Early Growth Could Help UO Outplay Preseason Projection
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Despite two straight NCAA Tournament appearances and four consecutive 20-win seasons, the Oregon men’s basketball team was picked by Pac-12 coaches to finish eighth in the conference this year, as announced Thursday at Pac-12 media day in San Francisco.
Oregon coach Dana Altman, who led the Ducks to all that recent success but saw 10 letterwinners depart from last year’s team, probably wasn’t surprised to hear that. “Our team faces some challenges this year,” Altman said during a press conference at media day streamed live online. “We have a limited roster, not much experience back, and so our guys are going to have to stay healthy. We’re going to have to make progress throughout the year.”
The Ducks open the 2014-15 campaign with the first of two home exhibition games Nov. 4 against Northwest Christian (7 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks). The regular season begins in Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 14 against Coppin State, and Oregon’s challenging nonconference schedule also includes dates with Michigan, Mississippi and Illinois.
“We have a very difficult nonconference schedule, so our guys will have to blend together very quickly,” Altman said. “It’s going to be an interesting year; we’re going to go through some ups and downs. Our guys are going to have to continue to fight, continue to come together, and if we do that I like our ballclub.”
The roster includes two returners with extensive experience, Joseph Young and Elgin Cook, a third returning scholarship player in Jalil Abdul-Bassit and a fourth returning letterwinner in walk-on guard Theo Friedman. Among the newcomers are two point guards, a couple of versatile wings and the only two guys on the roster 6-foot-8 or taller.
“We’ve had a few more two-a-day practices to try to get some guys familiar with what we want to do,” Altman said. “The new guys are going to have to do a better job of following Joe and Elgin’s lead, Jalil’s lead. We’ve only got three guys who have played on the big stage, so our new guys are going to have to do a little better job of following them around and trying to get a little more consistent work ethic.”
Young sounds willing to embrace a leadership role for the season. The high-scoring guard attended camps held by NBA players including LeBron James this summer. “I learned a lot from the experienced guys, especially LeBron,” Young said. “I just want to take what I learned and bring it to the team.”
Young said team bonding activities have been a focus entering the season. Players recently got together to cook and eat a meal as a group – Young’s seasoned pork chops were a hit, he said – and they intend to do more events like that for the sake of chemistry.
Altman said players have all moved into the same apartment complex for the year, and the coaching staff’s graduate assistants live there as well, “to try to help them with some of the day-to-day decisions they make.”
As he said, Altman needs Young to be among the Ducks’ leaders off the court. Come November, he’ll be expected to help set the tone on the court as well, and not just through his usually prolific scoring.
“Joe knows that his defense has to get better; he knows that this year it’s imperative that all our guys rebound, so his rebound numbers have to go up,” Altman said. “But I think he’s very capable of that. He’s a good scorer, and he’s going to be relied on to do that. But defenses are going to be titled to slow him down. …
“We’re going to have to manufacture ways to get him the ball, but also he’s going to have to play the complete game. He did at times last year, but I’ve seen him make improvements, and we need that improvement to continue.
On a roster that includes six newcomers among its nine scholarship players, that improvement will need to continue across the board for the 2014-15 UO men’s basketball team. The offseason presented the Ducks with several hurdles, and the schedule presents several more. But by the time Oregon opens conference play Jan. 3 against Oregon State, and then Jan. 8 against preseason Pac-12 favorite Arizona, Altman hopes the Ducks’ health and chemistry have them positioned to outplay their predicted eighth-place finish.
