Ducks make the final four today for the first time in my lifetime. I have to admit I felt a little apprehensive beforehand knowing they were playing Kansas who had been steamrolling everyone in their path to that point. But Jordan Bell was an absolute stud from the first minute of the game defensively and with rebounding reminding me of past dominating performances by past big men like Bill Walton, Anthony Davis, Pervis Ellison .... to name a few that I've seen and have always had a visual imprinted in my memory. He was everywhere and going after every shot!! He was the provider of second chances!! Several pinpoint passes leading to baskets. That and some big shot making by teammates, but Bell was the one who seemed to have total control of the situation and led the way. Like he was saying, No freaking way are we losing this game!!
So now, why not just go ahead and win it all?? Until getting to this point, I never really thought that as being possible. That would be a feeling that the state hasn't known for awhile. Especially for people my age or older who have been watching Oregon and Oregon State college basketball for half a century or longer. I always enjoyed the sound of "Sweet Sixteen" and "Elite Eight" but "Final Four" ..... that's a dream!!
The Ducks football team has made it to the national championship game twice this decade. The OSU Beavers have won it all in baseball twice in the 2000's. But basketball has always been my favorite sport. This is what I've been pining to see.
I've been following them since the late 1960's Stan Love, Billy Gaskins, Bill Drozdiak, Leaping Larry Holliday days through the mid 70's Ronnie Lee, Greg Ballard era then the Luke's and Fred Jones period in the early 2000's, Aaron Brooks, Terrell Brandon and everyone in between and after.
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