PODCAST: Oregon head coach Kelly Graves

SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 04: Oregon Ducks head coach Kelly Graves during the women's Pac 12 college tournament game between the Oregon Ducks and the Stanford Cardinals on March 4th, 2017, at the Key Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Aric Becker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - MARCH 04: Oregon Ducks head coach Kelly Graves during the women's Pac 12 college tournament game between the Oregon Ducks and the Stanford Cardinals on March 4th, 2017, at the Key Arena in Seattle, WA. (Photo by Aric Becker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

After last season’s surprise trip to the Elite Eight, Oregon’s 2017-18 season has surpassed expectations once again. Host and Editor-in-Chief of The Summitt Howard Megdal discusses what’s gone right and why with Kelly Graves, who has built the Ducks into a legitimate national title contender ahead of schedule.

The two talk about the huge leap forward in efficiency from Ruthy Hebard inside as well as long-range threat Lexi Bando. How Maite Cazorla and Sabrina Ionescu share playmaking duties, and what that flexibility means for the team’s ability to maximize offensive production is broken down. And the missing ingredient—a top-level defense, night in and night out—is finally here for the Ducks. Graves explains how it happened.

And don’t miss Graves talking about The Civil War—with Oregon getting two chances to break the 13-game losing streak to Oregon State this weekend. According to Graves, “It’s another chance to separate ourselves from the competition… my first three years here, they’ve just been better than us. And now, I think we’re better than them.”

Listen to the podcast, and if you like it, make sure you subscribe, rate and review us, so more people can hear the in-depth stories we tell every week about the remarkable world of women’s basketball.

Home/NCAA