Ducks' quick start, defensive intensity dooms Eagles

	#3 Oregon Ducks #11 Winthrop Eagles 75 61   Box Score Recap All Scores
	Aaron Brooks had 22 points as third-seeded Oregon advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002.
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SPOKANE, Wash. -- On those days when Oregon's senior guard Aaron Brooks feels his team needs "a little kick in the butt." he'll get up and say a few words before a game. Though Brooks refused to repeat Sunday's speech for public consumption, senior forward Adam Zahn summed it up thus: "If [Winthrop] watched the game against Miami of Ohio, they have something else coming, basically. Maybe not those exact words."

Unlike the Oregon team that let Miami dictate tempo, this team blasted out of the gate at such a blistering pace that some Eagles were gasping for air with just four minutes gone. Fired up by hearing analysts predict a Sweet 16 berth for Winthrop, the tournament darling, the Ducks played with a defensive intensity that never let up. Aside from great shooting (48.2 percent from the field; 47.8 percent from the three), the key to their win was a switching defense that made life miserable for Winthrop's 6-foot-10 center, Craig Bradshaw, who had just four points in the paint. "When we watched the film of the Notre Dame game, Notre Dame struggled when they didn't switch," said Oregon assistant Kenny Payne. "When they did switch, they were able to handle the [forward, power forward and center]. We implemented that and it worked."

Player Who Impressed Me

"Big Shot" Brooks lived up to his nickname with a huge day, scoring 22 points on five three-pointers and a slew of slashing layups. But it was Tajuan Porter, Oregon's 5-foot-6 freshman guard, who singlehandedly turned this game into a rout. In the first four minutes of the second half, he scored 11 of his 13 points, (including three three-pointers and a two that was nearly a three), igniting a 13-6 run that broke open the game. Though Porter claims he is "a terrible shooter," his teammates don't agree. "You can't let him go off," says Zahn. "When he can hit those shots, it takes a lot of pressure off everybody and we can just get back and focus on defense, and let him watch the ball go in the basket."

Courtside Confidential

What was already a hostile environment for Winthrop -- hundreds of Oregon fans made the 460-mile drive from Eugene to Spokane -- got worse when the USC band arrived at halftime and promptly started mocking the Winthrop band with chants of "High school band!"... The 55 Oregon students who camped out in front of the school's ticket office on Tuesday got their tickets and transportation unexpectedly paid for by incoming AD Pat Kilkenney, a tab that reached about $9,000 when the Ducks made it to second round. ... The Ducks are now 7-0 when wearing their blinding yellow uniforms.

Big Picture

After two years of failing to live up to huge expectations, the Ducks finally look like a team built for a long run in March. They have a clutch senior leader in Brooks, a talented and unselfish supporting class, a dedication to defense, and a chip on their collective shoulder. And after two years of losing close games, "We've finally learned how to win," says junior Bryce Taylor. Look for them to win one more before this tournament is over.