Buffs smacking around Arizona.

Wildcats have been proven overrated.

Glad I got tickets to the Buffs-Ducks game at Coors Events Center March 7th.

Could be a dandy.

scores.espn.go.com/ncb/scorebo...4&confId=21

espn.go.com/mens-college-baske...c-12-conference


The rumors of the Ducks demise have been greatly exaggerated.... ;)

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--- AnotherNinkasi wrote:

Buffs smacking around Arizona.

Wildcats have been proven overrated.

Glad I got tickets to the Buffs-Ducks game at Coors Events Center March 7th.

Could be a dandy.

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Considering Arizona is one of our marquee wins and is one of the few reasons why we're a lock for the tourney, the last thing as a Duck fan that I would do is call them overrated.

Colorado should of beaten them the first time around and beat them this time around because they're the better team with the better coach.

Buffs are the only other Pac12 BBall team I root for. The ONE positive outcome of bringing in Utah and Colorado to the PAC!

Ok, good point. Not overrated from a relative perspective

Overrated from a national perspective

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--- duckman02 wrote:



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--- AnotherNinkasi wrote:

Buffs smacking around Arizona.

Wildcats have been proven overrated.

Glad I got tickets to the Buffs-Ducks game at Coors Events Center March 7th.

Could be a dandy.

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Considering Arizona is one of our marquee wins and is one of the few reasons why we're a lock for the tourney, the last thing as a Duck fan that I would do is call them overrated.

Colorado should of beaten them the first time around and beat them this time around because they're the better team with the better coach.

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1st place? Still NIT bound. This team sucks.
--90% of this board 1 week ago

Still could be NIT bound.

They don't take care of the basketball and have a hard time scoring the ball in long stretches. As much as this team is a team, they could use a star to make them a really good team.

Oregon is a good team in a still pretty inconsitent league. As Arizona and UCLA struggle, the reputation of the league suffers with it and the liklihood of more than three teams making the tournament is more unlikely every week.

Fans can be critical and still be loyal fan that want their team to be succesful. I know this concept upsets some of the educk faithful.

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--- TildenBluffs wrote:

Still could be NIT bound.

They don't take care of the basketball and have a hard time scoring the ball in long stretches. As much as this team is a team, they could use a star to make them a really good team.

Oregon is a good team in a still pretty inconsitent league. As Arizona and UCLA struggle, the reputation of the league suffers with it and the liklihood of more than three teams making the tournament is more unlikely every week.

Fans can be critical and still be loyal fan that want their team to be succesful. I know this concept upsets some of the educk faithful.

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You make some great points.

I think the problem people have is when "loyal fans" take a critical look at something, and then ALWAYS come up with the most pessimistic conclusion possible. Then, they usually justify that pessimism with a statement like "I'm just being a realist!" When talking future hypotheticals, THERE IS NO REALITY, so, you can't be a "realist". You're just a pessimist in disguise.

Personally, when I'm a fan of something, I find the experience MUCH more enjoyable when I take an optimistic approach to following them.

For example: You point out our basketball team's difficulty in limiting turnovers. This is ABSOLUTELY a major concern. However, I see 2 distinct ways you can look at it:

Option 1) "We turn the ball over too much now. It's only going to get worse from here, as teams "figure us out". Prior success was a fluke, and these last few games "prove" that. NIT here we come! (And, we'll be lucky to get out of the first round, at that)"

Option 2) "We turn the ball over too much now. We still have time to correct this. Hopefully, we'll be getting Artis back soon. Prior success is there, no reason it can't come back. Our coaches can, and should make the proper adjustments. As long as we keep improving, we should make the NCAA's, and, if Artis comes back and plays well, maybe we can sneak up on people and make a run!"

Since no one knows what the future holds, I see no reason why I'd focus on Option 1. Sure, it's a possibility, but, I'm a FAN of the Ducks. I want to see them succeed. Option 2 is JUST as likely as Option 1, IMO, so, I'm gonna go ahead and hope for, and focus on, the best.

And, no, if option 2 comes to pass, I'm not gonna feel any better, AT ALL, by being able to tell fellow Duck fans "I told you so!"

Obviously, loyalty comes in all shapes and sizes. I just don't see the benefit of always pounding home worst-case scenarios. Be aware of them, but, focus on the best-case scenarios, and, I guarantee you that you'll be happier AND more successful.

End of rant. Go Ducks!

EDIT: And, just to be clear, TildenBluffs, this is by no means directed at you. You just happened to allude to some things I see on here (and, other forums) all the time, and is a bit of a pet peeve!

The major news and good news too is that Oregon only had 9 turnovers against UDUMP so that is improvement especially on the road. Hopefully Artis will be back soon and even though he won't be 100 percent it will be a positive to have him on the court leading the team. Loyd has been tough as nails though and hope his leg is doing fine. Ducks leave at 130pm today for Pullman. GO DUCKS!

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--- thevolv wrote:

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--- TildenBluffs wrote:

Still could be NIT bound.

