Mississippi State Bulldogs Oregon Ducks

Key ReservesG Kamyron Brown (4.4 ppg, 3.2 apg), G LeKendric Longmire (3.8 ppg, 54.2 FG pct.), F Frantz Dorsainvil (3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 57.4 FG pct.), G Churchill Odia (1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg).

Key ReservesG Phil Turner (4.3 ppg, 3 rpg), G/F Ravern Johnson (2.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg), F/C Brian Johnson (2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg), F/C Elgin Bailey (1.8 ppg, 1.6 ppg).

The Go-To GuyMaarty LeunenThe Ducks are far from a one-man show, but in crunch time they’re looking for 6-foot-9 forward Maarty Leunen, a second-team all-Pac-10 selection and US Basketball Writers Association all-District 9 first team. Besides his on-court success, which includes being named the RADM John Dick defensive player of the year, he’s a Harry Ritchie Scholar Athlete Award winner. Leunen is the second player in Oregon history with at least 1,000 career points and 875 rebounds. This season he’s recorded 17 dou-ble-doubles, and he shoots better than 50 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

The Go-To GuyJamont GordonThe 6-foot-4 junior, who’s built like a tight end, does almost everything on the perimeter for the Bulldogs, from leading the team with a 17.3 points per game average to dishing out almost five assists per game. Plus he’s second on the team in steals with 38 and has 20 blocks. He also plays a grueling 34 minutes (six players get the bulk of the team’s playing time). Some nights, Gordon can light it up from outside, but his 31.5 percent accuracy from beyond the 3-point line shows his incon-sistency. As Gordon goes, so go the Bulldogs.

Projected Starting LineupF Maarty Leunen (10) 6-9, 220 Sr.F Joevan Catron (50) 6-6, 235 So.G Malik Hairston (1) 6-6, 220 Sr.G Bryce Taylor (4) 6-4, 210 Sr.G Tajuan Porter (12) 5-6, 150 So.

Projected Starting LineupF Charles Rhodes (23) 6-8, 245 Sr.C Jarvis Varnado (32) 6-9, 210 So.G Jamont Gordon (44) 6-4, 230 Jr.G Barry Stewart (22) 6-2 170 So.G Ben Hansbrough (11) 6-3, 205 So.

Stat LeadersPPG Malik Hairston 16.1REB Maarty Leunen 9.2AST Joevan Catron 3.72BLK Malik Hairston 0.86

Stat LeadersPPG Jamont Gordon 17.3REB Jarvis Varnado 7.9AST Jamont Gordon 4.8BLK Jarvis Varnado 4.6

WHY THEY’LL SURVIVEOregon may be as balanced a team as any in North Little Rock, with four starters in double figures and a fifth just a point-per-

game under 10. The Ducks are easily one of the better 3-point shooting teams, averaging 8.7 a game (a Pac-10 leading 40.1 per-

cent from behind the arc). Quick guards led by Tajuan Porter could prove bother-some to opening foe Mississippi State, and Malik Hairston is a big swing guard who can match up well with MSU’s Jamont Gordon and Memphis’ Chris Douglas-Roberts. The experienced Ducks can go deep in the lineup if need be.

WHY THEY’LL SURVIVEPeople refer to teams that “on a given day” can beat anyone in the country. Mississippi State is one of those teams.

The Bulldogs have two of the most talented players in the SEC in Jamont Gordon and Charles Rhodes, both of

whom are capable of going off for 25 to 30 points against any team. With Jarvis Varnado’s 7-foot wingspan in the middle, the Bulldogs’ interior defense can make scoring difficult for an opponent. Ben Hansbrough brings the same fire of his much taller brother at North Carolina to the Bulldogs’ point guard position.

WHY THEY WON’T LASTForward Maarty Leunen, at 6-foot-9, has to carry most of the inside load for the perimeter-oriented Ducks, whose next tall-

est starters are 6-foot-6. They can look down the bench for some size to battle teams inside, but that hasn’t been their

game — it’s rather perimeter oriented and dependent on 3-point shooting. Without the graduated Aaron Brooks (first-round draft pick by the Houston Rockets), the Ducks are more turnover prone than last year — in 11 of the team’s 13 losses, they’ve had more turnovers than the oppo-nent.

WHY THEY WON’T LASTThis team is just way to up-and-down away from Starkville: witness the 20-point loss to Arkansas when Mississippi State was

forced into gobs of turn-overs. That was also with Hansbrough sidelined, but the Bulldogs don’t want to fall behind to anyone and

have to play catch-up. Just as easily as Rhodes and Gordon can explode for points by the bushel they can also disappear for stretches, and the rest of the offense around them can follow suit. If Varnados gets into foul trouble, the interior defense seems to disappear.

SEED 9BID At-Large (Pac-10)RECORD 18-13, 9-9 Pac-10COACH Ernie Kent(211-133 in 11 seasons at Oregon, 301-213 overall in 17 seasons as a head coach; 6-4 in NCAA Tournament)KEY WINS 80-77 (OT), at Kansas State, Nov. 29; 75-64, at Utah, Dec. 8; 71-66, Stanford, Jan. 13; 71-58, Washington, Feb. 14; 78-69, Arizona, March 8. NOTABLE LOSSES: 99-87, at St. Mary’s, Nov. 20; 62-54, 80-75, UCLA, Jan. 24; 95-86 (OT), Southern Cal, Jan. 26; 72-43, at Stanford, Feb. 7; Washington State, Feb. 16; 81-75, at Southern Cal, Feb. 21; 75-65, at UCLA, Feb. 23.LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE 2007 POINTS SCORED 76.8POINTS ALLOWED 72.4TURNOVER MARGIN -1.5REBOUNDING MARGIN +1.9

SEED 8BID At-Large (SEC)RECORD 22-10, 12-4 SECCOACH Rick Stansbury(207-114 in 10 seasons at MSU; 3-4 NCAA Tournament)KEY WINS 87-75, Missouri, Dec. 30; 63-58, Kentucky, Jan. 15; 88-68, Ole Miss, Jan. 26; 80-74, Arkansas, Feb. 16; 68-59, at Florida, March 1.NOTABLE LOSSES 84-82, Clemson, Nov. 15; 63-49, Southern Illinois, Anaheim Classic, Nov. 23; 67-60, Miami (Ohio), Anaheim Classic, Nov. 25; 64-58, Miami (Fla.), Dec. 13; 71-67, at South Alabama, Dec. 15; 78-58, at Arkansas, Jan. 30; 76-71, Tennessee, Feb. 2; 86-85 (OT), at Vanderbilt, March 5; 64-60, Georgia, SEC Tournament, March 15.LAST TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE 2005 POINTS SCORED 73.1POINTS ALLOWED 65.1TURNOVER MARGIN +2.6REBOUNDING MARGIN +4.5

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