Ducks Poised To Return Veteran Squad

When the 2020-21 basketball season begins, the Oregon men will be competing for their fourth Pac-12 regular-season title in six years — and the Ducks will do so with a lineup heavy on players who helped them win the 2019-20 title.

Gone will be reigning Pac-12 player of the year Payton Pritchard, the best point guard in men's basketball for 2019-20. Gone too will be two high-impact grad transfers from last season, Shakur Juiston and Anthony Mathis.

But nearly everyone else will be back as head coach Dana Altman embarks on his 11th season at Oregon. This past weekend, the deadline to declare for the NBA draft came and went, and for the first time in a few years the Ducks didn't have a player make the jump early.

Thus, Oregon next season can field a wealth of experience, with the ball in the hands of guards Will Richardson and Chris Duarte, perimeter scoring from CJ Walker and Addison Patterson, and post play from Chandler Lawson and N'Faly Dante. Eric Williams, Eugene Omoruyi and Luk Wor will join the mix after redshirting last season, and the Ducks have signed freshman guard Jalen Terry, while also leaving the door open for another addition or two in the coming weeks and months.

"If everybody makes steps, I really like the direction we can go," Altman said.

The premature end to the 2019-20 season left the Ducks at 24-7 overall and ranked No. 13 in the country, after going 13-5 to win the Pac-12 regular-season title. Oregon was in Las Vegas and preparing to play its conference tournament quarterfinal game March 13 when the novel coronavirus pandemic brought the season to a halt.

The sudden end denied Pritchard the opportunity to create postseason magic on par with his stellar regular season. As a senior, the West Linn native became the most prolific big-shot maker in the country, averaging 20.5 points per game.

"He had a good four years for us, there's no doubt about it," Altman said. "Replacing him is not going to be easy to do, especially what he did for us last season.

"But Will's made tremendous progress, and Chris is in position to have a great year. And I'm excited about some of the guys we're adding."

Richardson also stepped up in some big moments last season, and he led the Pac-12 in three-point shooting at 46.9 percent. Duarte's defensive intensity was unmatched, and his absence after surgery to repair a broken finger late in the year was felt acutely.

Besides being proven producers for the 2020-21 Ducks, Richardson and Duarte can help ease the transition to college for Terry. A top-100 prospect, Terry won't have to slide right into Pritchard's role, with all the pressure that would bring.

"That's one of the reasons I like having some seniors," Altman said. "They can teach the new guys a sense of urgency."

Omoruyi will join Duarte in the senior class next season, after sitting out last year and having a knee injury repaired. The Ducks lost post Francis Okoro when he opted to transfer, but Omoruyi's return enhances the young depth provided by Lawson, a reliable presence as a freshman last season, and Dante, who showed flashes of greatness when healthy.

Omoruyi's compatriots on the bench as redshirts last season were Wor, a raw but extremely athletic prospect, and Williams, another transfer who provided scoring punch for the scout team in practice.

Williams has the potential to be a fan favorite not only for his production but his personality — he's incredibly outgoing, with the charisma of a Jordan Bell or Johnathan Loyd.

"Always got a smile on his face; real easygoing," Altman said. "He's got a lot of energy."

Williams provides perimeter depth along with rising sophomores Walker and Patterson, two wildly athletic scorers who provided tantalizing flashes of their potential as freshmen.

Given the ongoing pandemic, Altman and his staff are unable to put the returners through their normal offseason program, which at this point in the year would include a few hours per week of individual instruction. Given the team's experience, though, Altman said, "they know what to work on" while they're not at campus.

"I like the guys we've got," Altman said. "If everybody stays healthy, we should be all right."