Last season, it was February before the Oregon men's basketball team fully embraced the level of toughness needed to be a tournament team.
Four games into the 2019-20 season, the 11th-ranked Ducks seem to be ahead of that pace. Their play Friday night will be a great test of that theory.
The UO men host Houston on Friday in Matthew Knight Arena (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network). The Cougars dispatched the Ducks last season before both teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen, and though each has experienced roster turnover, Oregon is anticipating another tough test.