Wasn’t so long ago that Oregon was absolutely loaded. The 2020 championship team included Ionescu, Sabally, Hebert. Even as they moved on, there followed the second Sabally, Paopao, Rogers. I recognized only one of the 2024 Ducks, because 6-foot-8 post Philippina Kyei is hard to miss.
At Grand Canyon — whose Coach Miller won about a million games at D2 Drury while losing about 3 — Oregon was bigger at every position, and outscored the Antelopes in each quarter.
I make a bigger deal of that than perhaps is pertinent, but doesn’t it seem in most cases, the losing team had one better quarter? If your team never let up, controlled pace throughout, while even the bench players were superior, I’m impressed. Note Oregon won by 8 — leading the second quarter by 5, the others by 1.
Kyei and 6-foot-4 forward VanSlooten scored 34, shot 50%, pulled 25 rebounds, made 5 assists, and blocked a couple of shots. The Antelopes defending them fouled out, and the other had 4.