Oregon Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Ducks
Overall outlook for the Ducks
Oregon is going to be a relatively young team this year but the squad also exhibits many of the characteristics that make up a preseason contender for the national championship. The Ducks boast a head coach with Final Four experience, an elite senior leader at point guard, a strong rim-protecting big, plenty of perimeter threats, and a superb defense. They make each opponent work for every single basket and can make teams pay with outside shooting on the other end.
To put it simply, I am extremely high on Oregon not only taking the Pac-12 regular-season title but also making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The potential is there for this team to be one of the best in the entire nation this season. I slotted the Ducks at No. 12 in my preseason top-25 and this is mainly due to my concerns regarding how quickly the newcomers will adapt to Coach Altman’s system.
If the team connects early in the year, they can lock up a high seed in the Big Dance. There are a ton of opportunities for resume-boosting victories in their non-conference slate. It could prove difficult for the team to remain nationally-ranked after nine brutally difficult games to open the season while playing without N’Faly Dante. That is part of why Francis Okoro’s experience as a part-time starter last season could pay dividends.
On the whole, Oregon might not be considered among the top preseason contenders for the national championship, but “when everyone says it can’t be done…Ducks fly together.”
dark. Next. Preseason national top-25 power rankings
The 2019-20 season is almost upon us and hope abounds in Eugene for the Oregon Ducks. Will Coach Altman, Payton Pritchard, and an exciting core of underclassmen carry the program to new heights? We’ll have to wait to find out.