Oregon Basketball: What makes the Ducks a potential top-10 team?

Oregon basketball is projected by many to be a top-25 team in the country in 2019-20. What are some of the reasons behind this optimism?

There are very few programs that have been as successful as Oregon basketball over the past several years. Even though the Ducks are not often regarded as an elite program on the national stage, it is difficult to argue with their level of consistency under head coach Dana Altman. Oregon has reached the NCAA Tournament in six of the last seven years and they also have a Final Four appearance during that stretch. En route to these successes on the court, Altman has emerged as one of the most feared coaches on the recruiting trail as he can seemingly land anyone that he wants.

With regards to this upcoming season, there are mixed opinions on Oregon’s potential. While some experts are concerned about their lack of roster continuity from last season (only 36.4% of their minutes are returning), others are expecting big things out of the Ducks. I definitely fall in the latter group, especially following some of their recent additions. After snagging two highly-regarded 2019 commits in the last week, I moved Oregon up from a fringe top-25 team into contention for a top-10 spot. They are now my preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 and those are definitely some lofty expectations.

The Ducks are one of the most intriguing teams to follow on the west coast this season and they have a massive ceiling. It is never easy to live up to high expectations but this team should have a nice balance of experience and youth to go with their extremely high talent level. Now, without any further ado, let’s dive into analyzing why Oregon might be a top-10 team in the country this season.