On Friday night, didn't get a chance to post it up yet:

4* DB from TX, Kary Vincent

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This is tomorrow and good tickets are cheap, like 10 buck I think. NBA stars of the future. I saw a tweat re Pritchard

Jonathan Givony‏@DraftExpress
In a team full of elite-level recruits, its Payton Pritchard who is stealing the show here in limited minutes. Big-time get for Oregon.

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8:38 PM - 7 Apr 2016


Rosters

http://www.nikehoopsummit.com/rosters/

It still is a shame that they close all the spring practices but at least we are allowed to interview players and coaches afterwards. Thinking back to the last couple weeks talking to all these guys a few themes have emerged.

Overall everybody likes the switch to Hoke and the 4-3

The defensive linemen like Maloata, Kaumatule, Prevot and T.J. Daniel I talked to all think the 4-3 is better for them. In the new scheme they all have one-gap responsibility instead of often having two-gap like in the 3-4. Two-gap techniques are more read oriented. One-gap you can go ahead and penetrate up the field.

Coach Aiken seems to really like it when we spoke with him too.

Of course when I talked to Coach Pellum it was a tougher conversation. He kind of stiffened a bit when I brought up the "change" to 4-3 because as he said before, he had 4-3 packages in his defense.

Then talking to Hoke today was interesting. He is definitely not ready to say where they are at on defense except it needs work. He is a no-nonsense guy and kind of reminded me of Chip in some ways with his answers to questions.

Guys like Yost as QB coach and we will have a new QB again

The QB's seem to like Yost. He is perhaps more detail oriented than Frost was at least that was what I got from Alie, Lockie and Prukop last week. Yost seems pretty laid back and I liked talking to him.

Lockie and Alie have not been getting as many reps as Jonsen and Wilson but that is by design. Lockie seemed kind of fired up about the challenge for playing time ahead. But for spring the coaches want to see the new guys.

Does this mean they are #4 and #5 on the depth chart? Not at this point I don't think. But the starter won't be either Lockie or Alie.

Lubick crazy

I was chatting with Matt Lubick after practice the other day off the record. He was saying that now that he is offensive coordinator he gets to pick some of the songs they play at practice. So he is hitting the guys with hits from the '80's. In past years it seems it has been a lot of hip hop.

He was talking about all the songs he was going to add to the play list. I can't remember them but ABBA was one of them. Not sure what the guys will think of 'Dancing Queen.'

Pharaoh back

I did talk to a number of offense guys and coaches too and the big thing I got out of it was that Pharaoh will be back and he will be very good. Probably half the defenders who answered the question I asked 'who has been looking good on offense' or 'who is tough to guard' have answered Pharaoh Brown.

Then Coach Osborne was pretty firm that he expects him back this year. It sounds like he is close to 100% but Oz did not want to put a number on it. But since fall is a ways off and guys are talking about how he is playing now...

Please check out all the video interviews from the last two weeks if you get a chance. Most of them are one-on-one exclusives so you will know things other people don't!

All for now.

Chris Boucher, Oregon

Senior forward, 12.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.1 bpg

Let’s not pretend that Boucher was anonymous before his first season at Oregon. He was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I national player of the year and was rated the No. 3 prospect in the class of 2015 on jucorecruiting.com. That said, few players were more effective defensively this season than Boucher was with the Ducks. He swatted a higher percentage (12.2) of opponents’ two-point field goal attempts than any other player in the Pac-12 during conference play and also rebounded about a fifth of opponents’ missed shots. Boucher also acquitted himself well offensively, converting 72.0% of his two-point field goal attempts against Pac-12 competition.

SI Top 10

Hearing Bigby-Williams is a Duck

Anything you would like me to find out about this spring camp? Let me know here on this thread and I will make it happen.

Eliminates Satellite camps effective immediately.

NCAA Bans Satellite Camps

Great stuff from one of several speedsters on both the track and football teams.

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I'll be heading to practice for interviews at about 10:15 if you have any questions for these guys that you don't think I'll ask let me know.

Went for a mix of different positions today so we'll see how it goes.

I caught up with two LB's to get their thoughts on the new scheme. Here is the first of them junior LB Jonah Moi.

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4. Bigby-Williams emerges from Juco ranks

Originally committed to play his college basketball at Montana State, a native of London, England, has emerged as the hottest name in junior college basketball.

A 6-foot-10 center at Gillette College in Wyoming, four-star sophomore Kavell Bigby-Williams was already one of the most sought after recruits in junior college basketball. After his performance at last week’s NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., where he had 57 points, 49 rebounds and 23 blocks in four games, his stock has gone through the roof.

