Dana Altman and Oregon Basketball was one of the biggest winners in an active transfer portal. The head coach was able to hunt for his team’s specific needs after an injury-plagued season that, doubled with COVID, made cohesion and consistency hard to come by.
Seemingly an Oregon tradition, the Ducks are poised to figure things out in the nonconference and look to solidify their play in conference vying for season championship and a high seed in the tournament. The Ducks enter 2021-2022 with big expectations thanks to that portal, returning studs, and a respected incoming freshman class.
Oregon was picked to finish 2nd in the PAC-12 this season and will be trading blows back-and-forth with UCLA to see who will win the regular-season title. With the additional frontcourt depth, the Ducks can compete with any team in the country and if they stay healthy is a no doubt Top 25 team and solid bet to make it to the second weekend of the tournament.
Locking down an Altman lineup is difficult as he loves interchangeable pieces that also ensure a diverse combination of options. He utilized an undersized lineup–albeit because of depth issues–and he still can roll out that small-ball athleticism and hold up well against most teams. Here are the pieces of what will surely be an electric Oregon Ducks team.