EUGENE, Oregon — Seen and heard from Arizona's 74-73 overtime loss to the Oregon Ducks Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon.
Voodoo Bill
Game Day: Tonight on ESPN Oregon at Colorado pic.twitter.com/zXC7TUIeEi
— Lori M Walton (@loriMwalton) January 2, 2020
Among the quirky memorabilia on the wall at the downtown Portland location of regionally famous Voodoo Doughnuts is a picture of a big redhead with arms outstretched and a No. 32 Trail Blazers jersey on.
Yeah, him.
Now an ESPN analyst who covered Thursday night’s game at Matthew Knight Arena, Bill Walton said he visits the quirky donut shop regularly and is friends with owners Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon.
Among Voodoo’s more inspired offerings are “Voodoo Bubble” (a piece of Dubble Bubble sits in the center) “Voodoo Doll” (a doll-shaped donut stabbed with a pretzel), Diablos Rex (chocolate cake with red sprinkles and a vanilla frosting pentagram), and “Old Dirty Bastard” (Oreos and peanut butter).
Walton said he doesn’t have a particular favorite but apparently never leaves disappointed.
“I’ll get special ones,” he said, grinning.
The Eugene Trail
Arizona forward Jake DesJardins (55), left, and center Christian Koloko (35) can't believe the Wildcats didn't get the call during overtime against Oregon in their Pac-12 game at Matthew Knight Arena, January 9, 2020.
Walton was making his only trip to Oregon this season, but made the most of it.
While doing his usual pregame homework, Walton gave a talk at Oregon’s School of Journalism, then scattered the usual array of facts (or variations thereof) during the broadcast.
Tucson-based Joe Sullivan, who travels to games to help research for Walton and broadcast partner Dave Pasch, said the two discussed big celebrity birthdays (Dave Matthews, Jimmy Page among them) and a possible Payton-Payton 30-year Player of the Year connection (Gary Payton of OSU won it in 1989-90 and Oregon’s Payton Pritchard is a contender to win it this season), among other things.
(Did you also know that Eugene, Atlanta and Orlando are the only three top 150 U.S. cities that start and end with the same letter?)
In addition, the Walton’s World segment featured African-born basketball players, inspired by the Thursday night presence of Arizona’s Christian Koloko (Cameroon), and Oregon’s N’Faly Dante (Mali) and Francis Okoro (Nigeria).
Quiet crowd
Arizona head coach Sean Miller welcomes guard Josh Green (0) onto the court as the Wildcats are introduced to the Oregon crowd at Matthew Knight Arena, January 9, 2020.
The Wildcats didn’t have to face an openly hostile crowd at the beginning of Thursday’s game.
While the sideline student section was full, about a third of seats overall at Matthew Night Arena were empty at the tipoff, and the crowd was notably quiet while the Wildcats raced to a 7-0 lead.
Until the Ducks cut it to within two just before halftime, the loudest cheers in the first half came when Oregon football coach Mario Cristobal was introduced over the PA system.
Might as well be now
Arizona head coach Sean Miller gives guard Nico Mannion (1) a big attaboy after he drew a foul on his bucket against Oregon in the second half of their Pac-12 game at Matthew Knight Arena, January 9, 2020.
For Arizona, which has lost a game during every road trip to Oregon in the Miller era, there’s never really a good time to visit the Willamette Valley.
But at least UA’s spring semester doesn’t start until next Wednesday, meaning the Wildcats were able to get in their one extended Pac-12 road trip in before they have to start going to classes.
“We’re in a unique time period where the guys don’t have class yet, and we’ve been back in Tucson for some time… and are guys are pretty fresh right now,” Miller said earlier this week. “So I actually think that a road trip for us at this time is a good thing and kind of changes the scenery. …
“We’ve got to play nine road games anyway, so we might as well get going.”
Ducks without Walker
Oregon went without starting forward C.J. Walker for a second straight game
A former four-star Wildcat recruit from Florida who once had UA among his final five choices, Walker hurt his back on Dec. 29 and tried to play through it on Jan. 2 against Colorado but then sat out a Jan. 4 game at Utah.
Oregon coach Dana Altman told reporters in Oregon earlier this week that Walker “hasn’t been quite the same” since the injury, and that he would be a limited factor if he plays at all this week.
Walker is averaging 5.7 points and 3.1 rebounds over 14 games.
The Ducks, however, have gotten Shakur Juiston back from a leg injury and have been able to increasingly work in freshman N’Faly Dante, who missed the fall quarter because he was not admitted to school after trying to reclassify last summer.
The big number
Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji (22) comes to Oregon to dunk, as he and the Wildcats prepare to face the Ducks in a Pac-12 game at Matthew Knight Arena, January 9, 2020.
10
Rebounds from Zeke Nnaji in the first half, giving him double-figure rebounds for the fourth straight game.
Quotable
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m seven feet?“ – UA center Christian Koloko, when asked earlier this week why he’s become a fan favorite at Arizona.
