After opening the season on Monday, Oregon came into Friday Afternoon with a chance to move to 2-0 to start the college basketball season. While Eastern Washington pushed Oregon early in the game, the end of the first half turned the tide, and the Ducks opened up the floodgates to pick up a 98-71 win over the Eagles.
The blowout win served a great purpose for Tony Stubblefield and the Oregon coaching staff, as they were able to experiment with plenty of lineups and players with a roster loaded with transfers. A ton of players were able to get involved, and while there's still a lot to clean up, moving to 2-0 to start the season is great news coming off a disappointing season.
The games are eventually going to start to get tougher, and the performances in theses games allow the staff to start tightening the rotations moving forward.
3 winners from Oregon's blowout win to move to 2-0
Wei Lin - Guard
On the day when it was revealed Oregon would be without star guard Tyrone Riley IV, one of the two returnees on the roster, Wei Lin proved he's ready to step into a bigger role for the Ducks. Lin caught fire off the bench, scoring 20 points on 7-9 shooting with 4 assists and 3 steals. The Ducks are going to be shorthanded without Riley, and if Lin can continue to be a scoring source for Tony Stubblefield, it'll help fill a massive void.
Tajh Ariza - Forward
The blowout win allowed Tony Stubblefield to rest some of the starters, and it allowed true freshman Tajh Ariza to get extended playing time. In Ariza's 14 minutes, you saw all the tools that made him one of the most sought after recruits in the country as he finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and an incredible block at the rim. If the Ducks can continue to win big and find playing time for Ariza, it'll only help him grow into a contributor when the games get tougher.
Pharoah Compton - Forward
After a quiet season opener, Pharoah Compton received 14 minutes in this game, and he made sure to impress. The San Diego State transfer finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block, bringing a ton of energy off the bench. Oregon has a ton of depth at the forward positions, but if Compton continues to bring the level of energy he brought in this game, it's going to be hard to keep him on the bench.
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