Game One Fallout: USC's Dominance and Oregon's Despair

Loyal fans of the Oregon Ducks watched with disappointment as they saw the contrasting atmosphere on both benches.

In recent years, the Oregon Ducks have consistently dashed the hopes of their supporters. It has been since 2002 that they last came close to the semi-finals. Even in the 06-07 season when they reached the top 8, subsequent seasons have seen a decline. Last year, they barely made it to the top 64 but were eliminated in the first round by Mississippi State University.

In the first game of this year's regular season, falling behind 8-0 at the beginning left Oregon Ducks fans bewildered. If the game hadn't just started, many would likely have considered leaving early.

Despite regaining some morale after the timeout, the Ducks resorted to a more pass-and-cut style reminiscent of Princeton tactics. Such tactics demand strong teamwork, relying on continuous passing, movement, and off-ball cuts to create open opportunities.

However, the current Oregon Ducks struggled with their passing execution. USC's tight interior and perimeter defense made it challenging for Oregon to find open shots. Their third turnover was intercepted by DeRozan, who swiftly converted it into a fast-break dunk, marking the failure of Coach Ernie Kent's tactical adjustments.

Finally, after over three minutes of play, shooting guard Garrett Sim sank a crucial three-pointer, notching Oregon's first points of the game.

At this point, the score stood at 14-3 in favor of USC.

Lian Dao was substituted out for Lewis after the first ten minutes, with USC leading 28-12. Subsequently, Oregon's coach hesitated to rely on key players. Even after Lian Dao's departure, DeRozan assumed the mantle of offensive leadership, showcasing his talents as a McDonald's All-Star with mid-range jumpers, acrobatic dunks, and more.

Despite Lian Dao's absence, the Oregon Ducks failed to close the scoring gap.

Ultimately, the first half concluded with USC holding a commanding 49-32 lead, enjoying a 16-point advantage.

At the beginning of the third quarter, USC deployed its "small ball lineup": point guard Daniel Hackett, shooting guard Lewis, small forward Lian Dao, power forward Gibson, and center Vucevic.

This lineup was geared for scoring, boasting strong three-point shooting abilities across the board. Even Vucevic had developed a reliable three-point shot, a skill he honed during summer training sessions with Lian Dao. European players typically have softer hands, which contributed to Vucevic's accuracy from beyond the arc.

With USC's emphasis on outside shooting in the third quarter, their opponents were caught off guard. In just 10 minutes, USC drained 13 three-pointers at a 53.8% shooting clip. Lian Dao connected on 3 threes, while Vucevic added 2. Daniel and Lewis each contributed with a made three-pointer.

The score quickly ballooned to 77-48, giving USC a commanding 29-point lead and effectively securing their victory.

Seeing little chance of recovery, Oregon Ducks' head coach Ernie Kent replaced all his key players. Similarly, Tim also substituted out USC's starters.

Oregon managed to narrow the deficit with their bench lineup, but USC maintained their lead. By the game's end, USC triumphed over the Oregon Ducks with a score of 83-62, securing a 21-point victory.

In this game, Lian Dao scored 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists. DeRozan contributed 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Gibson added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. Vucevic, in his first start, scored 9 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Together, they accounted for two-thirds of the team's total points.

The strong start filled the team with excitement, and Lian Dao was particularly pleased. On the bus back to the hotel, the team members chatted animatedly about their interests. Topics ranged from the attractiveness of freshman girls to the skills of senior girls, and even admiration for cheerleading goddess Shi Lina's physique...

Recently, the University of Southern California (USC) secured victories against the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers on the road, marking a promising two-game winning streak to start the new season.

Next up for USC is a formidable opponent ranked third in ESPN's power rankings, known as their archrival, UCLA.

All USC players and coaches are taking this upcoming game seriously. UCLA has long been a nightmare opponent for USC, and this match will be a true test of USC's strength.

Ranked third in ESPN's power rankings, UCLA's success this season stems not only from their illustrious history but also from their cohesive perimeter play. Interestingly, their first two opponents this season were also the Oregon State Beavers and Oregon Ducks—albeit in reverse order.

Both games resulted in decisive wins, showcasing UCLA's dominance. However, despite their strength, Lian Dao identified weaknesses in their game from the video footage. Last season, even with Westbrook on their roster, they struggled against Memphis led by Derrick Rose and fell short in the national semifinals for two consecutive years.

With Westbrook now in the NBA, UCLA's outside line has lost a key offensive and defensive pillar. Despite Holiday's promising preseason average of 10.3 points and respectable performance in the first two regular-season games, his inconsistency in scoring remains apparent—highlighting his relative lack of experience compared to last season's Westbrook.

Yet, UCLA's biggest weakness this season appears to be their interior defense. In preseason losses, they were frequently exploited by strong inside play—an area where they excelled last season thanks to Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who averaged a combined 16.6 rebounds per game along with significant scoring and assists.

This season, the departure of Love and Mbah a Moute to the NBA has left a noticeable void in UCLA's interior strength. Players like Alfred Aboya and Nikola Dragovic, while capable, cannot match the basketball IQ and physicality of their predecessors, making the interior vulnerable.

However, underestimating UCLA would be a mistake. Head coach Ben Howland, who took over in the 2003-04 season, has consistently led the team to success. Despite losing key players this year, Howland's strategic acumen has guided UCLA to a strong preseason record of 10-2 and a flawless 2-0 start in the regular season.