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Pac-12 Basketball: Strengths and weaknesses of each team for 2020-21 season

By Chris Thedinga

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: A basketball is shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: A basketball is shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Pac-12 Basketball
Pac-12 Basketball Chris Duarte (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /

2. Oregon Ducks

Projected Starters:

G: Will Richardson, 6’5 Jr. (11.0 ppg, 2.3 apg)

G: Chris Duarte, 6’6 Sr. (12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg)

F: Eric Williams Jr., 6’6 Jr. (14.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg) *at Duquesne

F: Chandler Lawson, 6’8 So. (4.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg)

C: N’Faly Dante, 6’11 So. (5.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

A lot may have changed in the world, as well as the sports landscape in the past year. But one thing will stay the same; eleven teams will be chasing the Ducks at the start of the 2020 season. Whether it will end that way is up for debate. Dana Altman has his usual mix of quality veterans, transfers, and newcomers.

The last three NCAA tournaments have seen Oregon in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and Sweet Sixteen, respectively. The latter was certainly do-able last season were there to be a tournament. There is no reason to believe this season will be any different, even without Payton Pritchard and Anthony Mathis manning the ship.

Strengths: This team goes from good to great if LJ Figueroa and Aaron Estrada are granted immediate eligibility. Figueroa, a standout at St. John’s led the Red Storm in points (14.5 ppg) and is a good rebounder as well. Estrada was the ’19-20 MAAC Freshman of the Year at St. Peter’s. Chris Duarte can, and will, do just about everything for Oregon. He will be expected to carry some of the scoring slack left in Pritchard’s wake.

Duarte, along with Will Richardson and freshman Jalen Terry will create havoc in the backcourt both offensively and defensively. Terry, the freshman out of Michigan, will compete for a starting spot and has a chance of becoming one of the better freshmen in the conference.

Sources close to the program say that N’Faly Dante has progressed greatly this offseason, and has a chance to break out this year. Last season they were first in the conference in both shooting percentage and 3-point percentage, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that repeat with all of their weapons.

Weaknesses: As terrific as Chris Duarte is, the loss of the other four starters simply cannot be overstated. Payton Pritchard was perhaps more important to the Ducks than any player in the nation was to their team. Oregon now finds itself placing its’ faith in a big group of transfers to get the job done.

Eric Williams (Duquesne) and Amauri Hardy (UNLV) will be counted on to produce as efficiently in Dana Altman’s system as they did over in the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West. If Figueroa and Estrada do not receive eligibility, this team loses a lot of the depth it needs to compete deep into March.

The Call: Amauri Hardy will prove to be a terrific addition, and will work his way into the starting lineup. If Figueroa and Estrada do not receive waivers, the Ducks will be hurting for depth. They have to replace a whole lot, but Altman brought in a class that has the capability to handle the blow. Dante becomes one of the league’s better big men, and first-teamer Duarte will lead the Ducks to yet another top-three finish in the Pac-12.

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