Jan 19, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Dominic Artis (1) drives past UCLA Bruins forward Travis Wear (24) during the game at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

In his first meeting with Oregon Reporters on Wednesday, Freshman Guard Dominic Artis said his injured foot is feeling better and he’s ready to go.

“Definitely conditioning was an issue, but I’ve been going real hard at that, just working out in a pool and stuff and trying to get my heart rate up. Definitely ready for this game tomorrow.” Artis on his injury

Playing in San Jose will be a homecoming for Artis, since his high school is in nearby Richmond, California. We can only hope that his homecoming comes as successful as teammate Johnathan Loyd’s in Las Vegas during the Pac 12 Tournament. He was a big part of the Ducks winning the Pac 12 Championship against UCLA last week.

Dana Altman’s team has been busy getting ready for Oklahoma State on Thursday in San Jose. He spoke on Wednesday with Jim Rome about the NCAA Tournament, Artis and his injury and the season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 1:40 PM, Pacific Time on Thursday. The game will be broadcast on TNT. If you have a computer, you can watch for free – go to MarchMadness.com and simply enter your cable/satellite provider to get access for the game.

Oregon Ducks This Week:

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“He was unbelievable for us this weekend. I’ve always had confidence in Johnny and I think he was just down on himself. He’s had a lot of ups and downs this season, but he has really worked on his game, is always in the gym and this is his payoff.”      Oregon Senior E.J. Singler

March 16, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks players pose for a photo after the championship game of the Pac 12 tournament against the UCLA Bruins at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Oregon defeated UCLA 78-69. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Other Ducks also chipped in on the effort against the Bruins. Oregon Senior Arsalan Kazemi had a double double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Senior Carlos Emory put in 20. Oregon’s Defense Saturday night in the Pac 12 Championship Game was the best I have seen them this year.

Kazemi was a rebounding monster, as he usually is, but Freshman Ben Carter showed that he can be the Ducks man inside when he needs to be.

Oregon started out sluggish, but when they found their groove there was no going back. For the second game in a row they held a lead for a good part of the game. The Ducks shot 50 percent from three point range for the game, sinking 7 shots. The Ducks shot 47 percent from the field in the Pac 12 Tournament win, their first since 2007.

The Ducks also are going to the NCAA Tournament, with the Pac 12 Tournament Title in hand they are the conference’s automatic qualifier, although they would have made it as an at large had the lost to UCLA. This only helps the Ducks in one important area, seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon also now has a three game winning streak and three National television appearances this week, which can only help.

I am looking at the Ducks as a 7 or 8 seed. However with other Conference Tournaments finishing today, and several nationally ranked teams upset earlier this week, Oregon could come in as high as a 5 or 6.(a 5 might be a reach).

All we know right now is Oregon is headed to the Big Dance as March Madness officially begins in the Willamette Valley shortly after 2pm (PT) Sunday.

Oregon Ducks This Week:

Feb, 21, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks forward E.J. Singler (25) dribbles the ball against the California Golden Bears at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

This past week the Ducks returned home to Matthew Knight Arena and shot the lowest percentage all season, under 27 percent from the field, against Cal. In the game Senior Arsalan Kazemi had 11 points and 18 rebounds, and another double double on the season, but that would not be enough. Cal Junior Justin Cobbs had a game winning shot in mind and made it as time expired and the Ducks fell 48-46.

Saturday night against Stanford was a different story all together. The team had a sense of urgency. Junior Johnathan Loyd, playing in place of the injured Dominic Artis played like a man on a mission. He was electric on both sides of the ball. On offense he had nine assists and fifteen points, both career highs. On Defense Loyd had three steals against Stanford. Freshman Damyean Dotson showed a nice 12-15 foot jumper in the first half and the scoring was spread around nicely, led by Senior Carlos Emory with 19 points. Fellow Senior Arsalan Kazemi, had he usual rebounding number, with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals of his own to help Head Coach Dana Altman earn his 600th win as a coach.

Oregon is tied with Arizona at the top of the Pac 12 Standings.

The Ducks are winding down the Pac 12 season and will host Oregon State(13-15, 3-12 Pac 12)  in the Civil War on Thursday(8pm, ESPNU) for Senior night. Several Ducks including E.J. Singler, Tony Woods, and  Arsalan Kazemi will be playing their final game at Matthew Knight Arena(at least for the regular season). Dana Altman’s club then hit the road to face Colorado and Utah before heading to Las Vegas for the Pac 12 Tournament.

Oregon Ducks This Week: