The Oregon Ducks have been trying to establish themselves as the powerhouse basketball program of the Pac-12 and last year saw the team take a serious fall from grace. Head Coach Dana Altman has built the program into a super talented threat in the Pac-12, but last year was a disappointment. Oregon finished 6th in the conference last year with a record of 23-13 overall and 10-8 in the conference. The Ducks made the NIT Tournament last year and were defeated in the second round.
The Ducks have had some turnover in their rotation, but the team is bringing in a stacked recruiting class full of potential. Oregon will use their young, but talented lineup to attempt to dominate the Pac-12. The Pac-12 will not be a dominant conference this year, so the Ducks may just get their wish.
Key Returners
- Payton Pritchard
- Paul White
Payton Pritchard led the Oregon Ducks in points and assists per game and was a key player to the team in his sophomore season. Pritchard is entering his crucial junior season and will be a key guard for the Ducks if they hope to control their own destiny. Paul White did not do anything particularly special in the box score, but he was the fifth leading scorer for the Oregon Ducks. The senior forward will be one of the most experienced players on the court and the young core the Ducks are moving in will be key to their team this year.
Pritchard and White are the leaders of the Ducks now and will need to take major steps in showing the Ducks young core how to win at a high level. The majority of the Ducks point providers will be young players. Payton Pritchard could play his way into an all Pac-12 team selection especially if the Ducks win a lot of games.
With the 15th pick in the 2018 #NBADraft, the Washington #Wizards select Troy Brown Jr pic.twitter.com/6Noan1k2sx
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) June 22, 2018
Key Losses
- Troy Brown Jr.
- Elijah Brown
- MiKyle McIntosh
Troy Brown Jr. was selected with the 15th pick in the first round by the Washington Wizards. The Ducks will have to find a way to replace his insane athleticism and defensive ability. The NBA ready forward departed the Ducks and left a glaring hole in the starting lineup. Elijah Brown only played one year with the Oregon Ducks, but he was the second leading scorer and helped the Ducks put up numbers in games. MiKyle McIntosh was also only with the Ducks for a year but was the third leading scorer and provided forward depth for the Ducks that is no longer an option.
The Ducks had two one year transplants and a forward that jumped to the NBA early provide the majority of their offense this past season. The young core moving in may be more talented overall, but experience means a lot when a team makes its run in March.
Key Newcomers
- Bol Bol
- Louis King
- Will Richardson
- Francis Okoro
- Miles Norris
The Oregon Ducks are bringing in a phenomenal recruiting class that’s rated first overall in the Pac-12 and third overall in the nation. Dana Altman has done a great job with this class and the talent should boost the Ducks to the top of the Pac-12. The recruiting class is headlined by stellar center Bol Bol who is the son of NBA player Manute Bol. The center is ranked 4th in the nation and should lock down the paint for the Oregon Ducks. Five-Star small forward Louis King adds yet another talented dynamic to the young core of the new look Oregon Ducks.
The two five-star guards should be instant contenders for the All-Rookie teams in the NCAA and Pac-12. Will Richardson is a top rated four-star shooting guard that the Ducks will use as a very deadly weapon and hopefully as a replacement for the scorers that they lost this offseason. These three freshmen should provide instant starters for the Ducks.
Francis Okoro is a talented four-star center and could be a starter on a lot of teams in his own right, but because of Bol Bol he will be a valuable bench player on the Ducks. Having a presence like Okoro coming off the bench will be deadly for the Ducks and depth that few teams can match. Miles Norris is a four-star power forward that makes the Ducks depth at the four and five simply ridiculous and hard to match in the NCAA. Okoro and Norris will be deadly threats coming off the bench for the Ducks later into the season.
Projected Starting Five
- Payton Pritchard
- Will Richardson
- Louis King
- Paul White
- Bol Bol
Oregon Ducks Season Outlook
The Oregon Ducks are young, insanely talented, and ready to dominate the Pac-12 this upcoming season. Bol Bol and the other freshman will look to Pritchard and White as their leaders to dominate the weak Pac-12. Oregon is young, but they do have the talent and are hungry to prove themselves.
The Ducks have hit the right year to be young in the Pac-12 because of its serious lack of depth. Oregon should be an easy lock for the NCAA Tournament and a serious threat to the other teams in the Pac-12. The Ducks have a legitimate shot at the Pac-12 regular season championship, the Pac-12 Tournament championship, and a two seed in the NCAA Tournament. Surrounded by a lot of impact players that will make a difference the Ducks are scary. There are several players that are vital to the success of the Ducks, but Payton Pritchard has to make the leap in his junior year. He along with White will have to be the experience that the freshmen look to for a winning season.
The Oregon Ducks should have a very successful season despite the evident inexperience that the team must overcome. The play may be a bit sloppy to start the season, but by the time Pac-12 play starts they should be rolling through the competition.
Record Prediction: 26-10 (13-5)
The Pac-12 is set to have another down year, with the major conference on the west coast only having two or three real contenders for the Pac-12 Championship. Oregon is young, but when they figure it out they will begin to steamroll their opponents. Oregon should make a serious run at the top of the Pac-12 and could likely win it.
Arizona is having a serious down year, but will likely come back next year in full force, so the Ducks need to capitalize while they can. UCLA and USC may be minor threats this year for the Ducks, but Oregon is more talented. The Ducks may not be a threat for the NCAA Championship this year, but they will make some tournament noise. Dana Altman has the team talented this year and ready to make some noise in the Pac-12.
