COACHING WHISPERS
All is (semi) quiet on the Western front. The coaches have taken a both of a brief break as they gear up for the beginning of spring practices next week. That does not mean that no work is being done – as evidenced by the continued flow of offers – it just means that the staff is taking advantage of the brief spring break period leading into what will be a very critical time for the future of the Duck program.
The staff is very well aware of the importance of not just instilling a different culture and attitude, but also developing the new philosophy on both sides of the ball. It is no secret that the Ducks want to become even more physical moving forward – they want to out-Stanford Stanford. Given the types of plays run on both sides of the ball that will be a challenge.
The staff feels confident in their ability to make that happen on both sides of the ball, but the upcoming spring will be their first chance to see it on the field rather than the weight room. Do not be surprised to see some ‘growing pains’ in assignments over the course of April – but April growing pains tend to equal October and November gains.
RECRUITING WHISPERS
A couple of notes. First, keep an eye on 2019 wide receiver Colby Bowman. The 6-3, 185 pound sophomore made some serious noise at the recent Passing Down SoCal 7-on-7 Regional in Fontana.
Earlier this week, we spoke with Bowman about his upcoming schedule. "We are starting spring practice in the next few weeks. I really just started thinking about schools but it's always been a dream of mine to play in the PAC 12," he told us.
He has great speed and even better hands as a receiver. Playing for powerhouse St. John Bosco (CA) makes it difficult, at times, for players to stand out, but there are some coaches who have already taken notice. Oregon has interest and has already been in some contact through the Bosco staff – along with several of his teammates; the Ducks are not accepting that Bosco is a feeder school for anyone else and will actively recruit their athletes.
RECRUITING INSIGHTS
It looks more and more like a good trip for Isaiah Bolden could end up giving the ducks a huge advantage. He is very excited about the trip and will be a very big target for the Ducks. One of the things that head coach Willie Taggart has tried to establish is the concept of ‘big things coming in waves.’ To do so requires a big first step.
While recruiting California and the West coast is very important, Taggart and staff also recognize the importance to a school like Oregon of recruiting nationally. He is not going to retreat to a ‘West Coast’ mentality anytime soon. But to keep the “Floregon” movement going, he needs some big time recruits to make the leap with each class. Bolden is the exact kind of athlete Taggart wants to bring to Oregon each year. A tried and true Florida kid with strong ties to one of the Florida schools – yet chooses the Ducks instead.
This does not mean that Taggart is abandoning California or Oregon; just that he recognizes that there is a lot of talent out there and building an elite program in the Northwest will take a lot more than California and Oregon kids; he will need to keep the talent flowing from everywhere.
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT
We are going to do something different this week with this section. We will talk basketball recruiting.
Where will Brandon McCoy go? – McCoy talked with Eric Bossi recently and went through a rundown of his favorite teams and his timeline. There was nothing surprisingly earth shattering in his updates. He is a very good poker player, so to speak, and has no0 ‘tell.’
Like many, we believe that this is a two-horse race between Oregon and Arizona. Certainly anything can happen that might add or subtract teams from consideration, but that is our understanding as of this writing. Five-star kids who see an NBA future within a year typically want to go someplace where their talents can be showcased – hence the delay.
Yes, McCoy is good enough to play and start for pretty much every team in college basketball from day one – but like many players in his circumstance, he wants to make the most of his first year – and will be making his decision with that in mind. So watch closely over the next couple of weeks as rumors heat up and percolate.
Incoming transfer? – This week we reached out to some people to check on ‘rumor central’ regarding a potential incoming big man. There is a possibility that a talented post player will be transferring from a mid-major program up to Oregon – or somewhere else.
So far, we have not been able to verify from non-Oregon sources the truth to the rumors – it has really only been Oregon sources mentioning the transfer. The trick here, is that the player is only a junior, so would need to have his degree by the end of the year. It’s not a done deal that he is leaving his current school, and it is even further from a done deal that Oregon would be a destination. It would be one of several potential definitions if he chose to transfer and if he were eligible to do so. That’s a lot of ifs – too many to get overly excited about at the moment.
