat for national coach of the year along with Kansas’ Bill Self. Two days ago, he declared Oregon the “best team in the country.”

When No. 1 seed Oregon meets No. 2 seed Oklahoma tomorrow afternoon in the West Regional Final — second meeting all-time since the Ducks beat the Sooners in their 1939 Final Four matchup en route to winning their one and only national title — it will be more than the Pac-12 outright champions facing up against Big-12 heavyweights.

It will be a Final Four-deciding reunion between two long-time friends who despise the idea of having to play each other at this stage of the season.

“Hopefully the teacher will win,” Hield joked.

“That’ll probably be a hard one right there,”  Oregon assistant coach Tony Stubblefield said about Altman and Kruger having to go up against one another. “You don’t want to go up against one of your best friends to get to the Final Four. If they had to probably pick a different route to get there, I’m sure they would choose a different route.”

Kim: Trash talk or not, Dillon Brooks’ late game celebration shouldn’t be an issue

ANAHEIM – Out of all the moments from Oregon’s Sweet 16 win over Duke last night, the spotlight was lit on the alleged interaction between Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and Ducks forward Dillon Brooks as they shook hands after the game.

It all sprouted when Brooks drained a three-pointer from 30 feet out with mere seconds remaining in the game.

Here’s what you need to know:

The shot clock was winding down, and the game was firmly in hand for Oregon. At the time, it did appear excessive considering no Blue Devils players had any intention of contesting the shot.

But for Oregon, who will appear in the Elite Eight for just its sixth time — and first since 2007 — it felt, if anything, like it was a harmless act that got blown out of proportion simply because it was one the last memories of the game.

So, as Brooks rattled in the three from no man’s land with the buzzer ringing, Coach K, according to Brooks, told the sophomore, “You’re too good of a player to be showing off at the end,” while they shook hands near the scorer’s table.

In typical Coach K fashion – if we accept the Vine showing him mouthing these very words as fact – he did so with a smile on his face.

Oregon was the better team last night, and Brooks played a fine game. That’s about it. 

After the game, reporters followed up with Coach K and asked him point blank if this allegation was true. For reasons unknown, he denied it.

“I didn’t say that. You can say whatever you want,” Krzyzewski said. “Dillon Brooks is a hell of a player. I said, ‘You’re a terrific player.’ And you can take whatever he said and then go with it, all right?”

Brooks, on the other hand, owned up to his late game act: “He just told me that I’m too good of a player to be showing out at the end. And he’s right. I’ve got to respect Duke.”

Dana Altman even appeared on the The Herd this morning and took the blame away from his player.

“That was my fault,” Altman said. “There was a difference of about six or seven seconds on the shot clock, and [Brooks] was 30 feet from the basket. I just told him to shoot it so we wouldn’t have a turnover. I didn’t think he’d hit it. … So if anybody is upset, they should be upset with me — not Dillon Brooks.”

The problem with this whole ordeal is that there is no ordeal. Giving Coach K the benefit of the doubt, regardless of what he actually said, he ultimately respects Brooks and congratulated him on the win.

Isn’t that all that matters, especially coming from a five-time national champion and the winningest coach in NCAA history?

Oregon was the better team last night, and Brooks played a fine game. That’s about it. The fact that he had to apologize about hitting a shot from near the half court line with the shot clock winding down and his coach giving him the green light to launch a shot he didn’t think he’d make just seems silly and unnecessary.

Now, Grayson Allen was seen refusing a hug from Brooks as the clock expired.

With his recent history of tripping players and seemingly sore attitude after losses, this should have been highlighted, if anything. But, really, neither of these two acts should have been a topic. Players at all levels of the game, for one reason or another, have refused to shake hands before. Same goes for running up the score or attempting shots that won’t change the outcome of the game.

That doesn’t excuse them, but it does show how silly this whole ordeal truly was.

Oregon far from satisfied at it advances to Elite Eight with 82-68 win over Duke

ANAHEIM – Exactly 38 seconds remained on the clock at the Honda Center when Dillon Brooks pulled down his ninth and final rebound. A couple ticks later, he held the ball in his hands near the half court line as a section of Oregon fans behind the team’s bench let out everything they had.

With the shot clock running down, the game in hand, Brooks stared into the eyes of defeated Duke players who had already dropped their arms to the ground, surveyed the floor one last time and launched a shot from well beyond the 3-point line. It rattled in.

Immediately after, Brooks, who finished with a team-high 22 points, scrunched his lips and formed his best mean mug as Oregon officially advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2007 with an 82-68 win over five-time national champion Mike Krzyzewski and Duke.