They don't take care of the basketball and have a hard time scoring the ball in long stretches. As much as this team is a team, they could use a star to make them a really good team.

Oregon is a good team in a still pretty inconsitent league. As Arizona and UCLA struggle, the reputation of the league suffers with it and the liklihood of more than three teams making the tournament is more unlikely every week.

Fans can be critical and still be loyal fan that want their team to be succesful. I know this concept upsets some of the educk faithful.

---------------------------------------------

You make some great points.

I think the problem people have is when "loyal fans" take a critical look at something, and then ALWAYS come up with the most pessimistic conclusion possible. Then, they usually justify that pessimism with a statement like "I'm just being a realist!" When talking future hypotheticals, THERE IS NO REALITY, so, you can't be a "realist". You're just a pessimist in disguise.

Personally, when I'm a fan of something, I find the experience MUCH more enjoyable when I take an optimistic approach to following them.

For example: You point out our basketball team's difficulty in limiting turnovers. This is ABSOLUTELY a major concern. However, I see 2 distinct ways you can look at it:

Option 1) "We turn the ball over too much now. It's only going to get worse from here, as teams "figure us out". Prior success was a fluke, and these last few games "prove" that. NIT here we come! (And, we'll be lucky to get out of the first round, at that)"

Option 2) "We turn the ball over too much now. We still have time to correct this. Hopefully, we'll be getting Artis back soon. Prior success is there, no reason it can't come back. Our coaches can, and should make the proper adjustments. As long as we keep improving, we should make the NCAA's, and, if Artis comes back and plays well, maybe we can sneak up on people and make a run!"

Since no one knows what the future holds, I see no reason why I'd focus on Option 1. Sure, it's a possibility, but, I'm a FAN of the Ducks. I want to see them succeed. Option 2 is JUST as likely as Option 1, IMO, so, I'm gonna go ahead and hope for, and focus on, the best.

And, no, if option 2 comes to pass, I'm not gonna feel any better, AT ALL, by being able to tell fellow Duck fans "I told you so!"

Obviously, loyalty comes in all shapes and sizes. I just don't see the benefit of always pounding home worst-case scenarios. Be aware of them, but, focus on the best-case scenarios, and, I guarantee you that you'll be happier AND more successful.

End of rant. Go Ducks!

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But, it seems that other teams across the land ranked in the Top 10 - 20 continue to lose at times . . . Kansas, Indiana, etc.

Why aren't they also weak and N I T bound?

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--- TildenBluffs wrote:

Still could be NIT bound.

They don't take care of the basketball and have a hard time scoring the ball in long stretches. As much as this team is a team, they could use a star to make them a really good team.

Oregon is a good team in a still pretty inconsitent league. As Arizona and UCLA struggle, the reputation of the league suffers with it and the liklihood of more than three teams making the tournament is more unlikely every week.

Fans can be critical and still be loyal fan that want their team to be succesful. I know this concept upsets some of the educk faithful.

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You're right, but those were still more or less the same weaknesses we had at 7-0 in conf and ranked #10 before the 3-game skid. The things we generally did well then: defend, rebound, share the ball so the D can't just key on one guy, were still a big part of winning the last 2 games, nor will they really change when Artis returns. The fact that he's a better outside shot than JL forces teams to play up on him instead of sagging off into the paint, which gives EJ and the rest more room to work, but it's not like we suddenly started running a whole different offense than we did the first half of the season.

Other than the Furd blowout where everything went poorly, we should have won both the Cal and CU games but couldn't get a stop when it mattered and 2nd-chance points killed us when we gave up key offensive boards late.

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--- TildenBluffs wrote:

Still could be NIT bound.

They don't take care of the basketball and have a hard time scoring the ball in long stretches. As much as this team is a team, they could use a star to make them a really good team.

Oregon is a good team in a still pretty inconsitent league. As Arizona and UCLA struggle, the reputation of the league suffers with it and the liklihood of more than three teams making the tournament is more unlikely every week.

Fans can be critical and still be loyal fan that want their team to be succesful. I know this concept upsets some of the educk faithful.

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We still need to get to 23 wins to be a lock. This league is still perceived as very weak because of the disasters of the last few years.

Not as weak as your posts!!!

Arizona has a 19 point win over Miami which is rolling through the ACC and a win over Florida. Arizona struggling in league is no different than any of the other top teams struggling in say...the Big 10 or Big 12.

The other leagues are canniablizing one another. It happens.

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--- TildenBluffs wrote:

Still could be NIT bound.

They don't take care of the basketball and have a hard time scoring the ball in long stretches. As much as this team is a team, they could use a star to make them a really good team.

Oregon is a good team in a still pretty inconsitent league. As Arizona and UCLA struggle, the reputation of the league suffers with it and the liklihood of more than three teams making the tournament is more unlikely every week.

Fans can be critical and still be loyal fan that want their team to be succesful. I know this concept upsets some of the educk faithful.

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