Fresno State-Oregon matchup will help decide legitimacy of two young, flashy teams.
Like many young people, the Fresno State and Oregon men's basketball teams are in a hurry to grow up.
Both teams are young. They've shown potential. They've gotten off to stronger starts than most expected, thanks to similar up-tempo styles.
And they're also eager to show they can play above and beyond their talent.
The difference between Fresno State (6-0) and Oregon (5-1), which meet at 7p.m. Saturday at the Save Mart Center: The Bulldogs look to start anew and forget about their recent past, while the Ducks want to build on their history as a quietly growing West Coast power.
"The ceiling of potential on this team is so high, we still don't really know how good we are or can be," said Fresno State freshman guard Dwight O'Neil, one of the Bulldogs' seven Division I rookies. Fresno State could move to 7-0 for only the third time. The last time was during the 1980-81 season.
Oregon, which doesn't have a senior, was the last undefeated Pac-10 team after starting 4-0 before a dose of reality arrived last week in an 83-66 loss to top-ranked Illinois.
"We got a lesson from Illinois," Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. "A young team has to pay attention to the little things and small detail. But at least now we know how much work we need to become a top team in the country."
The Bulldogs haven't gotten their reality check or a game to gauge themselves, which is fine by them.
But even if the Bulldogs lost to Oregon, it could give Fresno State coach Ray Lopes the opportunity to clear heads of any big-dream thinking before Western Athletic Conference play begins at the end of the month.
Thinking ahead of one's self, after all, is a symptom of young teams.
"We've talk about keeping things in perspective," Lopes said. "It's too early to think big."
But with youth comes uncertainty, such as how the Bulldogs are dealing with their quick success and how they would respond to a loss.
Fresno State followed its win at USC with a poor first half against Sacramento State before securing a victory in the second half.
Oregon rebounded from its Illinois loss with a so-so performance in a 73-65 win against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday.
Both teams have committed more turnovers than their opponents, with Fresno State averaging 17 turnovers and Oregon 15.
"With young teams, you're always searching for consistency," Kent said. "When things are good, they're really good. When things are bad, they get very bad. But at least they're always eager to learn. It's a growing process."
Oregon, two years removed from its Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and a semifinalist in last season's National Invitation Tournament, has made its run with blue-chip recruits.
Last season, the Ducks locked in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation with the signing of 6-foot-6 combo guard Malik Hairston of Detroit, Oregon's second straight McDonald's All-American in two years.
Oregon also can boast of being one of two universities (Duke the other) to produce a first-round NBA pick in each of the past three years (Fred Jones, Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson).
Fresno State once touted its NBA ties, such as the three first-round and four second-round draft picks taken from 1998-2002. But the Bulldogs' NBA talent well has dried up since.
Fresno State's incoming class hardly was one to get excited about at first, partly because half of the roster wasn't revealed until September. When it was announced, the class still lacked the high-profile accolades.
"It's like what coach Lopes has told us before, though," freshman point guard Dominique White said. "Potential is overrated. Working hard and playing together wins games."
Fresno State and Oregon, both on growing spurts, want to mature quickly.
They're young, ambitious and, at times, unpredictable.
"You never know what to expect," O'Neil said. "But that's part of the fun."
Like many young people, the Fresno State and Oregon men's basketball teams are in a hurry to grow up.
Both teams are young. They've shown potential. They've gotten off to stronger starts than most expected, thanks to similar up-tempo styles.
And they're also eager to show they can play above and beyond their talent.
The difference between Fresno State (6-0) and Oregon (5-1), which meet at 7p.m. Saturday at the Save Mart Center: The Bulldogs look to start anew and forget about their recent past, while the Ducks want to build on their history as a quietly growing West Coast power.
"The ceiling of potential on this team is so high, we still don't really know how good we are or can be," said Fresno State freshman guard Dwight O'Neil, one of the Bulldogs' seven Division I rookies. Fresno State could move to 7-0 for only the third time. The last time was during the 1980-81 season.
Oregon, which doesn't have a senior, was the last undefeated Pac-10 team after starting 4-0 before a dose of reality arrived last week in an 83-66 loss to top-ranked Illinois.
"We got a lesson from Illinois," Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. "A young team has to pay attention to the little things and small detail. But at least now we know how much work we need to become a top team in the country."
The Bulldogs haven't gotten their reality check or a game to gauge themselves, which is fine by them.
But even if the Bulldogs lost to Oregon, it could give Fresno State coach Ray Lopes the opportunity to clear heads of any big-dream thinking before Western Athletic Conference play begins at the end of the month.
Thinking ahead of one's self, after all, is a symptom of young teams.
"We've talk about keeping things in perspective," Lopes said. "It's too early to think big."
But with youth comes uncertainty, such as how the Bulldogs are dealing with their quick success and how they would respond to a loss.
Fresno State followed its win at USC with a poor first half against Sacramento State before securing a victory in the second half.
Oregon rebounded from its Illinois loss with a so-so performance in a 73-65 win against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday.
Both teams have committed more turnovers than their opponents, with Fresno State averaging 17 turnovers and Oregon 15.
"With young teams, you're always searching for consistency," Kent said. "When things are good, they're really good. When things are bad, they get very bad. But at least they're always eager to learn. It's a growing process."
Oregon, two years removed from its Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and a semifinalist in last season's National Invitation Tournament, has made its run with blue-chip recruits.
Last season, the Ducks locked in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation with the signing of 6-foot-6 combo guard Malik Hairston of Detroit, Oregon's second straight McDonald's All-American in two years.
Oregon also can boast of being one of two universities (Duke the other) to produce a first-round NBA pick in each of the past three years (Fred Jones, Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson).
Fresno State once touted its NBA ties, such as the three first-round and four second-round draft picks taken from 1998-2002. But the Bulldogs' NBA talent well has dried up since.
Fresno State's incoming class hardly was one to get excited about at first, partly because half of the roster wasn't revealed until September. When it was announced, the class still lacked the high-profile accolades.
"It's like what coach Lopes has told us before, though," freshman point guard Dominique White said. "Potential is overrated. Working hard and playing together wins games."
Fresno State and Oregon, both on growing spurts, want to mature quickly.
They're young, ambitious and, at times, unpredictable.
"You never know what to expect," O'Neil said. "But that's part of the fun."
