Coach Howard Hobson loves his core group of senior players.  Too bad many of his Tall Firs have seen the game pass them by.   Hobson will begin the year playing some of these legendary players but he has made it clear that if these studs cannot play the kind of defense that Harter wants to play then they will be replaced by younger, quicker players.  These players might just not have the athleticism to play in the modern day Pac-Ten.  Hobson will let them try (they have earned that) and then will start using some of his new recruits to compete.  He has recruited a whole roster full of cat quick guards to make this work but none of these kids have ever played D-1 basketball and no matter how talented they are playing at this level will take some time to get used to the speed and physicality.  And size.  He will rely on some of his seniors for experience and depth but the group of Bobby Anet, Wally Johansen, John Dick, Laddy Gale and Slim Wintermute better be ready to go with the flow and we are not talking the McKenzie.  We are talking the flow of Harter’s patented ‘Kamikaze’ defense and this defense does not care how big you are or even if you are in the most famous group in Oregon History. Fellow seniors Steve ‘Snapper’ Jones, Jim ‘Loscy’ Loscutoff and Jim Barnett are in the same boat but this trio has shown they have a bit more athleticism then the aforementioned quintet.  These guys did not get many minutes before last year (Loscutoff actually just came back from a tour of duty and was a JC transfer so he has barely played on Mac Court) but Hobson needs them.  Jones has a borther here as well named Nick but the Snapper is one heck of a long range shooter who at 6’5 can also defend on the perimeter.  Loscy is one tough hombre who loves to bang and board and sets some mean screens and nobody is going to mess with Slim when he is on the court.  Barnett is a terrific guard who can defend and pass and score some.  He is most famous for making a fall away shot last year in the Rose Garden up in Portland and the announcer shouting ‘wow, look at that RIP through the nets.’  Well, it stuck and the new Blazers up in Portland have that wonderful moniker.  All three of these kids will play and probably more often then the former starting five but Lord, Hobson is a loyal man. Hobson loves his Firs and will give them a chance to shine once again. 

The One Fir who will still be starting is Laddie Gale.  The 6’4 Gale with his patented one-handed shot (he invented this) has been Mr. Steady since he moved up the road from tiny Oak Ridge.  Gale can do it all on the court as his showdowns with Stanford great Hank Luisetti are legendary.  His biggest issues has always been defense but unless Harter is a glutton fir punishment he will not replace the fans Laddie.  His sidekick Mr. Dick is known for his defense so should fit right in but also at 6’4 he will have a hard time guarding bigs.  Dick barely played last year due to injury but the kid from a city on the Columbia called The Dalles (really) is back for more action.  The guards who have played together since junior high in Astoria (the home of the Goonies) are in serious jeopardy of losing their spots.  Anet is too small at 5’8 and Johansen is not the kind of athlete you need on the wings nowadays. 

Hobson turned the keys of this car over to the underclassmen last season and some of the boys proved they could handle the steering.  Junior Ron Lee is a natural leader and is now the face of this program.  He is a no-nonsense player who is tough as nails and could be the best perimeter defender in the conference.  In a league with superb guards he has to be.  Lee is also a good offensive player who can score and pass equally well.  He may not have three-point range on his jumper but he finds a way to get the ball in the hole.  He is without question the leader of this team and the gauntlet has been dropped to his teammates to get better or ship out.

The perfect sidekick to Lee is fellow junior Greg Ballard.  Ballard is a well-built power forward who loves to play on the blocks.  He is only six seven but has muscles on muscles and knows how to use them.  He is not as fiery as Lee but is a great example for the underclassmen on work ethic and getting the job done.  The ‘Mallard’ was first on the team in scoring and rebounding and is the focal point of the half court sets.  And he is cool.  Ballard and Lee own the campus of Eugene especially on Saturday nights.  Senior Jim ‘Loscy’ Loscutoff played the four spot when Ballard would sit out or when the Ducks would go big and put Ballard at the three.  Loscutoff is one heck of a tough guy who is not afraid to knock somebody down on a pick or without one.  He is an enforcer by trade but can also play.  He does not get the credit he deserves as an all-around played but to the Duck faithful he is the Man. 

Fellow junior Stan Love split time in the post with Sophomore Blair Rasmussen and Wintermute and Dick.  Love is a better scorer but Rasmussen got plenty of minutes due to his size (6’11) and defensive presence.  Wintermute used to be the biggest kid in the entire Pac-10 but at 6’8 is actually undersized.  Rasmussen can also hit a mid-range jumper but needs to work on his inside game especially rebounding.  Love loves the mid-range game and will mix it up but at 6’9 is a bit undersized especially when the Bruins come to town.  This group complements the man on the blocks in Ballard in giving him room to maneuver down low.  Love is a bit of a free spirit known for his relationship with the Beach Boys and especially Brian Wilson as he grew up in LA LA land.  That should be fun to discuss when he goes home to play the Bruins as we all know the Big Redhead is a deadhead.  Perhaps these two should get traded as the Dead are huge in Eugene and fill up Autzen for about five shows when they come to town.  And this team badly needs a true center in the middle who can guard a rim.  Rasmussen is not that and Love is more of a four than a five.  Love (no relation to Mike) has a bit of an edge for a Beach Bum and missed a few games due to some off the court weirdness but he can play.  Neither one of these guys has the game to keep up with the big post menaces of the Pac 10.  Wintermute, Love and Rasmussen are not Alcindor, Walton and Wicks. 

Hobson has all kinds of talent in the backcourt but sadly most of the guys were very similar in style.  Jones and Barnett are smart wings who can score and know how to play but neither is the most athletic guy.  Hobson loves their attitude and both are very articulate men who know how to talk a good game.  Both can also get under your skin as the nicknames Crazy Horse and Snapper were not given to these two for no reason.   Jones especially got to Bill Walton of the Bruins who got two T’s after a verbal exchange at Mac Court.  Jones calmly walked away and smiled as the Big Redhead went Casey Jones and never got a T.  Neither one is a super athlete but they more than make up for it with their basketball IQ’a and shooting and both will be benefits to teams at the next level. But man do they love to talk.  Even more than the Big Redhead. 

The Oregon Ducks have a glorious past in basketball.  There great senior class of ‘Tall Firs’ that put Eugene on the basketball map and made basketball popular in the northwest has one more year to prove that season was not a fluke. The Ducks have recruited some fine talent to supplement that group and are developing a character of their own.  Hopefully defensive.  The Ducks do have the resources to compete with any program now and are bringing in some talented players.  Too bad most of them play the same position. Or is that a good thing as Harter wants as much quickness as he can get on the court.  The Ducks need some Mallards and I do mean some big ones to compete with the huge lineups of the Pac-Ten.  The Tall Firs may have been big in 39 but are small in today’s world and the Ducks need to keep up with the Huskies and Beavers in getting those big guys.  If not, no matter how loud Mac Court gets, Tracktown USA will be a very unhappy place after the Duck games.  One kid who might be up to snuff and is exactly what Hobson and Harter are looking for is sophomore Jerry Adams.  Adams was recruited from Compton California and has the toughness you would expect from growing up in that area of LA.  This kid goes 6’8 and a chiseled 230 and will flat break you off going up for a rebound or setting a screen.  He did not play much last year except on the JV and might not again this year but when he is on the court you know it.  And so does the other team.