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Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010
Hello Duck Fans!I've been doing a lot of thinking this week… You may be wondering why or what I've been thinking about, so here it is. Sometimes, you don't realize that you've stumbled into something special and monumental.
I’ll backtrack for a moment. Prior to calling Mac Court my home, I called it, "The hardest arena in the Pac-10 to play." From experience, I can tell you that The Pit is a formidable place to play. With that being said, as our home court, we LOVE it! Mac Court has that Hooiser-esque feeling, and is built so that our fans are on top of the court. The maple floors BOUNCE under the weight of the student section, when things get exciting. Being the second oldest arena in the country, with the first men's game played on January 14, 1927 and the first women's game played on January 23, 1974 we take great pride in the tradition of this building.
It's now time that we play our LAST two Pac-10 women's games in Mac Court before moving into our beautiful new Matt Court. All season, we've taken the time to honor those who have influenced it's character, developed strong memories, and drew in large crowds here at Mac Court, and now it's time to say goodbye. We know that the best way to leave a building that has given us so much is to leave it with our best efforts! And I hope our efforts will result in wins.
In addition to honoring Mac Court, we will also be honoring three special young ladies. We have three seniors on our team who have had memorable careers here at Oregon. Lindsey Saffold is the team mother, she keeps everyone in check both on and off the hardwood. She has long arms that she uses to frustrate her opponents as she blocks their efforts. She is also, the ONLY player on our team who knows how to take a charge. And, if you are a coach or a true student of the game, then you understand what that statement means. For those of you who aren’t, it means Lindsay is selfless. She will sacrifice her body for the good of her team. You can't ask for more in a teammate.
Micaela Cocks, our resident Kiwi, is the most solid performer we have. I told her she is a nightmare for the defense because she can shoot the 3, she can get inside off the bounce and hit the midrange shot, and when she wants to get to the rim...well, watch out or get out of the way! She can do it all, so it's difficult to know how to stop her. And anyone who knows Mic, knows what a great personality she has, always happy and laughing. You can't help but enjoy yourself when you are around her.
Last and certainly not least is our sharp-shooting guard, Taylor Lilley. Tay, as most of us call her, just has this presence about her. She carries herself with confidence and pushes herself hard, to ensure that she is getting the most and best out of herself. So, it's no surprise that she is shooting before practice, shooting after practice, shooting on her off days, reading about Kobe's basketball mentality on the road - all things to make her stronger and better. I've coached several top players, including McDonald's All-Americans, but I can confidently say that Taylor is the BEST shooter I've ever worked with. And she can take all the credit for her success. When you shoot in the 90th percentile and can knock down more than 30 3-pointers in a row...you're just GOOD.
I've enjoyed every moment on and off the court with all three seniors. They've given so much to the University of Oregon and won't be soon forgotten.
I hope you will come out to Mac Court this week to support us against USC (2/25, 7 p.m.) and UCLA (2/27, 2 p.m.). Mac Court wants you to fill its seats, the team needs your support, and our seniors want to say thanks. It's a weekend to remember, and one that has me thinking about how great it is to be a Duck!
Go Ducks!
