Oregon Basketball: Key takeaways from the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis

1. Trust the eye test.

Oregon went just 1-2 this week but they looked like a legit top-10 squad in the country. With Payton Pritchard leading the way and a variety of versatile talents around him, the Ducks are well-balanced offensively and can be terrifying on the defensive end. They are quite long, very athletic, and can disrupt offenses with their pressure and 3-point defense. To this point in the year, the Ducks appear to be better offensively than defensively, but there is potential for them to be elite on both ends with time.

To put it simply, Oregon had to play a gauntlet of a schedule this week and they were only a couple of possessions away from managing to go 3-0. Facing Seton Hall, Gonzaga, and North Carolina all within three days is a daunting task and very few teams would be able to come away with a 2-1 record. There might not be any that would have gone undefeated.

Additionally, Oregon’s playing schedule did not do them any favors. The Ducks had to play three games, all against nationally-ranked opponents, within the span of 40 hours. That is a disaster path for any team and shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Ducks only went 1-2. It is a testament to this team’s leadership and drive, though, that they were able to make a comeback and force overtime against Gonzaga and then fight for all 40 minutes against North Carolina.

Oregon is the real deal this season, and the eye test proved that even if the scoreboard didn’t. The Ducks fought hard in every game and showcased their ability to play with anybody. Head coach Dana Altman’s roster is not even at full strength yet, but they proved that they are capable of being a top-10 team nationally right now. They might be the best team in the country when a certain five-star freshman joins the mix.