Oregon ups the ante with Grizzlies coming to town

Byline: Ron Bellamy The Register-Guard Trying to get back on the right track offensively and defensively,the Oregon men's basketball team hosts Montana tonight, possibly with a new look to the starting lineup and certainly, the Ducks hope, with an improved performance after Saturday's 88-81 loss at the University of Portland. "Last night was our adversity on the road and we didn't deal with it very well," coach Ernie Kent said after Oregon's practice Sunday. "And we come back today and all of a sudden there's that intensity and defensive pressure. We got after each other twice as hard as we gotafter that team last night, and that's a lesson for them to be learned. And I think they will, too, because they felt bad about their performance." The Ducks (3-1) are coming off a game that gave them reason for introspection. The team that was going to build its foundation on defense gave up 88 points. The team that was going to force turnovers withfull-court defensive pressure unofficially forced four turnovers with the press - but also gave up two dunks when the Pilots broke the press. "We didn't press," Kent said "We just kind of played shadow defense. ... We did not put the kind of pressure that we're capable of putting, and that's on us. Portland exploited us not doing that, because all of a sudden you've got the defense stretched out and you're not pressuring the ball and you're letting them go where they want to go, and as well as they shoot the ball, that's a good, veteran basketballteam and they made us pay." Offensively, Kent said, the Ducks got stagnant, not moving enough and playing too much one-on-one, as evidenced by just nine assists - half Portland's total - on 32 made baskets. "There's a particular way we want to play, and we got away from that," Kent said. "We need to get back to playing that way." Exactly which five Ducks will be playing when tonight's game starts won't be determined until after today's shootaround, Kent said. Buthe's considering starting guard Malcolm Armstead, who had 21 points against Portland, in the backcourt with Tajuan Porter. Figure that sophomore Teondre Williams also will start, and Kent said sophomore forward Jeremy Jacob and freshman forward E.J. Singler are also under consideration, and if they move in the lineup, that could move out Joevan Catron or LeKendric Longmire. With center Michael Dunigan still sidelined by an upper leg injury, Kent also wants to find more minutes for guard Garrett Sim, wing Matt Humphrey and post Josh Crittle, who has been "a little bit buried"on the depth chart but who, in retrospect, should have been given some minutes against Portland's bigger post players, Kent said. "We look back at the game and we should have played Josh Crittle and given him an opportunity to battle those guys," Kent said. "And that's on us, and we talked about that today." In Montana (3-1), the Ducks face a team that went 17-12 last season and tied for second in the Big Sky Conference at 11-5. The Grizzlies are led by guard Anthony Johnson, who averages 22.5 points per gameand 4.3 assists and has made 27-of-29 free throws. Starting forward Raason Young is shooting .588 from the three-point line (10-of-17); the other starting forward is Jack McGillis, the transfer from Oregon State. "We're still figuring out rotations right now," Kent said. "That'sthe hard thing for us, because somebody's not going to play." UO MEN VS. Montana Oregon (3-1) LeKendric Longmire, 6-5, Jr. (10.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) Jeremy Jacob, 6-8, So. (3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg) Teondre Williams, 6-4, So. (13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) Tajuan Porter, 5-7, Sr. (17.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg) Malcolm Armstead, 6-0, So. (9.0 ppg, 3.7 apg) Montana (3-1) Raason Young, 6-6, Jr. (11.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg) Jack McGillis, 6-6, Sr. (10.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg) Brian Qvale, 6-11, Jr. (10.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) Ryan Staudacher, 6-4, Sr. (9.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg) Anthony Johnson, 6-2, Sr. (22.5 ppg, 4.3 apg) Time: 7 p.m. Radio/TV: KUGN-AM (590). No TV. Tickets: Available at the Casanova Center and McArthur Court ticket offices.