by Rob Moseley

Editor, GoDucks.com

For all the numbers he put up in Sunday's win over Stanford — and Dillon Brooks put up a bunch of them, flirting with a triple-double — it was numbers he didn't provide on the stat sheet that could prove most beneficial going forward.

A few minutes into the second half Sunday, Stanford's 6-foot-9 Michael Humphrey scored his 18th point of the night. That would also be his final point of the night; Oregon men's basketball coach Dana Altman thereafter tasked Brooks with defending the taller Humphrey, and Brooks blanked him as the Ducks pulled away and won.

Brooks is Oregon's leading scorer, and No. 2 rebounder and assist man. He's providing leadership too, having matured into that role as a sophomore. And so, and the Ducks move on to this week's games at Utah and Colorado, why not look to Brooks for post defense as well?

“I feel like my challenge against Utah and Colorado is going to be guarding their biggest posts,” Brooks said Tuesday.

The Ducks (13-3, 2-1 Pac-12) play at Utah on Thursday (7 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks). The Utes boast one of the conference's best big men, 7-footer Jakob Poeltl. Brooks, who stands 6-7, anticipates being matched up against Poeltl, with Oregon's 6-11 Chris Boucher providing help from the weak side when necessary.

It was by fronting Humphrey, and getting help from Boucher and fellow shot-blocker Jordan Bell , that Brooks had so much success defending the post Sunday, Altman said.

“He's pretty physical, and his feet are pretty good,” Altman said. “He guards them a little different than the other guys we have.”

Oregon is facing the Utes for the first time since Joseph Young 's unforgettable buzzer-beater in last season's Pac-12 tournament. With Young and his 20.7 points per game now in the pros, Brooks figured to be a candidate to help replace his production. And while that's been the case, Brooks is much more than a scoring threat.

With 15.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, Brooks ranks in the top 15 of the Pac-12 for both categories. On a team whose free-throw shooting has been inconsistent, Brooks is making 82.5 percent, third in the conference. His 50 assists are one fewer than starting point guard Casey Benson 's team-leading 51.

Then of course there's his defense, which is tougher to quantify but no less valuable. Brooks is tied for second among the Ducks with 18 steals, but he's doing much more than that.

“He brings energy every game,” freshman guard Tyler Dorsey said. “He fills up the stat sheet.”

Brooks' leadership was on display at numerous points in Sunday's win over Stanford. In the first half, as the Ducks muddled along, Brooks loudly encouraged his teammates to get it going. Down the stretch, Dwayne Benjamin was called for a foul with which he clearly disagreed; Brooks cut in to discuss the call with the official and diffuse the situation.

Senior Elgin Cook said Brooks is demonstrating the maturity he gained while playing internationally for Canada over the summer. As a freshman last season, Brooks could be a hothead. A year later, he's playing with the poise of a veteran.

“He's just a new person,” Cook said. “He understands the game a lot more now.”

Brooks showed off his poise yet again Sunday night soon after the foul on Benjamin. Dorsey was bringing the ball up, and Brooks was open in the corner. The freshman didn't pass to the sophomore, instead dribbling back the other way.

Without missing a beat, Brooks sprinted to the top of the key, and set a screen that helped free Dorsey for a layup. Oregon's lead was back up to 11, thanks to the unselfish play from Brooks.

“I'm one of the focal points on the team,” Brooks said. “Everybody's watching what I do.”

All eyes will be on him again Thursday night, as Oregon's do-everything wing tries to help the Ducks contain Poeltl and take down the Utes.