“It’s been a great season; I’m loving what’s going on,” Brooks said. “It feels great. Never going to forget any of these guys. I’m going to share this moment with them.”

To label this a historic win for a program that hasn’t reached the Final Four since 1939 was appropriate, especially with what Oregon has accomplished this season.

“It means a lot,” said assistant coach Tony Stubblefield, who has been with Altman since he arrived in 2010. “We knew the sky was the future; we just had to put it together.”

Program-best 31 wins? Check.

Dana Altman’s first trip to the Elite Eight? Check.

“For any coach who gets there, that’s an honor, and you don’t know if you’re ever going to get there again,” Krzyzewski said. “He’s a really good coach.”

Tonight was another opportunity for this program to prove that it belongs.

“So surreal,” Dwayne Benjamin said. “We felt like we could make it this far.”

That doesn’t mean the team is satisfied.

“We’re not done,” Benjamin said. “We still feel like we got a lot to do and we still feel like we can play a lot more basketball this year.”

Oregon guard Elgin Cook attacks the basketball late in the second half. The Oregon Ducks face the Duke Blue Devils on March 24, 2016 in the Sweet 16 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Kyle Sandler/Emerald)

Even with future hall of famer Kobe Bryant in the crowd. Even with Duke’s universally recognized history dominating headlines. Even with the winningest coach in college basketball sitting on the sidelines, Oregon played its game and acted like its been here before.

“Duke’s a great program, but we wanted to come out and show that we’re confident in ourselves,” Benson said. “To get a win against a program like that is special for our team. It’s another steppingstone to where we want to get to.”

One run early in the second ended up being the difference. Sparked by back-to-back Casey Benson triples – he finished 3-for-5 from deep for 11 points. Oregon, who led at the half, got in rhythm and eventually out ran Duke in transition.

Like it’s done all season, Oregon adjusted to the opponent at hand, and attacked the basket until easy looks became consistent.

“We lost to a hell of a team,” Krzyzewski said.

Brandon Ingram, who dominated the first half and finished with a game-high 24 points, wasn’t enough.

All-American and Duke’s leading scorer Grayson Allen, who entered the game averaging 21.8 points, was held to 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

As a team, Duke, normally a big threat from the outside, was held to 7-of-22 from beyond the arc.

Duke’s Marshall Plumlee ended up being a non-factor after picking up two early fouls in the first half.

Forget Chris Boucher and Tyler Dorsey having off nights. Instead, remember the career night that Jordan Bell had.

“It surprised me, too,” Ennis said as he laughed. “He was due for a big game like that. Things he was doing, it was unheard of.”

Bell took full advantage of playing in front of his relatives with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

“We needed a great game from everybody,” Bell said. “I just knew I had to bring it. We played one of our best games this year. Everybody, not just me.”

There’s a reason why Altman wasn’t overly pumped up in the locker room after the win.

Back in October, local media members took the floor at Matthew Knight Arena for the first practice of the season.

At the time, Oregon was projected to finish fourth in the conference by voters and had received just one nod to win the Pac-12. The program had just lost one of its best in reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young to the NBA.

One of the first players to get his face on camera was graduate student Ennis. Fresh off his transfer from Villanova, the fifth-year senior, who immediately became a media favorite with his vibrant personality, was asked to take a couple steps forward as the lights flashed on him for the first time in an Oregon uniform.

That October afternoon, he was asked about his initial impression of the team.

“People should be excited about Oregon basketball,” he said.

Apparently it wasn’t just optimism.

“Maybe it’s a surprise to everybody,” Ennis said after Thursday’s win. “I watch ESPN, I’m online and I see everybody thinking we’re going to get upset every single round. We don’t take that kindly. At the start of the year, when I thought I was playing to when I went out, I knew this team was one of the top in the country. We’re proving that now.”

All season long, Oregon has played with a chip on its shoulder. But now, regardless of what its national perception is, as Oregon now prepares for the nation’s leading scorer Buddy Hield and Oklahoma, this program will have a shot at making some more history.

“It’s a dream come true to play in games like these,” Benson said. “This is what you play for. So to have a shot at the Final Four is really exciting and we’re looking forward to it.”

There’s a reason why Altman wasn’t overtly pumped up in the locker room after the win.

Altman told the media Wednesday that Oregon doesn’t have a great history and it is working hard to change that.

“We know we can make history,” Dorsey said. “Oregon doesn’t have many teams that have made the Final Four; it’s been forever. Knowing this team can make history gives us even more of a chip on our shoulders to put that banner up.”