The University of Oregon will mark the last Pac-10 basketball season in McArthur Court with ceremonies before each men’s and women’s conference home game this season, starting with tonight’s UO women’s game against Washington.
Before each women’s game, the Ducks will recognize an honorary captain and give away commemorative tickets to the first 1,000 fans.
To some degree, the Ducks will also let bygones be bygones in the spirit of the festivities, inviting back both a coach who resigned under pressure — Jody Runge, who led the Ducks to eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances — and a player whose career ended when she was dismissed from the team, former point guard Shaquala Williams.
Oregon is scheduled to move its basketball games to the new Matthew Knight Arena in late December 2010.
Tonight, the Ducks will recognize Cathrine Kraayeveld, currently a member of the WNBA’s New York Liberty, who led Oregon to its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005 and to a WNIT title in 2002.
On Sunday afternoon, for the WSU game, the honorary captain will be Runge, who has the best winning percentage of any coach in UO women’s basketball history (160-73, .687) and led the Ducks to two Pac-10 titles and record-setting attendance at Mac Court.
Runge resigned in a settlement agreement with the university in the spring of 2001, nearly two tumultuous months after eight of her players went to then-UO athletic director Bill Moos and called for her firing.
The remaining honorary captains for UO women’s games:
California, Jan. 21: Missy Croshaw, Oregon’s all-time three-point baskets leader with 189.
Stanford, Jan. 23: Debbie Sporcich, a member of the UO Athletics Hall of Fame, who led the Ducks to the NCAA Tournament her senior year.
Oregon State, Feb. 6: Lauri Landerholm, Pac-10 player of the year in 1987.
Arizona, Feb. 11: Former coach Elwin Heiny, who in 17 seasons recorded 13 winning campaigns and a school-record 310 wins.
Arizona State, Feb. 13: Stefanie Kasperski, a member of the UO Athletics Hall of Fame who ranks third all-time in scoring and rebounding.
USC, Feb. 25: Williams, the mercurial guard who was both a Pac-10 freshman of the year and Pac-10 player of the year. Her Oregon career ended in December 2002, part way through her senior year, when she was dismissed from the team by coach Bev Smith for unspecified “disciplinary reasons.”
UCLA, Feb. 27: Bev Smith, the greatest player in the history of the UO program. In her pioneering career, the Ducks went 93-19 and made three postseason appearances. She succeeded Runge as Oregon’s head coach, serving until her contract was not renewed after last season.