Monday, January 28, 2013
How much time will Artis miss?
By Matt Giles
UPDATE: No timetable has been set just yet for Dominic Artis' return to the Oregon lineup. The school figures to know more either later today or tomorrow, but our own Andy Katz suggests the skilled freshman may not be out all that long:
"Oregon's staff isn't too worried about Dominic Artis' foot injury that kept him out of the Washington game Saturday. The Ducks are expecting him to be fine but won't know more until Monday or Tuesday. The Ducks may need Artis at full speed in the backcourt to ultimately hold off Arizona, UCLA and Arizona State."
That's potentially great news for fans in Eugene, who now appear to have the best team in the Pac-12 on their hands. Not only is Dana Altman's squad 18-2 overall and 7-0 in conference play, they've already toppled their four closest competitors in the standings -- the Wildcats, Bruins, Sun Devils and Washington Huskies. Assuming they stay healthy, they're in great position to make their first trip to the Big Dance since 2008.
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Dominic Artis has been one of the Pac-12's standout freshmen this season. If Artis had underwhelmed in his inaugural season, coach Dana Altman could have easily relied on Johnathan Loyd to facilitate the offense, but the former UCLA commit has been key to the Ducks' season. The guard has an assist rate of nearly 30 percent, and the team's assist rate -- how many made field goals are assisted -- rests in the conference's top tier.
However, it is unknown when Artis will return to action. The Ducks defeated Washington recently, but Artis was unable to play, leading Loyd to run the offense and hand out five assists. The severity of Artis' foot injury has not been determined, and after the game, Adam Jude of the Oregonian reports there was no update on Artis' status. In his postgame comments, Altman stated, "It just doesn't feel like he could go on it, so we'll just wait and see."
