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Oregon vs Seton Hall: 2019-20 key storylines for Battle 4 Atlantis matchup

By Austin Walther

PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 12: Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks brings the ball up the court on Boogie Ellis #5 of the Memphis Tigers during the second half of the game at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon won the game 82-74. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - NOVEMBER 12: Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks brings the ball up the court on Boogie Ellis #5 of the Memphis Tigers during the second half of the game at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon won the game 82-74. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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PORTLAND, OREGON – NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks reacts to a play during the first half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON – NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks reacts to a play during the first half of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Moda Center on November 12, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

2. Ducks best start since 2015-16

Dana Altman had a nice two-year stretch of winning 30 or more games at Oregon. The 2015-16 season was the first season of that. The Ducks landed a one seed and lost in the elite eight. The next season, when Pritchard was starting as a freshman, the Ducks dropped to a three seed but made it to the final four. Oregon hopes to be a second-weekend team this season and certainly have the pieces to do so.

Altman has been coaching for 31 years. He’s taken three out of his four teams to the NCAA Tournament. The year he took Oregon to the Final Four was his first. He’s been named Pac-12 Coach of the Year three times. Altman took a team that seemed to be left for dead last season to a Pac-12 Tournament Championship and then a sweet 16 berth. They were ranked again in the preseason polls, but if he goes to the second weekend again, there should be some serious talk about getting him into the Hall of Fame.

That stretch run of 2015-2017 is a poor man’s Florida Gators run in the mid-2000s of winning back-to-back National Championships. Oregon had some serious talent on that team. Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey, Chris Boucher and Jordan Bell are all in the NBA. We’re not going to speculate who will end up in the NBA from this team, but if you throw away size for one second, Pritchard would be a nice back-up point guard in the NBA and Mathis can come off the bench and shoot.

Oregon has only played nine guys this season. But all nine guys are averaging 10 or more minutes per game. All the players have played in every game besides Francis Okoro who missed the Boise State game. Size might be an issue at times, but guards win championships. Will Richardson is Oregon’s backup point guard. He may not have the flashy numbers like Nelson, but he’s as solid as they come for a bench player. The remaining seven guys average anywhere from 4.8 points per game to 9.8. That’s great production when the team has two very good shooters.

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