Spotlight Isn't Altman's Comfort Zone, But It Shines Brightly On His Ducks

SAN FRANCISCO — He'd barely set foot in the lobby of Pac-12 Conference headquarters when Dana Altman was confronted by a camera and microphone for the first time Friday.

"How are things?" a reporter asked, before the camera rolled for Altman's first of many interviews at Pac-12 men's basketball media day.

"We're OK," Altman said, making a face somewhere between a smile and a grimace. "We're OK."

Just OK? Altman's Ducks had just been tabbed at No. 5 in the USA Today top 25 poll of coaches. In his seventh year at the helm, Altman had Oregon in the top spot of the Pac-12 media poll. Each was the highest such preseason ranking in school history.

Given all that, Altman was just doing OK? Coming off an Elite Eight run, a school-record 31 wins, with a nucleus of veteran talent returning, augmented by the junior college player of the year and three elite high school recruits? Just OK?

That's just Altman, who's at home in a gym with a whistle, not in front of a camera with a microphone. Being paraded around the Pac-12 Network studios, out of one interview and into another, shooting promotional material — that ain't his idea of a good time.

Altman's schedule, according to the production assistant shepherding him through the day, was the most jam-packed of any of the 12 conference coaches. Such is the price of success, and a tradeoff Altman is willing to make if it means coaching a program at the elite level to which he's taking Oregon.

"By nature, I'm more of an introvert," he acknowledged during a brief break Friday. "You've got to change your personality. I tell our players all the time, you've got to do things you don't enjoy to be a good player. Nobody wants to dive on a loose ball; nobody wants to take a charge. But you've got to break out of your comfort zone to be a good player. And part of my job is promoting the players, promoting the program."

He's got quite the product to sell entering the 2016-17 season. Oregon returns conference player of the year candidate Dillon Brooks, and perhaps the toughest matchup problem in the Pac-12, Chris Boucher. The post rotation also includes Jordan Bell and JC player of the year Kavell Bigby-Williams. On the perimeter, court general Casey Benson is joined by high-scoring guard Tyler Dorsey and Dylan Ennis, the Ducks' top player entering last season until being sidelined by a foot injury.

Of the 27 votes submitted by media for the conference preseason poll, Oregon was first on 23. The Ducks were second on the other four ballots, which had Arizona first.

"I think Oregon has all the pieces," Arizona coach Sean Miller said, "to be one of college basketball's brightest teams this year."

Owing to those expectations, Altman and the team's player representative Friday, Dorsey, received a fair amount of questions about playing this season with a target on their back. It's a fair one, Altman readily acknowledges.

In each of the UO coach's previous six seasons, Oregon has finished higher in the standings than its preseason projection. This season, that won't be possible.

"It'll be an adjustment our team has to make," Altman said. "I'm interested to see how they'll handle it."

It's a good problem to have, of course. As Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott told Altman during a brief aside Friday, "pressure is a privilege."

A more popular question to Altman on Friday, however, was about the status of Brooks. He's coming off an offseason foot injury, and though he's already out of a walking boot and working hard to rejoin practice soon, the Ducks are unsure of his exact return date.

Brooks' injury status helped determine which player would join Altman for conference media day.

"He doesn't know when the doctor's going to release him," Altman said. "But that would have been the only question Dillon Brooks would have answered all day. He wouldn't have been able to talk about his teammates, and what our team's going to be. That's the only question he could have gotten."

To be sure, Altman would have loved to have a healthy Brooks on hand Friday, along with Dorsey. The media day would have been a great platform for Boucher given his potential as an NBA draft pick next year. And although he's only played two games in a UO uniform, there's no more passionate, eloquent spokesman for Altman's program than Ennis.

The media day experience would have been much deserved for any and all of them; Dorsey is a relatively soft-spoken kid, but he was clearly enjoying the whirlwind Friday.

"We oughta be able to bring more players," Altman said. "This is about the players. Coaches can have a few minutes, but we oughta be talking about our players. They're what drives the league. We've been good when we have good players."

Instead, Altman was left to do most of the talking on Oregon's behalf by himself. For a guy most comfortable breaking down film in his office and coaching his team in the gym, it was a day spent diving on loose balls and taking charges.

The morning began with a group photo for the coaches and players in attendance. Some coaches took advantage of the hair and makeup staff on hand. For the seventh time in seven Pac-12 media days, Altman did not.

"I'm anti-makeup," he told the attendant by way of an apology. "At 58, you just don't care."

Among the first obligations was with the Pac-12 Network's social media staff. They had the players and coaches play a pop-a-shot game, at which Altman was, by his own admission, "awful."

The brief episode of activity, while still in a suit, caused Altman to break a sweat. Was he sure, he was asked before his next on-camera interview, that he didn't want his makeup retouched?

"We're not putting any makeup on," he reiterated. "If I look bad, I look bad."

Friday's media day was the 28th of Altman's career, going all the way back to his first season at Marshall beginning in 1989. At that first event, he recalled Friday, he was excited to see what it would be all about.

Did he enjoy it? The question was barely posed before the answer came: "No."

"We're all just trying to get through it," Altman said, speaking on behalf of his conference coaching brethren. "We'd rather be practicing."

The Ducks in fact had a practice scheduled for Saturday morning. Altman couldn't even stay in the Bay Area for Oregon's football game later Friday at California. He was scheduled for a flight out Friday afternoon.

The assistant keeping him on schedule at media day did all she could to speed up the process, squeezing in afternoon obligations whenever Altman had down time in the morning. He appreciated the effort … to a point.

"Where we at?" he asked just before lunch. "We about done?"

"We have … one … two … three … four … five … six left," she said, counting off the remaining interviews.

"Golly," Altman said, drawing out the first syllable and heavily emphasizing the second, so it came out, "gollllllllll-EE!"

Finally, they reached the last obligation of the day. Altman waited outside a meeting room door for Arizona senior Kadeem Allen to finish.

He waited. And waited. Eventually Allen emerged, after 15 minutes with the production crew inside.

"How long?" Altman asked in disbelief. "Fifteen? We won't be in there 15 minutes."

Ten minutes later, the door opened and Altman was on his way. He had a flight to catch, and a team to coach