NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top 4 teams for 2021 five-star center Nathan Bittle
By Andy Patton
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks are the presumed favorite at this moment, and it’s not just because of geography (although it helps).
Even though Oregon’s last few big men haven’t quite lived up to the hype – Bol Bol was awesome but he only appeared in nine games, and N’Faly Dante only appeared in 12 last year – there’s plenty of reason to believe that coach Dana Altman’s system will work very well for a player like Bittle.
Offensive minded bigs have had plenty of success in Oregon’s offense, and 2020 point guard Jalen Terry will be an excellent pair with the lanky Bittle – who should be able to score off pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations.
The Ducks have yet to land a recruit in 2021, apparently hedging a lot of their bet on Bittle coming to campus in Eugene. If he does, they can build a class that will allow him to be the man in the middle – which bodes well for his eventual goal of being a one-and-done.
Oregon’s recent pursuit of big men has gone exceptionally well, minus the injuries, and I believe Bittle will be a huge piece if they are able to snag him – which looks likely especially with the COVID-19 situation making a lot of recruits, including recent UCLA commit Peyton Watson, choose to stay closer to home if possible.
If Bittle does decide to expand his horizons, Gonzaga, Arizona, and UCLA all have plenty to offer as well.