Oregon Ducks - NCAA Basketball Betting

The mood was not good surrounding the Oregon Ducks basketball team last spring. Oregon had just finished a 15-18 season, missed the NCAA tournament for the third straight season and didn't even make the NIT.

After nine seasons in charge, the rumblings about head coach Ernie Kent's future in Eugene began to get a bit louder, but Kent had reason to be hopeful about this season. The Ducks had lost eight games last season by three points or less and another one in double overtime, and had won a couple of games in the PAC 10 tournament.

With a team dominated by experienced juniors this season, many onlookers expected Oregon to bounce back and finish in the upper division in the PAC 10, and maybe even break that three-year Dance-less streak.

The Ducks proceeded to win their first 13 games this season, including a victory over Georgetown, and 18 of their first 19. They were the team that put an end to UCLA's bid for a perfect season, but OU hit a flat stretch during a two-week road trip through the PAC 10, going 1-3 and getting a bit lucky to beat Washington State in Pullman.

Senior point guard Aaron Brooks has finally lived up to the lofty expectations he came to Oregon saddled with, emerging as one of the best players in the conference. When Brooks missed the game at Washington because of an elbowing incident in last season's conference tournament, the Ducks promptly lost by a dozen to what was then a struggling Huskies team.

Junior guard Malik Hairston, the team's best player two years running, does a bit of everything, but he battled injuries this season. Junior guard Bryce Taylor stepped up his game to average 15 points and five boards; junior forward Maarty Leunen nearly averaged a double-double and 5-6 freshman guard TaJuan Porter came out of almost nowhere to become Oregon's best 3-point threat.

This team can get beat up on the inside, as the Bruins demonstrated in their revengeful win over OU in L.A. in February.

When running, and hitting, Oregon can be hard to beat. When walking the ball up the court and missing from the perimeter, the Ducks are most likely doomed.

Aaron Brooks – This season, as he goes, so go the Ducks.

Malik Hairston – Team leader who does a bit of everything.

Maarty Leunen – Almost averaged a double-double.

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