Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoMADISON, WIS. ? There was a time when Chris Christoffersen would have had a hard time passing up a brew pub called The Great Dane.
So far, Oregon’s senior center from Roenne, Denmark, has resisted the local sports bar.
“I’m trying to get somebody to buy me a T-shirt from there,” the Dane said Saturday at Kohl Center where the Ducks were preparing for today’s Elite Eight matchup with Kansas University. “I haven’t had much free time to go to bars here.”
There was a time, Christoffersen admits, when he didn’t have much time for basketball. The 22-year-old grew up across the street from a soccer field and spent a lot of time playing that sport, as well as swimming, water polo and volleyball.
The 7-foot-2 post man played one year of basketball with a club team in Denmark before coming to Ojai, Calif., as foreign exchange student. He averaged 17.4 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks a game as a junior at Nordoff High. He liked playing so much, he stuck around for his senior season, too.
The next year, Kristian Christensen the son of Christoffersen’s host family and Christoffersen both headed to Oregon to play basketball.
“He’s like my brother,” Christoffersen said.
The big man couldn’t duplicate his gaudy high school statistics in Eugene, Ore., averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds a game in his first three seasons with the Ducks.
Christoffersen, who was considered a project when he arrived at Oregon, said he partied too much, didn’t study enough and didn’t take the sport seriously enough until after his sophomore season.
“I realized this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “Before that it was like, ‘Let’s see how far this can take me.’ I give a lot of the credit to the coaches for sticking with me.”
Christoffersen said he felt a sense of urgency heading into his final season and devoted last summer to basketball, including attending Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp in Hawaii.
He enters today’s game averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. He’s blocked 37 shots, including four in Friday’s Midwest Regional semifinal victory over Texas.
The senior could be a huge factor in today’s game. He will likely draw the assignment of guarding KU forward Nick Collison (6-9), but also could go up against All-American Drew Gooden (6-10).
“He’s stepped up this year and done some great things for this program,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “Tomorrow is going to be a big game because as good as those (Kansas) players are, they still don’t have anybody that’s 7-foot-3 and 305 pounds.
“He’s a load to deal with in there.”
Actually, Christoffersen said he’s closer to 295 pounds, but he still outweighs both Collison and Gooden by more than 40 pounds. Kansas hopes to outrun the giant and his size-18 sneakers.
“It’s for sure we can’t be bigger than him, so we better be faster or something,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “He’s a big young man.”
KU might still have the advantage inside. The Jayhawks have a rebounding margin of plus-8.2. The Ducks have been outrebounded in three of their last four games.
“Blocking out and getting rebounds will be huge for us,” Christoffersen said. “We haven’t had much luck with rebounding lately.”
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoMADISON, WIS. ? There was a time when Chris Christoffersen would have had a hard time passing up a brew pub called The Great Dane.
So far, Oregon’s senior center from Roenne, Denmark, has resisted the local sports bar.
“I’m trying to get somebody to buy me a T-shirt from there,” the Dane said Saturday at Kohl Center where the Ducks were preparing for today’s Elite Eight matchup with Kansas University. “I haven’t had much free time to go to bars here.”
There was a time, Christoffersen admits, when he didn’t have much time for basketball. The 22-year-old grew up across the street from a soccer field and spent a lot of time playing that sport, as well as swimming, water polo and volleyball.
The 7-foot-2 post man played one year of basketball with a club team in Denmark before coming to Ojai, Calif., as foreign exchange student. He averaged 17.4 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks a game as a junior at Nordoff High. He liked playing so much, he stuck around for his senior season, too.
The next year, Kristian Christensen the son of Christoffersen’s host family and Christoffersen both headed to Oregon to play basketball.
“He’s like my brother,” Christoffersen said.
The big man couldn’t duplicate his gaudy high school statistics in Eugene, Ore., averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds a game in his first three seasons with the Ducks.
Christoffersen, who was considered a project when he arrived at Oregon, said he partied too much, didn’t study enough and didn’t take the sport seriously enough until after his sophomore season.
“I realized this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “Before that it was like, ‘Let’s see how far this can take me.’ I give a lot of the credit to the coaches for sticking with me.”
Christoffersen said he felt a sense of urgency heading into his final season and devoted last summer to basketball, including attending Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp in Hawaii.
He enters today’s game averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. He’s blocked 37 shots, including four in Friday’s Midwest Regional semifinal victory over Texas.
The senior could be a huge factor in today’s game. He will likely draw the assignment of guarding KU forward Nick Collison (6-9), but also could go up against All-American Drew Gooden (6-10).
“He’s stepped up this year and done some great things for this program,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “Tomorrow is going to be a big game because as good as those (Kansas) players are, they still don’t have anybody that’s 7-foot-3 and 305 pounds.
“He’s a load to deal with in there.”
Actually, Christoffersen said he’s closer to 295 pounds, but he still outweighs both Collison and Gooden by more than 40 pounds. Kansas hopes to outrun the giant and his size-18 sneakers.
“It’s for sure we can’t be bigger than him, so we better be faster or something,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “He’s a big young man.”
KU might still have the advantage inside. The Jayhawks have a rebounding margin of plus-8.2. The Ducks have been outrebounded in three of their last four games.
“Blocking out and getting rebounds will be huge for us,” Christoffersen said. “We haven’t had much luck with rebounding lately.”
