Oregon Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Ducks

Oregon’s starters

Will Richardson is the Ducks’ point guard and the senior ended last season on a high note, averaging 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game over his last four. Oregon is a veteran team that brought in three veteran transfers, and one of them, De’Vion Harmon from Oklahoma is a good bet to be Richardson’s running mate. The junior guard averaged nearly 13 per game last season for the Sooners and gives Dana Altman the luxury of putting the ball in either guards’ hands and being comfortable.

Upfront, N’faly Dante returns from his knee injury and should be a force in the middle. The 6-11 junior should improve on his eight points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks he garnered in his six games. But most importantly, he’s the anchor of an extremely long frontcourt for Oregon’s zone defense.

The second transfer who should step into a starting role is Quincy Guerrier, the 6-7 dynamic wing from Syracuse. Not only can Guerrier use his length to be disruptive on the defensive end and dominate the glass, as evidenced by the 8.4 rebounds per game last year, but he also has the athleticism to knock down shots and get to the rim if he wants.

Eric Williams, Jr. is the kind of the glue guy in this five, the steadying senior who brings his lunch pail to get his 8-10 points and grab his rebounds while his teammates get more of the spotlight.