Key Lesson Dana Altman Can Learn From Kelly Graves

EUGENE, Ore. – Coach Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball program have been under scrutiny in the offseason after losing all but one scholarship player from last season. The program put in the work for a full-scale rebuild, but questions still remain about the Ducks’ future under Altman.

Altman only has to look at what his counterpart for the women’s basketball team, coach Kelly Graves, did two seasons prior as he attempts to bring positive results to Matthew Knight Arena.

Oregon Women’s Basketball’s Turnaround

oregon ducks kelly graves dana altman basketball katie fiso tajh ariza ncaa tournament ehis etute transfer portal recruiting — Oregon women's coach Kelly Graves cheers on this team during the first half against California Baptist University at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Graves experienced a similar situation to Altman at the end of the Ducks’ 2023-2024 season. His squad lost 14 consecutive games to conclude their final season in the Pac-12 Conference, finishing with an 11-21 overall record and only two conference wins.

An injury to guard Peyton Scott in the first couple of minutes of the team’s first game set the tone for an injury-riddled season – similar to what the men’s team experienced with an injured Jackson Shelstad last season. The avalanche of bad news continued for Graves’ team when star sophomore players from that season, Grace VanSlooten and Chance Gray, transferred to other Big Ten programs, and the roster was gutted.

Graves faced criticism and calls for his time in Eugene to come to an end at the end of the difficult season. Instead, the athletic department showed its continued trust in the coach. He succeeded in putting together an impressive new roster, utilizing the transfer portal and bringing in top recruits in guard Katie Fiso and forward Ehis Etute.

Oregon women’s basketball now enters the 2026-2027 season coming off back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament round of 32. Graves didn’t lose a single player to the transfer portal in the 2025 offseason and kept all of his eligible returning starters in the 2026 offseason.

Dana Altman and the Ducks Looks to Bounce Back

The Ducks men’s team lost 10 games in a row during Big Ten play last season, which was the worst streak of Altman’s career. Shelstad and forward Kwame Evans Jr. headlined the long list of players who exited the program for the transfer portal. Forward Sean Stewart was the lone player to return from the 2025-2026 roster.

Doubts about Altman’s future were loud, but he got to work with the rest of the staff and brought in key transfers, such as former Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson and former Boston College guard Fred Payne. He also kept commitments from dual-sport athlete Kendre Harrison and blue-chip forward Tajh Ariza.

Recipe for a Successful Rebuild

Part of what made Graves’ rebuild of the women’s team successful was finding immediate help from the transfer portal, while setting the team up for long-term success with his recruiting.

Fiso and Etute were both in and out of the lineup as true freshmen before earning starting roles last season. The duo has the potential to earn All-Big Ten and potentially even All-American honors in their final two seasons and develop into coveted draft prospects while leading the program to success.

Altman addressed big needs via the transfer portal this offseason with experienced players who could easily slide into the starting lineup. Keeping the Ariza commitment could end up being a massive difference-maker for the program, especially if the team can win enough games to convince him to stay beyond his freshman season and become a building block for years to come.

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