Ducks' depth could be key.

Byline: Bob Clark The Register-Guard

LOS ANGELES - Been here. Done this.

But does what Oregon accomplished a year ago in winning the Pac-10 tournament title really matter much this time around?

`It helps our confidence,' Luke Jackson said. `We won it last year, so guys on the team this year believe we can do it again.

`Teams going into the tournament playing well at the end of the year tend to do a lot better. I feel like we're playing well right now. If we continue to play well, we have a shot at winning it.'

The tenuous trail to the title starts today, about 2:50 p.m., when the Ducks tip it off against California.

Expect most of the Ducks on the travel roster, from Jay Anderson to Adam Zahn, to be asked to contribute from the opening half on because Oregon is determined that playing numbers is why they've gone 4-1 at the conference tournament the past two seasons.

`We've had great depth, like we do this year, so we come in a more-rested basketball team than a lot of the teams,' UO coach Ernie Kent said. `This is an opportunity for our depth to step up and help us.'

The ideal would be for no Duck to play more than about 30 minutes, Kent said. Andre Joseph's 30.9 and Jackson's 34.5 minutes were the only playing time averages that exceeded that during the regular season.

`In Luke's case, he's got to understand that we've got able bodies sitting on the bench who will give him the opportunity to rest,' Kent said. `His minutes need to be about 30 a game.'

Oregon tried to test that last weekend, though in wins over USC and UCLA, there was Jackson still on the court for 34 and 35 minutes, respectively, and the Ducks considered that preparation for this week.

`The last two ballgames were excellent for us because they were like a tournament atmosphere,' Kent said. `Both of those (Los Angeles) teams needed a win themselves, and they came after us.

`We struggled at times, we ground it out, we were able to win the games at the end ... that's basically what you see in tournament games.'

Unlike any future tournament, be it NIT or NCAA, the opponent today is familiar. The teams split during the regular season, Oregon winning at home, 68-56, but losing at Berkeley in overtime, 85-81.

Now comes the third time.

`The main advantage is we know pretty much everything they're going to do,' Anderson said. `They know what we're going to do, too, so it's kind of a disadvantage.

`The team that executes the best offensively and takes away the other team's best offensive options is going to win.'

Oregon limited Leon Powe and Richard Midgley to 17 points in the win by the Ducks, but the two Bears combined for 42 points in Cal's victory. The only constant in the two games was limited output from Cal's Amit Tamir, with seven total points, and yet he's the Bear the Ducks fear most since he averaged 25 points in four previous games against Oregon.

`The key is to not let him touch the ball,' Anderson said. `We've tried to do that in the past, but he's been able to get on a roll and hit shots with guys in his face. The key for us is to not let him hit that three when he's the trailer in transition because once he gets on a roll ...'

That's what it usually takes for a team to win a conference tournament, with the ordeal of three games in 48 hours, as it was for Oregon last year. The Ducks could have lost their opener to Arizona State, but Andre Joseph made a key defensive stop. They could have been knocked out in the semifinals by UCLA, but Jackson dropped in a crucial three-pointer.

After that, the title game triumph over USC was the easiest game of the week.

`Nothing would make this season more complete than winning the Pac-10 tournament,' Jackson said. `Each game from now on, you have to look at it as your last game ... if you get one down, then you only have to win two games to win the tournament, so the first one's really important.'

TODAY'S OTHER QUARTERFINALS

Washington State vs. Stanford, 12:20 p.m. - Missed free throws, a botched inbounds play and a late Stanford three cost the Cougars the chance at being the first team to knock off the Cardinal a week ago. Stanford may have Justin Davis back, after being out since January due to knee injury.

Washington vs. UCLA, 6:15 p.m. - Huskies have won 12-of-14, Bruins have lost 13-of-15 and haven't beaten anybody since Feb. 19. But UCLA was the only Pac-10 team to sweep its regular-season series with Washington.

Arizona vs. USC, 8:45 p.m. - Teams split season series, with Arizona's full-court pressure decisive in its 27-point win. But do the Wildcats, with a short bench and possibly two more games to play here, expend that kind of effort tonight?

OREGON VS. CALIFORNIA

2:50 p.m. today in Los Angeles. TV: Fox Sports Network. Radio: KUGN-AM (590).