2011-2012 Oregon Ducks Basketball Preview

Oregon Ducks - Pacific-12 (Pac-12)

2010-11: 21-18, 7-11

2010-11 postseason: CBI

Coach: Dana Altman (21-18 at Oregon, 432-261 overall)  

Oregon made some nice strides last season by winning the CBI during Coach Dana Altman’s first year with the program, but there is still some major readjusting going on in Eugene. Coach Altman still needs to turn his group into a team instead of bunch of individuals and that will take some more time. However, with E.J. Singler the Ducks have a versatile leader who can carry this team while the young, talented players work their way into the system. Singler, a 6-6 small forward, can do a little bit of everything. Last season he averaged 11.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He is even a fine outside shooter and connected on nearly 40 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

Who’s Out:

Three of the team’s top four scorers are gone in Joevan Catron, Jay-R Stowbridge and Malcolm Armstead. Catron was a dynamic interior scorer and a beast on the glass and Oregon will certainly miss his team high 15.9 points and 6.7 rebounds. His ability to dominate the paint opened up the perimeter for shooters like Singler. Stowbridge was one of those shooters as well. He tallied 9.4 points per game and was a superb sixth man. Armstead was the guard who could attack the basket. While the point guard could hit the outside shot, Armstead did most of his offensive damage attacking the basket. He also led the team with 4.4 assists and 2.3 steals per contest. Teondre Williams, who averaged just over 15 minutes per contest is the only player not returning for the 2011-2012 campaign.

Who’s In:

This is a pretty impressive list that addresses needs for the present and the future. For now the impact players will be Olu Ashaolu and Devoe Joseph. Those two will not be around very long, but they will help in the short term. Ashaolu is a transfer from Louisiana Tech who is eligible immediately after graduating early. At 6-6 he is a tad undersized for a power forward in the Pac-12, but he makes up for it with his girth and toughness. Ashaolu had a superb career and Louisiana Tech and should step into a starting role right away. Joseph will be eligible in December after getting in a little too much trouble at Minnesota. He is an all-around great guard who can score from anywhere on the floor and find his teammates. Junior college transfers Carlos Emory and Chris Larson will add even more experience to the squad. The four newcomers are highlighted by Jabari Brown. The 6-5 wing is a great athlete who can knock down shots from anywhere on the floor. Coach Altman will work on his defense and rebounding skills and turn him into an all-around player, but for now he is too talented to keep out of the starting five. Shooting guard Bruce Barron and point guard Brett Kingma may have to bide their time, but both are quality recruits who could work their way into the regular rotation sooner or later. Big man Austin Kuemper rounds out the large, diverse and talented group of newcomers.

Final Projection:

Tyrone Nared or Jeremy Jacob will likely start up front alongside Ashaolu. Both are 6-8 and started some games last season, so they have the size and the experience to take the next step. Nared is not much of a scorer, but he is a better defender than Jacob. Yet, Jacob has a little more girth to him and can eat up more space in the paint. Either way, they should team up nicely with Ashalou and once again do the dirty work under the basket.

Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT

Projected Starting Five:

• Garrett Sim, Senior, Guard, 8.2 points per game

• Jabari Brown, Freshman, Guard, 6.2 points per game

• E.J. Singler, Junior, Forward, 11.7 points per game

• Olu Ashaolu, Senior, Forward, DNP last season

• Tyrone Nared, Senior, Forward, 5.1 points per game

By Joel Welser courtesy of www.CollegeSportsMadness.com
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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