The Sports Bank’s 99 team college basketball preview in 99 days ranks the power conference schools and top 27 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order. Click here if you missed teams #86-#99. Coming in at #85, the team that has more jersey combinations than Lindsay Lohan has DUI arrests; the Oregon Ducks.
By: David Kay
Oregon Ducks (T-8th, 7-11 in Pac-10, 16-16 overall)
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Tyrone Nared (Jr)
PF: Jeremy Jacob (Jr)/Joevan Catron (Sr)
G/F: E.J. Singler (So)
G: LeKendric Longmire (Sr)/Teondre Williams (Jr)
PG: Malcolm Armstead (Jr)/Garrett Sim (Jr)/Johnathan Loyd (Fr)
Gone: PG-Tajuan Porter, SG-Matthew Humphrey (transfer-Boston College), PF-Drew Wiley (transfer-Boise State), PF-Josh Crittle (transfer-Central Florida), SF-Jamil Wilson (transfer-Marquette), F/C-Michael Dunigan (playing professionally overseas)
2010-2011 Outlook:
The latest trend in college basketball hit the Ducks this summer. A new coach comes in; current players leave the program. Four players decided to transfer from Oregon and it was almost five until Malcolm Armstead changed his mind and chose to stay with the Ducks. These departures leave Dana Altman somewhat short-handed heading into his first season in Eugene.
Altman arrives after a very successful 16-year stint at Creighton, (and Oregon shooting an air ball in trying to make a splash hire) replacing Ernie Kent whose 13-year tenure in Eugene came to an end. Even despite all the transfers and loss of leading scorer Tajuan Porter to graduation, the Ducks return their next seven leading scorers. Senior Joevan Catron was granted a redshirt senior year after only playing in four games last season due to injury and should provide some physicality inside.
The Ducks will open up a brand new arena in January but by then fans might be more interested in seeing the new stadium than watching the team on the court. The Pac-10 was as weak last season as it has been in quite some time, and Oregon still struggled. The conference will be slightly stronger this season which does not bold well for Altman and company.
Player to Watch: Michael Dunigan, C
Despite coming to Oregon with a lot of hype from Farragut Academy, the same high school that produced Kevin Garnett, Dunigan has been quite the disappointment in his first two seasons. The 6-10 big body has been incredibly inconsistent and as a result, pulled in and out of the starting line-up at various times. The Ducks will need him to become more of a force and reliable in the post since they lack a great deal of height. There is league potential for Dunigan, it is just a matter of whether or not he can tap into this season. (UPDATE 9/13: DUNIGAN HAS LEFT THE PROGRAM TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY OVERSEAS)
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/27 vs. Duke
12/2 vs. Missouri
12/17 at Virginia
Other 99 in 99’s:
#86 Penn State
#87 South Florida
#88 Arkansas
#89 Boston College
#90 LSU
#91 Providence
#92 Michigan
#93 Oregon State
#94. Nebraska
#95. Auburn
#96. DePaul
#97. Iowa State
#98. Rutgers
#99. Iowa