… most likely a very big name. Not sure exactly who yet, but I have a pretty good idea who the Ducks are going after — and you’d be shocked.

That’s not to say Oregon will be able to talk these people into coming to Eugene — or will be able to meet their price. I’m just saying, there is a real ambition here to go after a proven winner and a coach who can kick-start the program into high gear. And I’m not going to underestimate their ability to reach into the upper strata of the coaching ranks for the right guy.

Yes, money talks. But so do facilities — and a commitment to being the best. And oh yes, the whole Nike connection is going to matter more in basketball than any other sport.

The best description of what they are going to try to do down there is this — take a look at how Oregon went about getting its baseball program established. The Ducks went after, and signed, George Horton — who already had a national championship to his credit. There were plenty of rumors around about who Oregon was chasing at the time, but everyone underestimated the athletic department’s goals.

In fact, I remember being stunned that Oregon could have the resources to bring a coach of that caliber on board. I realize that while baseball coaches — even the best ones — come a lot cheaper than big-time basketball coaches, I think Oregon’s strategy here is the same: go try to find the very best and do your best to meet his needs.

And I think, in the long run, that is the right way of doing things. Coaching, particularly in basketball where just a player or two can mean an NCAA tournament berth, is a huge part of the equation for success. Why not try to get the best?

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If all the reports coming out of Eugene are true, the Oregon basketball coach has already been told he’s out at the conclusion of the season.

My question is, “Why?”

No, not “Why is he out?” — he’s earned that the old fashioned way: by losing a lot of games. Home games, at that. But the more pertinent question is “Why now?” Why wouldn’t you wait until the end of the season?

There is a possibility, particularly with the parity in the talentless Pac-10, that the guy could win the conference tournament. Yes, a remote possibility — but it could happen. And if you’re going to fire him before the season ends, why not just hand him a gold watch and send him on his way immediately and let the assistant coaches guide the team the rest of the way?

I dunno. I have no idea what’s going on.

I will make a prediction here, though. Nike is going to have a hand in hiring the next coach and trust me, that company — oh, you ought to hear the stories about the wonderful off-season trips it sends its basketball coaches on — has all kinds of muscle with top coaches around the country.

I would expect the next Duck basketball coach to be a very accomplished coach, an experienced winner on the Division I level and someone whose name alone will help sell tickets and sponsorships in that new arena.

Anything less would be a disappointment.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Ernie Kent, Nike, Oregon Ducks

Honestly, it was a rare opportunity. A last look at a place where I enjoyed many an enjoyable game throughout my life, from my time as a student at the University of Oregon (wow — the Ducks hold the ball on Lew Alcindor and almost beat the Bruins)… to Dick Harter’s Ronnie Lee teams… to covering the old Class AA state basketball tournament and players like Melvin “The Elevator” Lentz. So many fun times.

Rob Closs was kind enough to share one of his season tickets with me and also do all the driving. I couldn’t lose. Along the way we stopped for a tour of almost-finished PK Park (I mean, double wow — the city of Portland can’t get that done but the Ducks do, and in the Autzen parking lot. It’s going to be an incredible ballpark, folks.) And we cruised past the under-construction new arena, Pre’s Rock and a few other Eugene sights before watching the Ducks pull out an overtime win over UCLA.

Thanks to Rob, the night couldn’t have gone any better. A few observations from a memorable evening:

– I settled into my Mac Court seat and watched the arena filling up as players got ready. I couldn’t help but think, “Why?” Why do they have to leave this place? It’s been around long enough now it’s past the point of complaining about and become a piece of memorabilia. You know what I mean. An old baseball uniform can be pretty disgusting unless it happened to once be worn by Babe Ruth. This joint they call The Pit — man, it’s seen some great players, great games and memorable moments.

And beyond that, it’s just flat-out a great place to watch a game. All those balconies hanging over the court give you a feeling like an old opera house. Fans are right on top of the action. I cannot believe someone isn’t still building arenas like this. It’s unique. The only thing worse than leaving it is tearing it down. What a loss it will be — one of the great college sports venues ANYWHERE.

If you’ve never been there, or if it’s been a while, you really owe it to yourself to get down there before the season ends. Most of the games are NOT sold out, so really — don’t miss this chance to sample the atmosphere one final time.

– That said, I understand why this is happening. Times change and so does everything else if it wants to survive and prosper. And this campus is alive with new construction. For someone who hasn’t been there in a while, it was a real eye-opener. Man, the place where I spent two years goofing off in classes has really changed.

