No. 10 seed BYU was a fan favorite upset pick for those who filled out NCAA Tournament brackets this year, but sophomore forward Elgin Cook was one of a number of Oregon players who proved there was no need to doubt the Ducks.
The Cougars forgot to put a body on Cook in transition during the second half, and he was able to burst through the lane and throw down a sick put-back dunk after his teammate missed a layup. The bucket put the Ducks up 47-35, and they never looked back en route to a convincing 87-68 win.
That wasn’t the only impressive thing Cook did all afternoon. The backup forward scored a team-high 23 points and was tied for the team lead in rebounds with eight. He shot an eye-popping 8-for-9 from the field.
Senior forward Richard Amardi also secured eight rebounds off the bench, while senior guard Jason Calliste contributed 14 points as a reserve. Oregon’s bench finished the game with 49 points.
If the Ducks can show that kind of depth going forward, they could be a tough out for Wisconsin in the next round.
Video via The Big Lead
