Bud Withers / Times college basketball reporter
Kent has Ducks basketball playing — and thriving — within the rules

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When the Oregon football program landed what some observers rated a top-10 recruiting class in February, it was due at least in small part to the unique extravagance of its locker room — the plasma TVs, the Internet hookups, the ventilation system in each cubicle.

The Ducks' basketball program, on the other hand, has just recruited a stunning class to a building that was constructed when Calvin Coolidge was president.

"Get used to it," coach Ernie Kent said, with some defiance in his voice. "We're not planning on stopping."

Nor, apparently, is Kent planning on leaving. As a former assistant at Stanford to NBA-bound coach Mike Montgomery, he has been prominently mentioned as a possible successor. Maybe in another year it would make sense, but Kent seems to have too much invested in his own program, especially its latest recruits.

You think Oregon plays fast on the floor? You should have heard Kent on the phone the other day, reciting with machine-gun speed the reasons why the Ducks wouldn't have to cheat for a top-10 recruit like 6-foot-6 Malik Hairston of Detroit, as insinuated by several media outlets.

"We've been taking a little bit of a hit right now," Kent said. "If those schools we were involved with (in the Hairston recruitment) didn't do their homework, that's shame on them."

Now Kent was moving, figuratively, from the layup line to leading a three-on-one fast break.

"If you ask how this happened," he says, "we've had 67 wins in the last three years. We're 41-5 at home the last three years. We were regular-season champions in '02 and Pac-10 tournament champions in '03. Went to the Elite Eight in '02.

"We've had three straight upper-division Pac-10 finishes, led the league three straight years in three-point percentage and threes made. We've been in the top three in assist-to-turnover ratio the last three years.

"And this year, we should have our third straight first-round draft pick (in Luke Jackson)."
 
If there are doubters about how Oregon got Hairston, there's no dissent about Hairston's ability. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar says, "Oh my goodness, that puts them on a different level in recruiting. He's a pro. It won't be long, either."

Oregon beat Kansas, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and UCLA for Hairston, who is probably the Ducks' most highly regarded recruit in history. Newspaper accounts in Kansas City, Columbus and Oklahoma City all had veiled questions about why such a prospect would choose Oregon.

Citing "old-school" coaches like Ohio State's Jim O'Brien, Columbus columnist Rob Oller wrote, "The alternative is repulsive to men of integrity — with good reason. ... Give me character over shady characters every time. That's not to suggest Oregon broke rules to bag Hairston."

Reaction in Los Angeles was more muted, but UCLA surely wonders. As late as February, the Bruins had strong indications Hairston was going to sign with the developing program of coach Ben Howland, who said he had never worked harder on a prospect than Hairston.

Hairston's father conceded that Oregon's "connections" with Nike were important in his son's decision. Kent, asked if ubiquitous Nike co-founder Phil Knight figured in, replied, "Absolutely not. There's a perception out there that Phil Knight is running the University of Oregon. He's not.

"Give the coaches some credit. We're not the only school running around wearing Nikes on our feet."

Kent acknowledged that when Hairston decided to take an official visit in April, Oregon flew him west on a private plane. Given that Hairston had decided to halve the normal 48-hour visit to 24 hours, it's hard to fault the Ducks for that.

"I've been on the board of directors for the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches)," Kent says. "I've been here seven years, and twice I've used a private plane. There are people on that board that use it every time.

"If we don't use a private plane, we don't get him here."

After a dreary 2003-04 season, the Pac-10 just got a lot more interesting. The league signed eight of Rivals.com's top 75 players. Oregon has four of those eight in Hairston, 6-4 Bryce Taylor of North Hollywood, Calif., 6-5 Chamberlain Oguchi of Richmond, Texas, and 6-9 Maarty Leunen of Redmond, Ore., a class that Kent says "has created a frenzy" in Eugene.

Arizona has rebuilt its depth and will be a top-10 team. Howland has a new cast of tougher recruits incoming. Cal could be an NCAA tournament team if Leon Powe comes back healthy in January from knee surgery.

Washington will have back most of the pieces from its surprise NCAA team. The program that will get considerable mention for last place, Washington State, will have back two of its best three players in Jeff Varem and Thomas Kelati, along with six fresh recruits who believe in coach Dick Bennett.

Stanford likely will lose Josh Childress now that Montgomery is off to the NBA. A strong nucleus, however, awaits Montgomery's replacement.

Oregon figures to be among the most provocative teams in the league. Asked if the Ducks can be good enough to challenge for the league title, Kent says, "If I can convince them they're juniors instead of freshmen, yes."

It's a big leap. But in recent months, Kent has been nothing if not convincing.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com