Ducks Adjusting On The Fly As They Welcome UCLA To MKA

Dana Altman knows his Oregon basketball team needs to bring more energy at the start of games. He knows, too, that the Ducks need to build new bonds of chemistry in the absence of injured big men Bol Bol and Kenny Wooten, along with the transfer of wing Abu Kigab.

Building chemistry requires practice time … which saps energy, given Oregon's depleted numbers … and that energy is better spent in actual games. Yes, it's quite the Catch-22 in which Altman currently finds himself, with the Ducks preparing to host a weekend of Pac-12 play beginning against UCLA in Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday (6 p.m., ESPN).

"It's a work in progress," Altman said Wednesday. "We're trying to make adjustments on the fly."

The Ducks (9-5, 0-1 Pac-12) entered this season planning to build their offense around the talents of the 7-foot-2 Bol on offense, with a reduced tempo to keep Bol on the floor as much as possible. Their defense was constructed with the understanding the rim would be protected by Bol and the shot-blocking presence of Wooten.

Oregon and its fans got a glimpse of what life looks like without those two players last week against Oregon State. The Ducks struggled with OSU's big men in the first half, and looked to push the tempo after halftime to mitigate the size disadvantage. Offensively, the UO men attempted 27 three-pointers, and had just 11 assists on their 26 field goals.

"To sum it up, our energy level's got to get better, we've got to try and make simple plays on the offensive end, and we've got to team rebound and team defend," Altman said. "Those three facets of our game have to improve. It's simple, but that's what we've got to do day in, day out to try and get better as a team."

One ray of hope against the Beavers was the play of Louis King, Oregon's other five-star freshman. He recorded his first career double-double, with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and the Ducks drew up a plan for him to take a late, game-tying three-pointer. The play didn't develop as intended, but the decision reflected Altman's growing trust in King as the freshman gets back to full strength following a knee injury.

King's 10 rebounds embodied the desire Altman wants to see from all his players in the absence of Bol and Wooten. That will be of particular importance Thursday against UCLA, and the Bruins' 7-1 freshman post, Moses Brown.

"I'm going to take on any role coach tells me to take on," the versatile, 6-9 freshman King said. "If it's being a post, being a guard, doesn't matter."

UO players say increased practice minutes isn't an excuse for the Ducks' recent slow starts. King said "we're capable of everything we've been doing so far," and sophomore Victor Bailey Jr. agreed.

"It's good for us, getting in better shape, being out there longer, getting used to a long season, getting used to a little wear and tear," Bailey said.

Altman needs to get the Ducks all the practice time they can get, given the new rotations he's using. When the Ducks met with some foul trouble against OSU, they were in the position of needing 6-foot-4 guard Ehab Amin to play power forward for some possessions.

"We had a couple combinations out there the other day we'd never practiced together," Altman said. "You hate as a coach to put your players in that position. To go out there and have offensive possessions and defensive possessions in combinations you haven't talked through and worked with."

At some point in the next few weeks, Oregon's numbers crunch will be eased a bit by Wooten's return from a broken jaw. He was recently fitted for a protective mask to practice and play in, and is able to do individual drills at full speed to maintain his conditioning, Altman said.

When Wooten returns, he'll be able to hit the ground running. Until then, the Ducks will be scrambling to keep pace in the Pac-12.

"There are no excuses," Altman said. "It is what it is, and we've got to work through it. I don't want our guys using excuses; as a coach, I don't want to use excuses. We've got to make the best of it. We've got to do a better job. And that falls on me."