Since Dana Altman became head coach of Oregon Basketball in 2010, the Ducks have been one of the most consistent teams in the Pac-12. You could make arguments for Arizona, UCLA, or USC, but these Ducks have in general been the conference’s best program across the last decade. Altman led the program to their first Final Four in nearly eight decades back in 2017 and has won four of the last seven regular season titles in the Pac-12.
Oregon has advanced to at least the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in five of the last ten seasons, but last year was a different story. The Ducks settled for an appearance in the NIT and really struggled for the first time in quite a while. The team didn’t quite come together in the way many imagined, underachieving and settling for a 5th place finish in conference.
However, when we’re complaining about a 20-win season, you know that Altman has gotten this program trending in a great direction. In fact, that 20-win campaign was the lowest mark that Altman has achieved in his first twelve years in Eugene. Nothing is guaranteed in sports, but we’re thinking that his year might be a step forward again for a pretty talented Ducks team.
They’ve reshuffled the deck a bit, losing a few important pieces from last year’s team, namely Jacob Young, De’Vion Harmon, and Eric Williams, with the latter two transferring out of the program. Fortunately, Altman got busy with the transfer portal and also landed one of the nation’s premier freshman pieces. Combine that with the talent returning and this upcoming season projects to be a bit better than last year’s 20-win “struggle”.
We’re going to take a closer look at where these Ducks sit for this upcoming season, looking at that roster, who they’ll play, and what we can expect in the coming months. There’s plenty to like about this year’s Ducks squad, but do they have enough to bounce back and win another conference crown? Let’s get to know exactly who they’ll be trotting onto the court.