He’s athletic, he runs and he plays with great energy on the glass and as a defender. Word coming out of Hutch was that Oregon could be the early favorite. However, others who are heavily involved include Texas, Utah, San Diego State, Missouri, Arizona State, Charlotte and Bradley.

Check out the full article here

Looks like the visit went well for massive El Cerrito OL Aaron Banks yesterday.

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Aaron Banks profile

Here is the second LB interview I did on Friday. Between Moi, Swain and Pellum interviews you can get a good sense of the LB mentality heading into 2016.

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I have been reading some rumblings on another Duck website from a few Duck track fans that they are very disappointed with the performance of the men and women track teams. Some are criticizing coach Johnson.

Oregon track fans have high expectations. We are perhaps the most fortunate and spoiled college track fans in the country. However, this meet was bitter sweet.

Going in, most of us were excited to see how Oregon would do against rival USC. After all, USC's women are ranked second in the nation. USC's men are ranked 13th. Although we recognize that Penn State and Washington are solid college track teams, I doubt that many Duck fans envisioned that the Oregon men would have to fight till the end to tie Penn State. I'd imagine that even fewer thought that we would see The King get left in the trail wind of UW's Colby Gilbert on the bell lap. Even one of our most decorated track athletes, Jasmine Todd, was destroyed in the 200m.

OK enough with the bitter. Let's get to the sweet.

a)The women's 4x400 was a thrill. Raevyn Rogers was clutch as she came from behind to win at the tape and seal the team victory.
b)The women's 4x100 relay broke the school record and finihed first.
c) Devon Allen was an iron man, winning the 110h, 400h, and running a leg on both relay teams.
d) Raevyn Rogers easily handled the field in the 800m....as usual.
e) Gregg Skipper dominated the hammer.
f) A new star emerged in the 100h, Alaysha Johnson....and she is young. She won the event over her more heralded teammate Sasha Wallace. Alaysha set a meet record with the second fastest time in school history....then ran a good leg on the 4x400!
g) Ariana Washington won the 100m.
h) most importantly the Duck women won over a talented team field that included the second ranked team in the nation.

I could name some more areas of disappointment, and a few areas where the Ducks won, all be it unimpressively....but it was that kind of meet.

In the end, track isn't as predictable as many think. Just like in all sports, athletes have good days and bad days. The training is tricky and it is geared for the long run, not the next week. I can't promise that the men or the women will win another NCAA outdoor team title this spring. What I can promise is that they are still in the hunt. This was a meet filled with ups and downs. In the end the thrills out weighed the disapointments.

Great looking crowd.

Huskies are off to a great start. UW women go 1,2 in the 1500 a UW woman, Anna Maxwell, from my local area wins. Ducks go 3,4...more

After practice today with DC Brady Hoke.

On the transition to 4-3

"We have got a lot to get better at. We have a great staff. But the whole one-gap and two-gap, getting up the field, we have got a lot of work ahead of us. Kids have been receptive but at the same time we have all got to get better."

On whether he has the bodies he needs for a four-man front

"Right now it is too early to say. There is some length which is good and athleticism which is good, but you play the game, you have pads on and it’s a physical game. It has got to be physical up front."

Click below for the full 8 minute interview.

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I had a one-on-one with DP Wednesday and covered an array of topics from his move from DC to LB coach, the new 4-3 and then we went over some personnel. Very interesting stuff.

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The Ducks should have a shot at this, UNC being the other high ranked team that stands out. Might get my wish after all, just in the wrong tourney, lol.

http://mauiinvitational.com/sports/2015/12/22/GEN_1222153538.aspx#

Recent article with pre-season rankings....

http://mauiinvitational.com/news/20...jim-maui-invitational-teams.aspx?path=general

this upcoming week:

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Aaron Banks

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Ducks have the big time Emoji lead:

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word is he could end up in Oakland as they were very interested in him even with his injury but the Browns took him.

Hope for the best for him. A great Duck!

Why couldn't Okie flop vs UO? Feel badly for them, but they probably relied to heavily on one guy. And to think Okie whipped Nova earlier this year on a neutral floor. It's a strange game, aint it?
Time for the Heels to take care of biz, which would be the third time they have beaten Cuze.

I caught up with sophomore DT Canton Kaumatule yesterday and got some great stuff.

On the 4-3

"Everybody is just learning the new system and it is fun. It is a lot more physical than last season’s defense and I’m just ready. I’m excited to go.

"I’m loving it. It is a lot more natural. The 4-3 for the line is just attack, attack, attack. It is non-stop."

On Coach Hoke

"He has already gained the respect of the entire team. Everybody loves him. He is really on point, demands excellence. I’m excited to play underneath him."

I also asked about him being on crutches last week. Check out the video for the whole interview.

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