Oregon's Men's Basketball Team Looks to Mingle New Faces With Returning Starters
The Oregon Men's Basketball team experienced a massive turnover this offseason, losing five players from the program, as many went to try and realize their dreams in the NBA. With players like Bol Bol, Kenny Wooten, Louis King, Victor Bailey, and Miles Norris no longer with the team, head coach Dana Altman was left with just six players on the roster. Then he hit the recruiting trail.
During the offseason, Altman added seven players to the team, and all of a sudden, a squad that looked like it might surprisingly struggle to compete in the Pac-12 is back into contention, with some people building higher asperations. Let's take a look at the new players.
Eric Williams Jr. — Transfer from Duquesne (6'6")
Anthony Mathis — Transfer from New Mexico (6'3")
Eugene Omoruyi — Transfer from Rutgers (6'6")
Lok Wur — (6'8")
Shakur Juiston — Transfer from UNLV (6'7")
N’Faly Dante — 5-star recruit (6'11")
Addison Patterson — 4-star recruit (6'6")
Heading into the 2019 season, the Ducks have 13 scholarships filled, but only 11 players are eligible, as Williams and Omoruyi must sit out for one season due to transfer rules, and Oregon has five returning starters, highlighted by senior guard Payton Pritchard.
“I like our guards, we’ve got pretty good depth there,” Altman said, via The Register-Guard. “We’ve got some guys I think can score a little bit so it will be how they fit together and play together that will be important. I think as a group, they are pretty good.”
With so many new additions, the fit will be key. If all goes smoothly, the Ducks have a good chance to make a late tournament run once again.
