NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team backcourts for 2021-22 season

The Ducks continue to dominate the Pac-12 conference and have now secured four of the last six regular-season titles. Last year’s squad was very dynamic across the board, with the entire starting lineup standing at 6’5” or 6’6”. The size at 1-5 put Oregon in many mismatch opportunities and rode them to wins over potent offenses like UCLA and Iowa.

Despite that success, the roster experienced a large shuffle this offseason. Senior guards Eric Williams Jr. and Will Richardson return as the only starters from last year’s team and will both be counted on to again produce double-digit scoring efforts throughout the season. The size of each player gives head coach Dana Altman flexibility this season to rely on “small ball” lineups and create more mismatches against opponents in 2021.

While the team could approach their game plans differently with the presence of near 7-footers N’Faly Dante, Franck Kepnang, and freshman Nathan Bittle, the backcourt depth on this team is significant enough to alter those plans. The transfer additions of Jacob Young (Rutgers) and De’Vion Harmon (Oklahoma) to this year’s team elevate the potential for Oregon to remain a stout defensive team and potent offensively.

Harmon and Young each showed large improvements from the 2019 to 2020 season and bring in hopes of another stellar season in Eugene. They have ample opportunity to command the offense for Coach Altman in 2021 and replicate their production from a season ago. The duo is very active defenders and will help to improve the team’s middle-ranked defensive rating into the top-100.

With this group’s versatility, the expectation is for the Ducks to again contend for the outright conference title and making a strong push in the Field of 68.