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

1. Dana Altman is a proven head coach.

Posting a successful season always starts with the man on the sidelines. Head coach Dana Altman is one of the best leaders in the country and he has earned the benefit of the doubt over the past few years. The Ducks have been a dominant force in the Pac-12 for the last seven years and that should continue into this coming season. Coach Altman is elite with regards to managing his roster and the egos of the players on his team. He seems to always put together a cohesive rotation that maximizes his team’s potential. There is no reason to think that he will not once again put that together this season.

Over the past few months, Coach Altman has done a superb job filling out his rotation after losing a ton of talent. He dominated in the transfer market and also landed some recent 2019 commits to add to the depth of the roster. Coach Altman’s track record in recent years is incredible as he continues to be underrated on the national stage. The Ducks have finished in the nation’s top-10 in two seasons under his leadership and that could once again occur during this coming season.

This is not just a talented team led by an inexperienced head coach. Coach Altman understands how to manage his roster and create a solid scheme that places all of his players in positions to succeed. He will likely rely on his backcourt to run the show this season while bringing his youngsters along slowly before they emerge as stars by the time conference play rolls around. The Ducks should be a solid team right away but the roster will continue to develop throughout the year as a result of their youth. Altman understands that and will adjust his coaching style as players improve.