‘Tall Fir’ likes timber of these Ducks

John Dick thinks the University of Oregon men’s basketball team is as good as any in the nation. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Ducks, who earned a berth in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet Sixteen on Sunday, advance to the Final Four.

Only one other Oregon team has played in the Final Four. And Dick, now 88, was there as a starter for the Ducks when they won the first NCAA tournament back in 1939.

The 2007 Ducks became just the third team in school history to advance to the Sweet Sixteen when third-seeded Oregon sprinted past 11th-seeded Winthrop 75-61 in the subregional at the Arena to earn a date against UNLV in St. Louis at the Midwest Regional next Friday.

Just the ‘39 team has played in the Final Four.

“Let me tell you one thing. If they (the Ducks) play from here on out like they played in the (Pacific-10) conference tournament, there isn’t a team in the country that can play with them,” Dick said. “You just saw glimpses of it here in the second half.”

Dick is the last surviving starter off the national title team. He said two other teammates – Bob Hardy, a backup forward, and Ford Mullen, a backup point guard – are the only other living members off the team that was fondly nicknamed the “Tall Firs”.

Sixty-eight years ago, the Ducks finished 29-5. Dick, who was a 6-foot-4 forward in those days, scored a team-high 13 points to lead UO past Ohio State 46-33 in the national final played at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. The tourney had just eight teams that year, and the Ducks qualified for it by beating Texas (56-41) and Oklahoma (55-37) in what was then called the Western Playoffs – something akin to the regional tourney today.

Dick was sitting in an aisle seat in the top row of Section 115 behind the Oregon bench on Sunday.

“It’s a very interesting team to watch; it’s a fun team to watch,” Dick said. “They’re a fun bunch of young men – which is very important, I think, if you want to succeed in this business. They play together beautifully as a team. If that’s not the first fundamental of the game it’s right near the top.”

Dick, who grew up in The Dalles, has lived in Eugene since retiring from a 32-year career in the Navy.

“I haven’t missed a home game yet since 1973 – except a couple of the non-conference games when I was having health problems,” Dick said.

Dick played three years at UO. His number, 18, was retired. The school’s media guide, in a special feature about the “Tall Firs”, listed him as a 6-4 forward.

“I was actually a little taller than that, but I’ve been doing a lot of shrinking,” Dick said, laughing. “If you live long enough you’re going to shrink, too.”