By AD Smith
DSN Contributor

The Pit Crew was pretty rough on Kevin Love. What kind of treatment of athletes by fans do you think is acceptable and unacceptable? (Ross - Eugene)

I’m fairly liberal with what should be allowed by fans in College Basketball. It’s the enthusiasm of college students that helps make the game so much better than the NBA.

I played in every Pac-10 venue on multiple occasions and I know that fans can be pretty harsh. I personally was never bothered much by profanity. If an individual fan in the student section wants to yell profanities at Kevin Love, I actually think it’s OK. It’s my opinion that most players take it as a sign of respect. It can actually get a player fired up; make him feel like he’s “the man.” After all, the crowd seldom gets on the 4th guy off the bench.

What I do think is unacceptable is group chants using profanity. Young kids sitting 100 feet from the student section shouldn’t have to hear some of the things being said at Mac Court against UCLA. Within the student section almost anything goes but “normal” fans in the arena shouldn’t be exposed to it. I think Kevin Love has broad enough shoulders to handle anything the PIT Crew can throw at him. It’s just that fans, specifically young fans, don’t need to and shouldn’t have to hear it.

When you chose Oregon, did concern for how you would be viewed here in Oregon influence your decision? (Scott - Eugene)

First of all, my situation and that of Kevin Love and former South Medford star Kyle Singler were completely different. I probably had 6-7 scholarship offers and came to Oregon because it was the best one I had. Both Love and Singler could have literally gone anywhere they wanted.

Of course I was excited about getting to stay at home and I would’ve chosen Oregon over 90%+ of other schools. They probably felt the same way. It’s just that Duke and UCLA were in the other 10%. If Stanford had offered me a scholarship as a High School senior I wouldn’t have thought twice about going. Arizona? I’d have been working on my tan. I don’t blame Love or Singler at all for leaving. They needed to look out for themselves; not worry about the state of Oregon Basketball.

Does Mac Court’s home court advantage outweigh a larger negative perception of Duck fans & the Pit Crew? (Jay - Springfield)

I don’t believe in the “larger negative perception” of Duck fans and the Pit Crew. It is true that Thursday’s actions against UCLA shouldn’t be excused and without question they lacked class. That, however, shouldn’t take away from years of being the best student section in the conference.

What do television viewers hear before every FSN broadcast? (Other than that the seniors take Yoga and billiards classes)

What they hear is how wonderful Mac Court is. How the Pit is the Cameron Indoor of the West Coast. What the average fan probably doesn’t realize is how true that statement really is. To play in a game at USC, UCLA, or ASU is not even comparable. The passion of fans within Mac Court, the advantage of that enthusiasm, makes playing in the Pit a truly unique experience.

Last week’s events notwithstanding, the perception of fans at Mac Court around the Conference is mostly positive. They are loud, enthusiastic, and passionate. To say one night’s actions will change that reputation is unfair.

(On a side note: re-creating that atmosphere in a new facility will be the key factor in the future success of Oregon Basketball. If Oregon builds a cushy stadium where everyone wants to sit and enjoy the game (like at ASU) Oregon Basketball will take a big step backward.)

After Losing 4 straight games, are the Ducks NCAA Tournament hopes dead? (Jim– Albany)

Not quite dead, but seriously threatened.

Oregon’s road to the NCAA can happen if they win 10 conference games. The most likely way for that to happen is for the Ducks to go 7-2 at home and 3-6 on the road. To accomplish that they’ll need to win their remaining 5 home games and hope to win at OSU and either USC, UCLA, Stanford, or Cal.

While that may sound like a daunting challenge, Oregon does have the talent and experience to go on a big run. They’ve bounced back before and I wouldn’t be surprised if they do it again.

The part that gives me the most reason for concern is how they played against USC.

Oregon played very extremely well in previous games against highly ranked WSU and UCLA, but looked completely out of sorts in a must win home game against the Trojans. They didn’t play well together, relied too much on attacking 1 on 1, and didn’t make stops when they needed to.

Had Oregon completed the miraculous comeback I’m certain the follow up stories would have praised the Duck’s heart for sticking it out, for not giving up, for hitting big shots.

The truth is they would have been lucky. Against WSU and UCLA Oregon played very well for 38 minutes and bad for the final 2 minutes. Against USC, the Ducks played well for just those 2 minutes. The bottom line is that neither recipe is good enough to win in the Pac 10 this year. And without 10 Conference wins I don’t like their chances of getting in.
A.D. Smith

Smith began his playing career at Churchill High and led the Lancers to their first state championship in 1995. A two time All-State selection and 1995 State Player of the Year, Smith stepped up to the Pac-10 as an All-conference player for the Ducks. In four years he was voted three times as a team captain, three times as a 1st team Academic All conference selection and twice as an Academic All American. In his final two years AD led the Ducks to the NIT Final Four and the NCAA Tournament.

In June of 2000, he finished his playing career and graduated with an MBA. After leaving the Ducks in 2000, AD played 6 years in Europe and Australia and won a National Championship and playoff MVP in Copenhagen Denmark.

AD is currently a Real Estate Broker for Keller Williams Realty in Eugene. He specializes in Residential Real Estate- working with both buyers and sellers.

He and his wife, Kelly, have two daughters, Abigail and Isabelle.

Tags: Basketball, Ducks, Mac Court, oregon, Pit Crew