Since 1926 McArthur Court has been the home for Oregon basketball and on Saturday the Ducks will give their final good-bye for the men’s team against Arizona State. The women’s team will then have their final home-stand the following week.

I try not to step into the fan side very often but today I have to look back at all the great moments Mac Court has had in my lifetime. It’s been awhile since I have attended a game not representing a business or media outlet and this weekend I’ve been debating if I should break that run and sit in the stands or along press row.

But when the final horn blares, the lights go off and all the popcorn makers turn off Mac Court will be done and memories will be all that fans will have.

New memories certainly will be made in the coming weeks and years at the newly and much needed Matt Knight Arena just across the way but Mac Court will forever be special in so many people’s eyes and hearts.

Here is my top five moments in Mac Court and I encourage you to post your moments in the comments.

5. Oregon basketball camp as a youth

Growing up in Eugene all kids who played basketball wanted to attend the Oregon Basketball camp. Before Ernie Kent was hired Jerry Green sponsored it and yet never really showed up besides a few 15 minutes every day. When Kent was hired he was there every minute and actually took part in the drills and interacting with the kids.

Getting tips and advice from the head coach at Oregon as a 9, 10, 11, 12-year old was just an awesome feeling to brag about for years on the school playground.

However my best memories from the Oregon camp came when I had Yasir Rosemond and Donte Quinine be my team coaches for back-to-back years. I am sure they have no idea who I am if you asked them now but those two weeks were some of the best weeks of my summers as a child. Learning from two key players from my favorite team and simply just hanging out during down time with two Duck players was any kid’s dream and I lived it.

Eugene and the Oregon athletic programs have always had this special connection that not many other communities get to experience and while the athletic programs have become high profile and almost business like the youth in the community still get that special interaction with players and coaching staffs like they were just your older brothers.

4. March 17th 2004 NIT game at Mac Court against Colorado

It was the NIT and yet no one cared it was the ‘other’ tournament in Eugene and getting a ticket was a hot commodity that night. Maybe because many thought this could be Luke Jackson’s final game at Mac Court and as a Duck or because it was on ESPN and back then getting onto ESPN was a huge deal for any type of game.

It was cold and rainy outside but I remember getting into Mac Court and it being almost a sauna with the heat and the excitement brewing for this game.

When Colorado busted out to an 18-point lead all seemed lost but then Jackson took over the game and went on his 29-point scoring run to not only cut away the 18-point deficit but to give the Ducks a 77-72 win.

It was one of the few times I thought sitting in the third balcony that Mac was going to fall. The eruptions coming from the stands is un-matched and is one of the reasons that when full Mac Court will be one of the loudest stadiums to ever be played in.

It was a terrific moment in Oregon basketball history and was being played out in front of national TV.

3. February 23rd 2002 vs Washington

With a chance to claim first place in the Pac-10, remain undefeated at home for the first time in 64 years, final home game for senior Freddie Jones, and the Washington Huskies coming to town this game was set to be an epic game.

And it lived up to all the billings.

Jones was lights out with his dad in the stands for the first time in years. Jones would finish with game high 33-points on 12-of-20 shooting and 5-of-7 from three while also grabbing a team high seven rebounds and five steals.

The game was back and forth all night long until Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson finished off the Huskies for the 90-84 win but you knew the Ducks would pull it out when Freddie went right down the lane and had perhaps his greatest dunk ever that brought the crowd to their feet and the entire building shaking down to it’s foundations.

2. January 6th 2007 vs No. 1 UCLA

The Burins were a loaded squad with future NBA players in Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Aaron Affalo, and Luc Richard Mba a Moute to go along with Josh Ship, Alfred Aboya, and Lorenzo Mata. No wonder the Bruins of Westwood were ranked No. 1 and undefeated going into this show down of two ranked teams.

The game was so big that CBS stopped into town for an early Saturday showdown. How many times can you remember CBS doing a game from Mac Court for the entire nation?

Never.

The game lived up to the billing as it came down to the last shot that was missed by UCLA. Aaron Brooks had made a baseline jumper with just 13 seconds left to give the Ducks their 68-66 lead.

The win propelled the Ducks to their best start since 1937-38 when Oregon won its first 14 games.

Many within UCLA thought this could be one of the greatest teams of UCLA history and Affalo thought it was one of those special teams when he was distraught after the game.

“I never thought I’d feel like this again in my entire career here. I truly thought this team couldn’t be beat.”

1. March 12th 1994 vs No. 15 UCLA

My first game ever as a child to Mac Court was this game. Great first glimpse of Oregon basketball I would say.

The Ducks came into the game with nothing to gain but pride as Jerry Green was wrapping up his second season at the helm and was 9-17 and 5-12 in Pac-10 play. The UCLA Bruins were playing for a national title and an important seed in the NCAA tournament and were ranked 15th in the country.

Yet there you saw Oregon giving their all to beat the Bruins and play spoiler. Freshman Kenya Wilkins was the man that made the Ducks run and finished with the game winning jumper to beat UCLA that threw the crowd into an up-roar.

It may have been so long ago and I was little but to this day that game is sliced into my memory. I can still remember the UCLA fans behind my seats giving the “U-C-L-A Fight Fight Fight” cheer. I can remember the fans inside Mac blowing the top of the arena off after the final horn sounded and Oregon won the game. I can remember watching the freshman Wilkins razzel and dazzle his way through UCLA’s defense for key scores and assists.