After two losses on the road, falling out of the land of the ranked and their Pac 12 Title hopes dashed in Utah, Oregon received some good news on Monday.
The Pac 12 Men’s Basketball All Conference Awards have been announced and there are some Ducks among those being honored. First, Head Coach Dana Altman was named the John Wooden(Pac 12) Coach of the Year. Oregon Senior E.J. Singler made the All Pac 12 First Team(Senior Arsalan Kazemi made honorable mention). Freshman Damyean Dotston made the All Freshman Team for the Pac 12.
On Defense, one Duck, Arsalan Kazemi made the team.
Feb. 16, 2013; Pullman, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman looks on during a game against the Washington State Cougars during the first half at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Altman led the Ducks through a phenomenal regular season(23-8, 12-6 Pac 12)that saw a 20 game winning streak at Matthew Knight Arena(dating back to last season), as well as key victories against UCLA and Arizona.
According to the Pac 12’s release Altman has now won Coach of the Year in four different conferences: Pac-12 (Oregon, 2013), Missouri Valley (Creighton, 2001 and 2002), Big Eight (Kanas State, 1993), and Southern (Marshall, 1990). He’s the third Oregon coach to receive Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors, joining Dick Harter (1977) and Ernie Kent (2002). Altman has a career record of 478-277 (.633), while his Oregon record stands at 68-34 (.667).
Oregon will face either Washington or Washington State in the 2nd Round of the Pac 12 Tournament this Thursday(8:30pm, ESPNU). (First 4 seeds get a ‘bye’ in Round 1. The Ducks are seeded 3rd.)
Oregon Ducks This Week:
Bracketology: Oregon Falling Fast, Now A 9 Seed In LA Facing Altman’s Former Team In First RoundOregon Softball: Ducks Come Home After 21-4 Tourney Run, Host New Mexico Wednesday
For more on the Ducks you can follow AutzenZoo on Facebook and Twitter