– I love the fact the Ducks are honoring players and coaches from opposing teams as well as the ones from their own school. Bill Walton was there Thursday night and was his usual hilarious self in a reception prior to the game. He’s a real beauty, a natural comedian with great timing and some wisdom, too. When I told him I was now doing radio in the mornings and had been around long enough my young cohorts were now calling me “The Godfather,” he looked at me with horror and invoked the names of two newspapermen who covered his career with the Trail Blazers.

“You’re not the Godfather. That would be Kenny Wheeler… or Bob Robinson!” he thundered. I love the guy. May God bless you with perfect health the rest of your life, Bill.

– The Ducks actually looked pretty good in this game. But on the other hand, the Bruins were pretty bad. I haven’t been around as long as Mac Court, but I can tell you that’s perhaps the worst UCLA team I’ve ever seen and certainly the one with the least amount of talent on it. And fewest athletes. What’s going on down there?

On the other hand, what’s going on in the entire conference? Ugh. Are we looking for that conference to get just one NCAA bid? And not even deserving that one?

– I met a ton of very nice people, saw some people I hadn’t chatted with in years and it all made for a wonderful evening. Thanks again, Rob! And I have to say it one last time, I’m really going to miss that old barn.

–

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Tags: Bill Walton, Dwght Jaynes, Mac Court, Oregon Ducks, Rob Closs, The Pit, UCLA Bruins

That’s essentially what The Oregonian’s Mike Tokito does here. And makes this statement:

Bennett, now 40, is young, charismatic and has great family recognition. The more WSU won, the more frequently his name was mentioned when a coaching job came open.

It induced a weird combination of angst, anger and resignation from Cougars fans, who knew their cash-strapped school and isolated location made keeping Bennett around for the long term a challenge.

So here’s Robinson, also young at 47, also charismatic, and also with great family recognition (if you haven’t heard, his sister’s husband is a big guy in the federal government). Robinson even eschews wearing a tie at games, something Bennett made his signature look at WSU (although he’s back to wearing ties at Virginia).

Sorry, Robinson is no Tony Bennett, and I don’t care who his brother in law is. (He’s also not “young” at 47.)

Look, this is still the same team that lost at home to Seattle U. by 51 points. The same team that lost at home to Sacramento State earlier this season.

Robinson is going to win some games in the Pac-10 this season, because that conference is downright miserable, but he’s got a ways to be before you worry about throwing a lot of money at him. Let him prove it a little longer, please.

And if he wants to take another job somewhere, I’m afraid that a new practice facility there or a few more bucks won’t keep him there, anyway.

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Tags: ACC, Craig Robinson, Dwight Jaynes, Oregon State Beavers, Tony Bennett, Virginia, Washington State Cougars

The ones who are in your living room recruiting your children. They’ll promise you that they’ll be his coach for four years, only to go running off to the Seattle Seahawks or USC Trojans at the first opportunity.

Lane Kiffin, one season at Tennessee? Really?

Hey, are we surprised? In many ways, I don’t blame those coaches. It’s a nasty system where they monitor your graduation rates, yet even if they’re terrific, they’ll fire you in a heartbeat if you don’t win enough games.

Meanwhile, your child doesn’t have the option of switching programs when the coach leaves for greener pastures. He or she is stuck. Seriously stuck. It makes no sense to me. When the coach goes, free the recruits — let them go, too. But you might also sign that coach to a huge buyout agreement when you bring him on board.

All of this is why I find Brandon Jennings so refreshing. The point guard will be in the Rose Garden tonight with his Milwaukee Bucks. He’s the one, you recall, who went to Europe last year, rather than play as a college freshman. He had a rough season abroad, too — struggling for playing time under a demanding coach who made him pay his dues.

But the practice time and overall experience he got there were invaluable. Just the No. 10 pick in the draft, Jennings has already had a 55-point game and is one of the top rookies in the league. And oh, by the way, he earned a couple of million bucks last season.

Which is probably quite a bit more than some of the top college basketball programs could have paid him. But I’m not sure about that.

Sorry, I’ve gotten so cynical about Division I college sports these days that I just can’t help but make remarks like that.

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Tags: Brandon Jennings, Dwight Jaynes, Lane Kiffin, USC Trojans

OK, losing by 51 at home to Seattle University — that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, even for a team that’s already lost at home to Big Sky tail-ender Sacramento State.

All my friends who follow college basketball tell me this Craig Robinson guy can coach. But honestly, I don’t get it. You simply can’t be a Pac-10 team and play that poorly at home, can you?

What on earth is going on down there?

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Tags: Craig Robinson, Dwight Jaynes, Oregon State basketball, Pac-10 Conference

Don’t know if you noticed it or not, but Jennings, the Milwaukee Bucks rookie point guard, went scoreless in the first quarter Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors — and then scored 55 points over the last three periods!

This is the player who skipped out on college last season to play in Europe, the first young American to take that avenue to the NBA. He had mostly a hard time getting on the floor for his team, but his experience against older players and with tons of practice time was invaluable.

This blog post by former agent and Sports Management Worldwide founder Dr. Lynn Lashbrook best sums it up:

And instead of a one-and-done year on campus, he had an enriching European experience, did his maturing and growing up while learning to function in his chosen career — and made a lot of money doing it. No offense intended to anyone at Arizona or any other college, but I believe Jennings made a very intelligent decision.

And his play in the NBA is reflecting that. If you go to Europe, pay attention, work hard and listen to the very talented and experienced players over there, you’re going to learn A LOT.

Is there any doubt this could lead to more players following his lead? The only stumbling block after Jennings’ uneven performance over there, is that some European teams now may be reluctant to take on high school players, fearing they won’t be good enough to contribute to their teams. But some will compete at a passable level and there will be enough of them to entice teams into taking a chance on others.

And over here, it will only take a few going over — the marquee players a lot of college programs rely on to sell tickets and raise TV ratings — before it will look as if the NBA rule prohibiting the drafting of high school players will be rendered fairly useless as far as the colleges are concerned.

I’m not in favor of a kid skipping a senior season of high school to go to Europe, as is being attempted this season. But instead of a year in college at some school where the coach is more of a poser than a mentor? Absolutely. Go make some money and see the world!

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Tags: . Milwaukee Bucks, Brandon Jennings, Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, Dwight Jaynes, Europe, Sports Management Worldwide

That’s what Fran Fraschilla says on ESPN:

Former Stanford assistant coach Eric Reveno has quietly built the next in the line of WCC teams trying to knock Gonzaga off its perch at the top of the league.

All five starters return from last season’s 19-13 club. The Pilots were one of the best 3-point shooting teams in college basketball, knocking down 42 percent of their shots, and are led by outstanding guards Nik Raivio, T.J. Campbell and Jared Stohl. Robin Smeulders leads an underrated front line for Reveno.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Eric Reveno, NCAA mid-majors, Portland Pilots, WCC

Many years ago I was covering the University of Portland’s basketball team, under the great Jack Avina. Jack was one of a kind, an old-school gruff guy who insisted his team be disciplined and work hard, not only on the floor but in the classroom. But he always had the welfare of his players in his heart. At the same time, he had a terrific graduation rate and probably the best basketball teams that school ever produced.

I remember one season we were in California for a couple of games and Jack and I were having lunch. He reached into his wallet to pay his share of the check (now that I think about it, probably my share, too) and I saw an airline ticket (Hey, this was back in the day of paper airline tickets — nothing online in those days).

I asked what the deal was with the ticket. He told me one of his players (who will go nameless at this late date) had a father in another city who was very ill and may not make it through basketball season. This was an open-ended ticket Avina had bought, in the player’s name, to go home if he needed to get there in a hurry — no matter where the Pilots were.

“Geesh, don’t write anything,” Jack told me then. “It’s an NCAA violation. But what am I supposed to do, have a kid miss a chance to see his father on his deathbed just because the NCAA won’t let me help him with his ticket home? It’s stupid. The kid doesn’t have any money for an airplane.”

I loved it at the time that Jack felt that responsible for the young men on his team. It was a time, by the way, on The Bluff when the administration would allow Jack to recruit one player per season who didn’t quite meet university admission standards. The deal was, Jack had to be personally responsible for that player’s classroom performance. And he was. I believe about 95 percent of those players left with a degree.

I assume there’s probably a difference of opinion on Jack and the airline ticket. Sure, such things can be abused. But I’ll side with my friend Jack Avina every time. Compassion should never be outlawed, by the NCAA or anyone else.

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Tags: Dwight Jaynes, Jack Avina, NCAA, University of Portland basketball

Like in situations like this, where it throws the book at Southeast Missouri State, for a bunch of nickel-and-dime violations that wouldn’t even get a second thought at the big-time basketball schools.

Keep the little guys down, is usually the NCAA credo. Don’t let anybody move up and challenge the big boys. If you’ve been cheating for years, it’s OK. We just don’t want any new schools doing it.

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Tags: Deadspin, Dwight Jaynes, NCAA, Southeast Missouri State