There are role players, and players who get on a roll, and there’s some of both of that in Oregon forward Victoria Kenyon.
As the Oregon women’s basketball team (10-3, 1-0 Pac-10) takes on Washington State (5-7, 0-1) at 2 p.m. today in McArthur Court, perhaps no Duck has improved her game in coach Paul Westhead’s fast-paced system quite like the junior journalism major from Australia.
Overshadowed by the scoring of guards Taylor Lilley and Micaela Cocks, and by the all-around offensive game of fellow forward Amanda Johnson, Kenyon has become a key player in Oregon’s full-court press while quietly becoming a more confident shooter as well.
“The play of Victoria Kenyon has gotten better and better and better every game,” Westhead said after Oregon’s win over Washington on Friday night.
“Someone asked me just recently about her as a defender, and I said in our presses, it takes a while for you to figure things out. Victoria Kenyon gets it. She understands what’s going on, and I give her a lot of credit.
“And she’s the kind of player that because she gets it as a defender, and she does things that people don’t notice, she’s now very relaxed as an offensive shooter. It’s almost like she’s earned her stripes.
“A month ago, she’d have been a reluctant shooter. Now it’s almost like ‘What the heck, I’m one of the better defenders out here, so I can take a few shots, too.’ She’s been an immense help to us.”
In Oregon’s last non-conference game, the overtime loss at Utah, Kenyon scored a career-best 16 points, hitting 4-of-8 three-point shots. She followed that with 11 points against the Huskies, on 3-of-4 from three-point range.
Consider these numbers: Today’s game will be Kenyon’s 14th start of the season; she’d made just 17 starts in her first two seasons combined, and only five last year.
She came into the season 4-of-20 from three-point range for her career; she’s already 12-of-30 this season. At 24.7 minutes, 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, she’s far surpassing career averages of 13.6, 2.9 and 1.9, respectively.
You could say that in Westhead’s system, Kenyon gets it. Certainly, she recognized it as an opportunity from the very beginning.
“When I heard who the coach was, Paul Westhead, obviously everybody knows he’s run and gun — press-run, press-run, press-run,” Kenyon said Saturday. “For me, I was excited, because that’s how I love to play. I love running, I love getting out there, I love being athletic and physical and all that.”
And yet, looking back on the last two seasons, “I don’t regret any of it,” she said. “From a character perspective, it stretched me. You come in every day, and you work hard, and you don’t get the minutes, and that’s kind of what you’re working toward.
“So to keep a positive attitude and to keep a good work ethic in practice and to be encouraging of your teammates who are playing is hard, especially when you’re on the bench. So those two years taught me a lot about determination and pushing through and developed my character.”
In Oregon’s full-court pressure defense, Kenyon has three principal roles depending on the version the Ducks are using. After Oregon baskets, you’ll often see her pressuring the inbounds passer on the baseline, a tall presence “to get the inbound player a bit frantic, so they can’t see an easy pass,” she said.
Or, you’ll see her “playing cat-and-mouse,” freelancing to try to intercept a pass or create a double-team. And last, you’ll see her as the last line of defense in the key while the Ducks press and trap in front of her.
“If all else fails, I’m there to make sure they don’t get a layup on me,” she said.
Offensively, Kenyon said, she’s worked on her shooting ever since she came to Oregon, but in this season, confidence and opportunity have intersected. “I guess being more confident in it, I’ll take it when it’s there, but I don’t feel like I’ve tried to force anything or create anything,” she said. “It’s more just come to me, really.”
So has a key role in Oregon’s best start since 2005.
NOTES: Senior Lindsey Saffold will miss her second straight game with a concussion. … WSU is coached by Pac-10 veteran June Daugherty, whose roster is laden with freshmen and sophomores. True freshman point guard KiKi Moore, who leads the league in steals and scored 19 in Friday night’s loss at Oregon State. … Today’s honorary captain is former coach Jody Runge, who will be introduced in pregame ceremonies; first 1,000 fans will receive commemorative tickets.
UO WOMEN VS. wASHINGTON STATE
Oregon (10-3, 1-0)
Amanda Johnson, 6-2, So. (14.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg)
Victoria Kenyon, 6-2, Jr. (7.0 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
Micaela Cocks, 5-8, Sr. (14.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Taylor Lilley, 5-6, Sr. (16.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Nia Jackson, 5-7, So. (8.4 ppg, 4.1 apg)
Washington State (5-7, 0-1)
Rosie Tarnowski, 6-1, So. (5.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
Carly Noyes, 6-5, Fr. (6.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Jazmine Perkins, 5-10, So. (11.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
April Cook, 5-8, So. (13.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
KiKi Moore, 5-8, Fr. (13.3 ppg, 3.5 apg)
Time: 2 p.m.
Radio/TV: KCSR-AM (1320)/No TV.
Tickets: Bi-Mart Family Day: show a Bi-Mart card at the ticket window and receive admission for two adults and unlimited children for $20.
around the pac-10
Washington (5-6, 0-1) at Oregon State (9-2, 1-0): 4 p.m. at Gill Coliseum. Beavers have held four straight opponents under 50 points and have league’s longest winning streak at five straight.
UCLA (8-4, 1-0) at Arizona State (8-4, 0-1): Must-win for Sun Devils to avoid being swept at home.
USC (7-5, 1-0) at Arizona (6-6, 0-1): Trojans seek road sweep after overcoming nine-point deficit in final 3:14 to upset ASU.