NCAA Basketball: Top 25 preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

The roster situation for Oregon heading into the offseason was very simple; they had plenty of frontcourt players but only one backcourt player. That one guard returning was a key one in Will Richardson, coming off a season of averaging 11.3 ppg and a team-leading 3.9 apg.

The question was going to be who the Ducks were going to bring alongside him. And it was answered in a trio of impact veteran newcomers. De’Vion Harmon is a combo guard and double-digit scorer at Oklahoma and also is comfortable being the lead ball-handler as well.

Jacob Young is an effective off-guard scorer that averaged a career-high 14.1 ppg on 47% shooting from the field at Rutgers. The 6th-year transfer was in double figures in 23 of 28 games and can score in a variety of ways. Last but not least is 6’6 wing Rivaldo Soares, a Junior College All-American at South Plains.

Yet the biggest name among the newcomers has to be Quincy Guerrier, coming off a breakout campaign at Syracuse, averaging 13.7 ppg and 8.4 rpg. The 6’7 combo forward was putting up nearly 20 ppg to start the season and is one of the top athletes in NCAA Basketball. He can play the three-spot if the frontcourt is already set but look for him and returning forward Eric Williams Jr. to provide plenty of potential mismatches in Oregon lineups.

The frontcourt for the Ducks features a pair of returning centers in N’Faly Dante and Franck Kepnang. Both are former five-star prospects but Dante has dealt with injuries issues, while Kepnang looked raw after reclassifying to the 2020 class. Both are back-to-the-basket big men, while five-star forward Nathan Bittle and top-50 freshman Isaac Johnson are more of the stretch variety.

There will be some growing pains as the chemistry starts to build but the talent level here is undeniable. As long as Richardson and Harmon can be effective point guards in this system, Oregon will be top-15 caliber.