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Oregon Women’s Basketball: Ducks Go Untested Into Pac-12 Play

By Justin Phillips

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Kelly Graves of the Oregon Ducks talks to his players prior to tip off against the Portland Pilots at Chiles Center on November 30, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 30: Head coach Kelly Graves of the Oregon Ducks talks to his players prior to tip off against the Portland Pilots at Chiles Center on November 30, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) /
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The college basketball landscape has been thrown into chaos. After just two non-conference games, the Oregon Women’s Basketball team hosts Colorado to open Pac-12 play Friday.

Under a normal non-conference season, Head Coach Kelly Graves would test his team against the best. If there was not a pandemic, they likely would have seen the likes of a Baylor or South Carolina on the non-conference schedule, but with the coronavirus pandemic, the team has faced just two non-conference opponents in Seattle and Portland.

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What I saw in the first two games was solid. Graves clearly has his girls ready to go for the season, if it is even going to be a season. Oregon started the 2020 campaign ranked 10th in the country and have put up 201 points, beating their opponents by an average of 49 points.

Transfer Taylor Mikesell has shown she can be the workhorse for this team. She is hitting 68 percent of her shots regardless of if they are from distance or inside. That is impressive in itself. Mikesell is averaging close to 20 points per game. I expect that Graves will look for her to continue to grow as the season continues. She also has 5 defensive rebounds.

In looking at some of the other early numbers, Six players have not missed a free throw. As a team, they are averaging better than 70 percent from the free-throw line, 52 percent on field goals and the Ducks have made 33 percent of their three-point shots led by Mikesell who is 11 for 16.

Erin Boley is putting up 16 points per game and Sedona Prince, who sat out last season is finding he basket with 15 points per game. This team has the talent to do big things. In the first game of the season vs Seattle, Graves had the chance to mix things up with the lineup in the second half. At one point, he had all five freshmen on the floor and they didn’t look bad together.

Oregon, like other teams in the country, will have to find ways to be creative. There is not a lot of film when you start the season with just two non-conference games. There is also not as much to write about.

The Colorado Buffaloes come to Eugene also playing just two games against Western State and Air Force, both wins. Typically by now, you are able to see the character of a team, you know who the leaders are. For both the Ducks and Buffaloes those leaders are still emerging.

Oregon and Colorado meet on Friday at Matthew Knight Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 pm Pacific Time on Pac-12 Network.