The Ducks need to speed up their waddle.(COLLEGE BASKETBALL)

The curious thing about Oregon last season was not that it wound up scraping along the .500 line nor that the Ducks finished eighth in the Pac-10 and found themselves sitting out another NCAA Tournament. It's that it all happened at a pace better suited for a Jane Austen movie.

The slow drip of agony began with a 77-51 win over Idaho State. A victory, sure, but also an omen. The coaches had spent the preseason emphasizing their "speed kills" philosophy, and the Ducks instead waddled to a 70.9 scoring average that hardly thrilled.

So when they opened this season by ringing up only 75 points in an exhibition against Southern Oregon, coach Ernie Kent had to concede, "It's just not where we want to be yet."

Oregon was one of the youngest teams in Division I last season, with 85.6 percent of its (not so many) points scored by freshmen and sophomores. Inexperienced players must be taught to play with greater effort and defend at a higher level--and also how to run.

With wings Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor and point guard Aaron Brooks, Oregon has enough players who should be effective at greater speeds. But the progress is coming gradually.

* Rhythm. That's Kent's term. Although some high school games feature fullcourt presses and plenty of layups, true fast breaks are not prominent because courts are smaller and the expertise required is beyond average high school point guards. Players such as Hairston and Taylor become more comfortable looking for shots in a halfcourt setup when they could be devastating on the break. Hairston can wreck defenders with a bounce or two, and Taylor's long-range shooting provides another option against a scrambling defense.

Most regulars have been in Oregon's system at least a year, so Kent now can teach more than the basics. One exception is Ivan Johnson, a 6-8 junior college transfer. He gives the Ducks a prime low-post option in transition.