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoMADISON, WIS. ? There was a time when Chris Christoffersen would have had a hard time passing up a brew pub called The Great Dane.
So far, Oregon’s senior center from Roenne, Denmark, has resisted the local sports bar.
“I’m trying to get somebody to buy me a T-shirt from there,” the Dane said Saturday at Kohl Center where the Ducks were preparing for today’s Elite Eight matchup with Kansas University. “I haven’t had much free time to go to bars here.”
There was a time, Christoffersen admits, when he didn’t have much time for basketball. The 22-year-old grew up across the street from a soccer field and spent a lot of time playing that sport, as well as swimming, water polo and volleyball.
The 7-foot-2 post man played one year of basketball with a club team in Denmark before coming to Ojai, Calif., as foreign exchange student. He averaged 17.4 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks a game as a junior at Nordoff High. He liked playing so much, he stuck around for his senior season, too.
The next year, Kristian Christensen the son of Christoffersen’s host family and Christoffersen both headed to Oregon to play basketball.
“He’s like my brother,” Christoffersen said.
The big man couldn’t duplicate his gaudy high school statistics in Eugene, Ore., averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds a game in his first three seasons with the Ducks.
Christoffersen, who was considered a project when he arrived at Oregon, said he partied too much, didn’t study enough and didn’t take the sport seriously enough until after his sophomore season.
“I realized this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “Before that it was like, ‘Let’s see how far this can take me.’ I give a lot of the credit to the coaches for sticking with me.”
Christoffersen said he felt a sense of urgency heading into his final season and devoted last summer to basketball, including attending Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp in Hawaii.
He enters today’s game averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. He’s blocked 37 shots, including four in Friday’s Midwest Regional semifinal victory over Texas.
The senior could be a huge factor in today’s game. He will likely draw the assignment of guarding KU forward Nick Collison (6-9), but also could go up against All-American Drew Gooden (6-10).
“He’s stepped up this year and done some great things for this program,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “Tomorrow is going to be a big game because as good as those (Kansas) players are, they still don’t have anybody that’s 7-foot-3 and 305 pounds.
“He’s a load to deal with in there.”
Actually, Christoffersen said he’s closer to 295 pounds, but he still outweighs both Collison and Gooden by more than 40 pounds. Kansas hopes to outrun the giant and his size-18 sneakers.
“It’s for sure we can’t be bigger than him, so we better be faster or something,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “He’s a big young man.”
KU might still have the advantage inside. The Jayhawks have a rebounding margin of plus-8.2. The Ducks have been outrebounded in three of their last four games.
“Blocking out and getting rebounds will be huge for us,” Christoffersen said. “We haven’t had much luck with rebounding lately.”
Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoMADISON, WIS. ? There was a time when Chris Christoffersen would have had a hard time passing up a brew pub called The Great Dane.
So far, Oregon’s senior center from Roenne, Denmark, has resisted the local sports bar.
“I’m trying to get somebody to buy me a T-shirt from there,” the Dane said Saturday at Kohl Center where the Ducks were preparing for today’s Elite Eight matchup with Kansas University. “I haven’t had much free time to go to bars here.”
There was a time, Christoffersen admits, when he didn’t have much time for basketball. The 22-year-old grew up across the street from a soccer field and spent a lot of time playing that sport, as well as swimming, water polo and volleyball.
The 7-foot-2 post man played one year of basketball with a club team in Denmark before coming to Ojai, Calif., as foreign exchange student. He averaged 17.4 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks a game as a junior at Nordoff High. He liked playing so much, he stuck around for his senior season, too.
The next year, Kristian Christensen the son of Christoffersen’s host family and Christoffersen both headed to Oregon to play basketball.
“He’s like my brother,” Christoffersen said.
The big man couldn’t duplicate his gaudy high school statistics in Eugene, Ore., averaging 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds a game in his first three seasons with the Ducks.
Christoffersen, who was considered a project when he arrived at Oregon, said he partied too much, didn’t study enough and didn’t take the sport seriously enough until after his sophomore season.
“I realized this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “Before that it was like, ‘Let’s see how far this can take me.’ I give a lot of the credit to the coaches for sticking with me.”
Christoffersen said he felt a sense of urgency heading into his final season and devoted last summer to basketball, including attending Pete Newell’s Big Man Camp in Hawaii.
He enters today’s game averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds. He’s blocked 37 shots, including four in Friday’s Midwest Regional semifinal victory over Texas.
The senior could be a huge factor in today’s game. He will likely draw the assignment of guarding KU forward Nick Collison (6-9), but also could go up against All-American Drew Gooden (6-10).
“He’s stepped up this year and done some great things for this program,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “Tomorrow is going to be a big game because as good as those (Kansas) players are, they still don’t have anybody that’s 7-foot-3 and 305 pounds.
“He’s a load to deal with in there.”
Actually, Christoffersen said he’s closer to 295 pounds, but he still outweighs both Collison and Gooden by more than 40 pounds. Kansas hopes to outrun the giant and his size-18 sneakers.
“It’s for sure we can’t be bigger than him, so we better be faster or something,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “He’s a big young man.”
KU might still have the advantage inside. The Jayhawks have a rebounding margin of plus-8.2. The Ducks have been outrebounded in three of their last four games.
“Blocking out and getting rebounds will be huge for us,” Christoffersen said. “We haven’t had much luck with rebounding lately.”
