Random Duck Basketball Notes & Commentary
Posted on 10. Apr, 2010 at 8:45 am by 3D in Oregon Ducks Basketball, PAC-10 Basketball
While cruising to a meeting yesterday through the rolling hills in northwest Oregon, I was fortunate to have the time to catch 3 of 95.5′s interviews and chats. All have ties, some greater than others, to the Oregon Duck basketball team. Here are the highlights with a gist of the conversation and brilliant commentary to follow.
Terrance Jones – Jefferson High School senior stud basketball player, undecided on which school team he’ll choose as his one and done: Jones was in Tualatin practicing for tonight’s Nike Hoop Summit at the Rose Garden, a gathering of the top U-19 players around the world. Anyway, the guys brought up a great point: why hasn’t he selected a school yet? Of course he didn’t answer (most of his answers were 3 words or less, not a slick interviewee) but the point was brought up that he very well might be waiting until the Ducks hire a coach to see if he chooses Oregon. Reaction: I give it a bout a 20% chance, even though Jones hasn’t shown much interest in Oregon up to this point. At least he confirmed the Ducks are on his list of schools. If Oregon hires a coach he really likes, he very well might want to stay close to home and play in a brand new palace. It would be a landmark recruit for whoever the new hire is, a bigger sign than any player in recent memory.
PJ Carlesimo - Also in town for the Nike Hoop Summit, I believe he’s on one of the team’s coaching staffs. With the coaching position still open at Oregon, obviously they talked to him about his chances of being hired. He claims his recent talks with Pat Kilkenny only happened since they’re good friends and had nothing to do with the gaping hole in Oregon’s staff. I also learned his ties to Oregon are deeper than I thought: PJ’s known Uncle Phil since the 70s, and was around the team when Dick Harter was coaching and Ernie Kent (God rest his Duck basketball soul) was a player. Reaction: His comment about his ‘ties’, however deep they run, were interesting. He really played it off as if it would be such an honor to have the job and coach at “Knight Center, or Matthew Knight whatever-they’re-calling it.” PJ seems pretty aloof in general, but wouldn’t the beard combo between him and Phil be tops in the nation? It’s still a long shot.
Joe Giansante – Do I look like an idiot? Of course I saved the best for last. Joe was on to talk about the coaching position. This was a great salesman attempt at calming the public down from the lambasting the athletic department is taking. He tried to sell the fact if they wanted to hire a good candidate, the could do so right now. Joe also said there are a couple names that haven’t been leaked yet and no official money offer has been made to anyone yet. Reaction: I don’t believe much of his rant. I can sort of buy that a name or two isn’t out yet, but how big they are I’m skeptical about. If they really haven’t made an offer to a coach, then the athletic department is dumber than we think. Kilkenny was in Indy during the Final Four for crying out loud! This was a pure damage control interview from Joe.
Come Again?