Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Revamped Roster Ready For Civil War
01/04/19 | Men's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon men's basketball team will be without star freshman Bol Bol for the rest of this season, beginning Saturday against Oregon State at home (5:15 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Earlier this week the Oregon men's basketball team turned its calendar from 2018 to 2019, and with that turned the page on a brief, captivating period in the program's history.
The Ducks will take the floor to open Pac-12 play against Oregon State in Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday (5:15 p.m., Pac-12 Network). They'll do so looking markedly different from just a few weeks ago, given Bol Bol's recent season-ending surgery, Abu Kigab's decision to transfer and sophomore forward Kenny Wooten's continued absence due to a broken jaw.
Since last they played at home, capping a four-game win streak with a win over Florida A&M on Dec. 18, the Ducks split two games on the road. They also learned their roster will look much different in conference play than it did during most of a nonconference season that saw Oregon go 9-4.
"It's not over for us," junior point guard Payton Pritchard said. "We're going to make a run. We've just got to do it."
Bol, the highest-rated recruit ever to sign at Oregon, played just nine college games before undergoing surgery this week. He averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game before being sidelined by a foot injury; the next time he suits up presumably will be in the professional ranks.
The 7-foot-2 freshman said on social media that Oregon was "my dream school," but added of his UO career, "sadly it has some to an end sooner than I would like."
"He was a really good young man to work with," UO coach Dana Altman said. "Unique talent, and great personality. I'm going to miss him."
That said, Altman added, "for a young man with his upside and his potential, I thought it was probably in his best interest to make sure it heals properly."
With Wooten also out for the time being, freshman posts Miles Norris and Francis Okoro will continue to see extended minutes. To ease the pressure on them, Altman said he will simplify things offensively, which may also help Oregon's struggling veterans get on track.
Entering Saturday's Civil War, Oregon is seventh in the Pac-12 with a 45.9 shooting percentage, and fifth in three-point shooting at 34.3 percent. The Ducks shot 45.8 from the floor and 35.7 from three-point range last season, and 48.1 from the floor including 38.0 from three-point range in their Final Four season of 2016-17.
"I think we're a better shooting team than what we've shown," Altman said. "… We can't get everybody on the same page as far as moving the ball and executing our stuff."
The loss of Bol will be felt most acutely on the offensive end, Altman said, given how often the Ducks ran their system through him. But his absence — and that of Wooten for now — will impact Oregon defensively as well, denying the Ducks two imposing rim protectors.
Without that safety net behind them, senior guard Ehab Amin said, the perimeter players won't be able to gamble as much.
"We've just been working on keeping guys in front of us, and containing ballhandlers," Amin said.
Kigab was an asset with his energy on defense, but like Bol, he's someone the Ducks now have to move on without.
Given that the Pac-12 appears to lack a dominant team, the door is open for Oregon to make a run. Given the Ducks' attrition this week, the Ducks also know that few are expecting that of them.
"People have counted us out," Pritchard said. "What do we have to lose at this point?"
The Ducks will take the floor to open Pac-12 play against Oregon State in Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday (5:15 p.m., Pac-12 Network). They'll do so looking markedly different from just a few weeks ago, given Bol Bol's recent season-ending surgery, Abu Kigab's decision to transfer and sophomore forward Kenny Wooten's continued absence due to a broken jaw.
Since last they played at home, capping a four-game win streak with a win over Florida A&M on Dec. 18, the Ducks split two games on the road. They also learned their roster will look much different in conference play than it did during most of a nonconference season that saw Oregon go 9-4.
"It's not over for us," junior point guard Payton Pritchard said. "We're going to make a run. We've just got to do it."
Bol, the highest-rated recruit ever to sign at Oregon, played just nine college games before undergoing surgery this week. He averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game before being sidelined by a foot injury; the next time he suits up presumably will be in the professional ranks.
The 7-foot-2 freshman said on social media that Oregon was "my dream school," but added of his UO career, "sadly it has some to an end sooner than I would like."
"He was a really good young man to work with," UO coach Dana Altman said. "Unique talent, and great personality. I'm going to miss him."
That said, Altman added, "for a young man with his upside and his potential, I thought it was probably in his best interest to make sure it heals properly."
With Wooten also out for the time being, freshman posts Miles Norris and Francis Okoro will continue to see extended minutes. To ease the pressure on them, Altman said he will simplify things offensively, which may also help Oregon's struggling veterans get on track.
Entering Saturday's Civil War, Oregon is seventh in the Pac-12 with a 45.9 shooting percentage, and fifth in three-point shooting at 34.3 percent. The Ducks shot 45.8 from the floor and 35.7 from three-point range last season, and 48.1 from the floor including 38.0 from three-point range in their Final Four season of 2016-17.
"I think we're a better shooting team than what we've shown," Altman said. "… We can't get everybody on the same page as far as moving the ball and executing our stuff."
The loss of Bol will be felt most acutely on the offensive end, Altman said, given how often the Ducks ran their system through him. But his absence — and that of Wooten for now — will impact Oregon defensively as well, denying the Ducks two imposing rim protectors.
Without that safety net behind them, senior guard Ehab Amin said, the perimeter players won't be able to gamble as much.
"We've just been working on keeping guys in front of us, and containing ballhandlers," Amin said.
Kigab was an asset with his energy on defense, but like Bol, he's someone the Ducks now have to move on without.
Given that the Pac-12 appears to lack a dominant team, the door is open for Oregon to make a run. Given the Ducks' attrition this week, the Ducks also know that few are expecting that of them.
"People have counted us out," Pritchard said. "What do we have to lose at this point?"
Players Mentioned
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