NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 12 teams in play for 5-star CG Hunter Sallis

Under Dana Altman, the Ducks have always had an outstanding lead guard to help carry the team. In the past few years, Payton Pritchard has been the star, gaining All-American honors and winning the 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year Award.

His absence leaves a free-for-all for the upcoming season, including Will Richardson, Chris Duarte, Amauri Hardy, Addison Patterson, and incoming top-100 point guard Jalen Terry. With Hardy and Duarte gone after next season, there’s some room for Sallis to come in and have an impact out the gate. but if Richardson plays well as the starting point guard and comes back, Sallis would have to slide over off the ball to make way for the senior.

After focusing on transfers in the past couple of seasons, Oregon Basketball looks to get back to adding top-tier high school recruits. They’re considered a leader for five-star big man Nathan Bittle, who’s also considering UCLA, Arizona, and Gonzaga. If they can land both Bittle and Sallis in the 2021 class and keeps N’Faly Dante around, the Ducks would be a preseason top-10 team in 2021-22.

Due to me being high on Richardson as a lead guard to replace Pritchard, I wonder if the crowded backcourt provides enough an opportunity for Sallis to want to join. Eugene, Oregon isn’t too far away from Omaha but the guard may not want to head out west unless there is plenty of available minutes for him.