Final Four: Oregon’s Jordan Bell is back to destroying opponent’s shots (Video)

Jordan Bell is back at it again

Oregon’s Jordan Bell put himself on the NCAA Tournament radar with a miraculous performance against Kansas in the Elite Eight. At the Sprint Center, just 40 miles or so from the Jayhawks’ campus, Bell swatted eight shots in front of a largely pro-Kansas crowd.

Well, the Oregon junior was back at it again on Saturday in the national semifinal against North Carolina in the game’s opening minute:

Like so many of Bell’s blocks against Kansas, this one involved him covering ground and coming out of nowhere to reject the shot. Isaiah Hicks thought he had a clear look at the rim for a layup in transition after a sweet pass from Theo Pinson to thread the needle,

Instead, Bell pinned the ball against the glass. All in a days work for the junior.

With center Chris Boucher out with a torn ACL, Bell has become the focal point of the Ducks’ defense, which has been incredibly effective during the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-9 big man isn’t the tallest and he doesn’t have the longest arms in the college game, but he makes up for it with great timing and tremendous athleticism to challenge shots. Playing him as the lone big man has also opened up the game for Dillon Brooks as a small ball power forward

If Oregon puts together a run for a national title, Bell will be its anchor. His ability to block shots, rebound and clean up buckets on the offensive end has so far been critical to the Ducks chances so far in the NCAA Tournament.

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Oregon hasn’t won a national championship in men’s basketball since the first NCAA Tournament back in 1939 when the team was known as the Webfoots. The Ducks will have a chance to end that long drought if they can come up with a win against the Tar Heels tonight.