University of Oregon Men's Basketball Team Preview: Front Court

The Ducks 2006 season begins Fri, Nov 10th against Lehigh at Mac Court. Game time is set for 7:00 PM.

Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE - Three front court players return from seeing action on last season’s squad: Ray Schafer, Adam Zahn and Maarty Leunen.

Zahn could be a key to Oregon’s success this season. He is the lone senior on the front court and one of only two players to appear in all 33 games last season (Brandon Lincoln was the other).

The aggressive rebounder started 13 games last season, including all three in the Pac-10 tournament. The Redonondo Union High School graduate finished the season averaging 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Shafer returns from an inconsistent season, but had stretches of brilliant play. The junior from Wasilla, Alaska saw action in 26 games, starting 12 (averaged 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game). Schafer scored a career-high 15 points in the season opener versus Savannah State and had eight points, grabbed seven rebounds and recorded a career-high four assists the next night versus Bowie State.

Maarty had a great start and solid finish last season; however his success was sandwiched around an ankle injury that limited him for a month during the Pac-10 season. The Oregon native is on the verge of a breakout season if he can avoid the injury bug. Returning as Oregon’s top rebounder at 6.1 per game (10th in the league), Leunen played in 31 games last season (starting 18) and was sixth on the squad in scoring at 7.2 points per game.

One familiar face and two newcomers join this year’s front court: Mitch Platt, Franz Dorsainvil, and Joevan Catron.

Oregon will welcome junior forward Mitch Platt back to the lineup. Platt redshirted the 2005-06 season recovering from a pair of ankle surgeries following the 2004-05 campaign. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore and may be Oregon’s best big man in terms of his precision in executing offensive sets.

Frantz Dorsainvil should bring a physical presence to the Oregon front line. Along with being the top scorer (10.7 ppg) and rebounder (7.0 rpg) as a sophomore at Vincennes University, the powerful and intelligent player also speaks three languages.

As a senior at Thornton Township High School in Phoenix, Ill., Joevan Catron averaged 19.8 points, 12.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 blocker per game. After Catron full recovers from an offseason surgery, Catron’s big body should provide immediate help up front. Scout.com called Catron an “undersized big man who battles and gets tough buckets inside...he’s a max effort guy. You won’t outwork him.”

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