Sean Meagher/Staff

Another date with the Elite Eight

The Oregon Ducks survived a wild one against Michigan last night to advance to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. Here is my story from last night. Here is John Canzano's column. We're heading back to Sprint Center here in a couple of hours for availability prior to Oregon's Saturday game against Kansas. Until there, here are 10 thoughts.

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Ennis' swing

Last night I focused my story on Dylan Ennis, even though Tyler Dorsey and Jordan Bell were more pivotal to the win. I was asked why. Well, those last two plays were the most dramatic in the moment and, had Walton’s shot gone differently, it would have been a much different story for Ennis. Instead of a sigh of relief, it would have been an awfully sad way for Ennis’ career to end. I think more than anyone in that locker room, Ennis has appreciated every moment of this tournament. He knows it’s his last and has understood the enormity of certain moments. Did you see how emotional he was after the Rhode Island win?

As a journalist, I’m fine if Oregon wins. I’m fine if Oregon loses. But you certainly had to feel for the swing of emotions Ennis must have felt last night, especially considering how close it ended up to being the end of a very unique college career.

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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Bell joins elite company

The Oregon junior quietly joined elite company last night. His 13 rebounds gave him at least 12 for the fourth straight tournament game, dating back to last season’s Elite Eight game. Only seven other players in history have accomplished that — Larry Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Antonio McDyess, Tim Duncan, Mark Madsen, Emeka Okafor and Blake Griffin. For reference: Six of those players ended up as the first or second pick in the NBA Draft. Dorsey gets a lot of credit for turning up his game in March, and rightfully so, but Bell has been no slouch the last two seasons. I thought his game against Duke last year when he scored 13 points, grabbed seven boards and blocked four shots was the best game of his career up to that point. Now? He’s averaging 13 points and 12.3 boards in this tournament. I also thought he played excellent defense inside against Moe Wagner last night.

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Getty images

More Bell

You don’t see Bell miss dunks often. He missed one last night. He did, however, make up for it in more ways than one.

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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Another "off" night for Brooks

Lot of talk again last night about how Dillon Brooks had another off night. As a scorer, he again played not only wingman to Tyler Dorsey, but Bell too, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting. I didn’t think his night was as bad as others make it sound, however. Throughout the year I’ve tried to note how underrated Brooks’ passing has been. He led the Ducks with five assists last night and would have had another had Bell finished on that dunk. He managed to get through the first half without a foul — picked up two out of the gate in the second — and made both of his three attempts in the clutch in the second half. That being said, I don’t think the Ducks get past Kansas without a vintage Brooks game. Brooks has shot below 40 percent in each of the last two games. He did that only twice throughout Pac-12 play.

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AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Brooks and the National Anthem

I was also asked about where Brooks has been during the National Anthem. Last night Brooks was absent again for the anthem, something that people started noticing during the Pac-12 tournament. I asked Brooks about it last night. He’s not protesting. He has nothing against the anthem — even if he is Canadian.

Here’s what he said:

“I just stay in (the locker room) and focus in. I do this thing called Mindfulness. I focus on my breath. It helps me relax and get all the pressures out and everything just goes out of my mind and I go out there and play freely. Guys thought I was under a lot of pressure and I started doing that and it helps me play hard.”

Brooks said he started doing this in February before the Arizona State game. He goes into the locker room, puts a towel over his head and focuses in. That process is detailed more here.

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AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Heads up

Derrick Walton Jr. was a bunch of fun to watch last night, probably the most fun player I’ve seen in this tournament. He’s fast, fearless and, to some of us on press row, dangerous. I haven’t seen a player put that much zip on passes and, thankfully, us media only had to worry about one of those passes coming right at our heads on press row. None actually did.

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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Can you hear me now?

Oregon had a little pocket of fans wearing green behind its bench last night. Michigan had the same, with a a mixture of navy and yellow. The rest of the crowd? A bunch of Rock-Chalkin Jayhawks fans. Any of you ever been to the Pac-12 tournament? Remember all of the Arizona red that filtered into Vegas? That’s nothing compared to the influx of Kansas fans here in Kansas City. The stadium was packed full of them and Kansas media came here by the truck load. Here’s just a small example of how loud it’s going to be for Oregon on Saturday: The media workroom is located pretty deep inside ground floor of the stadium, one of those basement-level settings where everything is made of concrete. While writing my Oregon story last night, the Jayhawks started lighting up Purdue at the end of the first half. I was listening to music with noise canceling headphones on and the crowd noise was still overpowering. Good luck with that.

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Oh, Kansas is good at basketball

Kansas is good. Like, really good. Throughout the year, the Jayhawks and Villanova were the two most consistent teams. Frank Mason is electric, I’m not sure who guards Josh Jackson and they have a coach in Bill Self who has been here before. I think the Ducks are going to need to play like they did in the win over Arizona in Eugene to have a chance in this one. In other words: the Ducks have a chance, but it’s going to be awfully tough.

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"Did you not hear me say to foul him?"

This made me laugh.

The backstory for those who didn’t read my gamer last night: On the final defensive possession, the Ducks had a foul to give and Altman wanted Dylan Ennis to foul Walton once he came across half court. Ennis went into “bull seeing red” mode as he ignored that advice and honed in on defending Walton. Walton likes to drive to the right, Ennis cut that off and Walton went up for a long two with time to spare.

“I rolled the dice,” Ennis would say.

This exchange would have probably been a little less humorous had things gone the other way.

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Tyson Alger | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Leafy greens

I’m writing this from the lobby of the media hotel here in Kansas City. Behind me, a group of people are talking about barbecue. Canzano is out to barbecue. I don’t think Matt Prehm has come back from barbecue. I had it the first night. It was as good as advertised. But today? There’s some green stuff in front of me, as I would like to make it to next week in case the Ducks keep this run going.

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger