Last Year: 21-15; Fourth (12-8) in the Pac-12 Conference, lost in the quarterfinals of the NIT
Head Coach: Dana Altman (14th Year; 321-140 at Oregon, with seven NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Jackson Shelstad – 6’0″, 185 – Freshman |
| SG Jermaine Couisinard – 6’4″, 202 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Kario Oquendo – 6’4″, 210 – Senior |
| PF Nathan Bittle – 7’0″, 230 – Junior |
| C N’Faly Dante – 6’11”, 255 – Senior (5th) |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Jackson Shelstad: 5-star recruit
Jermaine Couisnard: 12.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.9 spg – 39.9% FG
Kario Oquendo: 12.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.5 spg – 39.2% FG @ Georgia
Nathan Bittle: 7.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.8 apg, 1.2 bpg – 33.9% 3FG
N’Faly Dante: 13.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 1.1 spg – 61.4% FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Jesse Zarzuela – 6’2″, 185 – Senior (5th) |
| C Mahamadou Diawara – 6’10”, 249 – Senior (5th) |
| G Keeshawn Barthelemy – 6’1″, 182 – Senior |
| G Brennan Rigsby – 6’3″, 180 – Junior |
| W Jadrian Tracey – 6’5″, 210 – Junior |
| G Gabe Reichle – 6’2″, 180 – Senior |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Jesse Zarzuela: 16.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.9 dph – 35.6% 3FG @ Central Michigan
Mahamadou Diawara: 4.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.4 bpg, 0.3 spg – 53.9% FG @ Stetson
Keeshawn Barthelemy: 9.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg. 2.4 apg, 0.6 spg – 35.8% 3FG
Brennan Rigsby: 4.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.7 spg – 40.0% FG
Jadrian Tracey: 14.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.7 spg – 43.3% 3FG @ Florida Southwestern State College
Gabe Reichle: 0.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.1 spg – 22.2% 3FG
Freshmen
| F Kwame Evans – 6’9″, 215 – Freshman – 5-star recruit |
| F Mookie Cook – 6’6″, 210 – Freshman – Consensus Top 50 recruit |
There have been rumblings that Oregon head coach Dana Altman is losing his touch. After building up the Ducks and taking them on a run of eight NCAA Tournaments in nine years, with six Pac 12 Conference Championships, an Elite Eight and a Final Four interspersed between it all, Oregon has missed the Big Dance twice in a row. That’s not up to the standard Altman has set for himself at Oregon, or for his career in general.
So despite some significant departures from the program via the Transfer Portal, Oregon has loaded up with one of the best freshman classes in America. They’ve alao reeled in some more veterans from that same Portal, and are graring up for a serious run at another Pac 12 title. After plenty of frustration, Altman sees this as a season which will reassert the Ducks’ place in their league before everything changes forever.
Thing is, there are plenty of other good teams in the final Pac 12, and this roster is going to have to prove that it has been constructed well enough to address last year’s main deficiencies: shaky perimeter shooting, too many turnovers and untimely fouls; oh, and way – way – too many injuries, too. There is so much talent on hand, though, that high expectations are reasonable. These Ducks just need to learn how to fly together.
There are twin towers for Altman to build everything around, and the Ducks will have a dangerous player in at the pivot for 40 minutes per game no matter which of their centers is on the floor.
N’Faly Dante averaged just over 8 points and 6 boards two years ago in his first season as a key member of Altman’s rotation. Last year, Dante led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocks and was second in steals; and he returns for his senior year looking to make a run at Pac 12 Player of the Year. He scored 13 or more points in 22 games last year, and posted ten double-doubles. A true center with strength, length, above-average athleticism and a motor that runs in high gear despite his history of many injuries, Dante leads by example. “Dante came back for a purpose. The guys respect Dante. They like him,” Altman said this fall. “I think he is someone that guys will follow.” He isn’t the most fluid operator with his back to the basket, but Dante works hard to score on the block. He’s shown better footwork each season, has learned a bit of patience, and of course, can really stuff an offensive rebound and finish a lob. Dante turned 39 friendly misses into putback stabs, per Hoop-Math, and threw down 54 total dunks last year – only 16 Division I players had more. He ranked second in the Pac 12 by shooting 61.4% from the floor, finished third in the league in both rebounding average and offensive boards, and got to the foul line almost four times per game.
If Dante is healthy, he’s proven to be an outstanding player, but that’s just it; Dante has never played every game of a season. After surgery to repair a torn ACL in his sophomore season, he’s dealt with recurring knee issues and a couple of different ankle injuries, and even missed a game due to concussion protocols. Every time he lands awkwardly or stumbles, Oregon fans have begun to suffer a slight amount of mass anxiety. Still, despite the interminable aches and pains, Dante has proven that he’s a guy his teammates can rally around. “Dante is a tough young man; if he can go, he’ll go,” Altman told James Crepea for Oregon Live, speaking of his center last year. “We’ve had no one work harder this year than Dante as far as first one to practice, last one to leave…he’s been our hardest worker this year, our most consistent guy. He’s been unbelievable.” If Dante is finally healthy for a full season, there won’t be many big guys who mean more to their team’s success than the Ducks’ hard-working star.
Nathan Bittle is a counterpoint to the brawn and solidity of Dante; a long, skilled, mobile big who can play beside Dante for stretches and flashed some truly tantalizing potential when his veteran counterpart was injured during last year’s postseason. Unlike Dante, Bittle is a natural at facing up and hurting the defense with his jump shot, and his range extends solidly out to the three point arc. Wiry where Dante is barrel-chested, Bittle is still coming into his frame and adding strength. He’s got quick feet and generally quite smooth mechanics with the ball, whether he’s passing, posting or shooting. While he averaged just over 7 points, 5 boards and a block per game, Bittle did all of that in just over 18 minutes per tilt; and when Dante couldn’t go, Bittle stepped up to have some of his biggest games. Against Colorado in January, Bittle started for Dante and had 11 points, 14 boards and 4 blocks; when Dante was forced to miss the NIT, Bittle averaged 15 points and 7.7 boards on 5 of 10 shooting from distance.
Bittle’s talent is obvious, but he got out of sorts defensively sometimes and was in foul trouble rather too often last year, and had a left foot injury of his own which shelved the developing big for seven games. Despite playing just those 18 minutes per game, Bittle managed to pick up at least 3 fouls or more in half of his games. It’s part of an overall problem for the Ducks; while guys rarely fouled out, and the luxury of having three quality bigs allowed Altman to rotate them as needed, the Ducks simply committed too many fouls last year. One of those bigs, former 5-star recruit Kel’el Ware, transferred to Indiana this spring, so Bittle and Dante will have to do that much more to defend cleanly this winter. So often, young bigs take a year or two to really hit their stride; Dante being a good example. With Ware gone and Altman willing to play Bittle in a variety of lineups, the time is now for the former 5-star recruit to step into his own starring role.
Without Ware on hand as another mega-prospect, Altman switched gears a bit in adding former Stetson big man Mahamadou Diawara as a transfer. Diawara adds another genuine center to the roster, and has started 81 career games so far. Unfortunately, his role was diminished steadily the last couple of years as Josh Smith, a quicker and more athletic big became Stetson’s preferred inside minute-getter. Diawara is not a tremendously bouncy pivot, nor an elite rim protector. He is, however, wide, strong, and positionally sound. Diawara is also a terrific presence on the offensive glass; he’s grabbed 274 friendly misses so far. As a reserve who should only be asked for 12 or so minutes per tilt, Diawara should get to bring his best effort in small bursts and provide meaningful depth inside.
The backcourt is deep in Eugene, and competition for minutes will be fierce all season long. Jermaine Couisnard was a model of consistency for three years at South Carolina, and he remained so last year for the Ducks…when he was on the court. Unfortunately, the Ducks’ second-leading scorer last year also missed a chunk of the season, just as he had in each of his three years in South Carolina. Prior to last season, Couisnard had knee surgery which forced him to miss the first 14 games of the year while recovering. Then, during the Pac 12 Tournament, Couisnard separated his shoulder, ending his campaign. Couisnard is a proven scorer and playmaker when healthy, and has played on and off the ball and even as the primary point guard before in his career. He’s a big guard who allows Altman lineup flexibility, and Couisnard has hit 134 triples in his career. He even shot a career-high percentage from deep last year; unfortunately that percentage was 33%, and his career mark was 30.2% coming into last year. Couisnard has a whole lot of game when he’s healthy, and Altman really needs him to set a great example by playing clean, mistake-free ball.
Keeshawn Barthelemy, a former Colorado transfer, lived up to his reputation as a smooth-shooting combo guard last season…and missed a dozen games with an injured left foot. If any kind souls have some magic healing potions to spare, please leave them outside of the Matthew Knight Arena, 1390 Villard St, Eugene, OR; 97401. Barthelemy isn’t as big as Couisnard, but he’s very quick and knows how to get around screens to his spots. Barthelemy was more of a jump shooter than ever last season with the Ducks, and Altman would like to see him become more of the complete player Barthelemy has shown glimpses of being. “He’s the quickest player we have. He’ll keep getting more comfortable with us,” Altman says of Barthelemy. “But he’s got to improve his defense, improve his passing…We do need his quickness, we do need him to keep pushing the ball.”
Brennan Rigsby returns after carving out a reserve role last year, but will need to fight for minutes and knock down outside shots in order to keep his spot. The former JuCo sniper stepped up when injuries hit Altman’s guards a year ago, before ending the season on the bench, injured. First, Rigsby hurt his ankle and missed a couple of weeks, then broke a finger while working his way back from that bum ankle. In practice. Because of course. The Ducks also bring back Gabe Reichle to play the role of high-energy scout team star and human victory cigar.
More experienced transfers which Altman has added will figure to play roles on the perimeter this year. None more so than this year’s model of former SEC scoring guard, Kario Oquendo. Like Couisnard, Oquendo is a big, solidly-built guard who has proven that he can get buckets at the high major level. Oquendo can put up points inside and out, and got experience as a go-to scorer during his two seasons in Athens. He’s much more effective around the basket than outside the three point arc, though; Oquendo has hit 63% of his career shots at the rim (including 46 dunks), but he’s at just 28% on all other 2FG’s and 27% from three, per Bart Torvik. As his new coach says, “If you’re shooting under 33%, you either gotta be really selective, or not shoot at all.” While Oquendo expended the vast majority of his energy at Georgia trying to get buckets and keep the Dawgs in games, Oquendo can be a strong defender with his length, explosiveness and strength against smaller players. If Oquendo can focus on what he does best and play efficiently, Altman figures to have him on the court often.
Oquendo can put up points inside and out, and got experience as a go-to scorer during his two seasons in Athens
Former Central Michigan scorer Jesse Zarzuela is on to his fifth different school in as many years, but his greatest constant is that Zarzuela loves to shoot the rock. He splashed 2.5 per game last year at a 36% clip for CMU, when he wasn’t hurt or ill. Fortunately for Altman, he’s not asking Zarzuela to step into a primary scoring role for this Ducks team. Zarzuela will be a microwave deep threat off the bench, and after so many three looks ended in a clang last year, Oregon fans would find it a great relief if Zarzuela could come in and provide some consistency from outside. Jadrian Tracey played at Temple a couple of years ago, then transferred to the JuCo ranks, and now, after starring back home in Florida, Tracey is ready to return to high major basketball. At Florida Southwestern State last year, Tracey showed that he can be a knock-down shooter from deep, and as the case is for Rigsby, Zarzuela and virtually all of the other guards, he who makes triples consistently will play. It’s unlikely that Tracey earns much more than a reserve role, but Altman has to feel better with more and more shooters to call upon.
All of those veterans will combine to make for a very good, competitive roster. What’s expected to push the Ducks over the top are Altman’s new kids. The Ducks are welcoming three freshmen to the rotation this year, and they’re three of the best freshmen any team in America has signed.
Jackson Shelstad has rocketed up the scouting rankings over the course of 2023, and the 5-star point guard is likely to be running the Ducks’ offense from the first day he steps onto the floor in an Oregon jersey. He has a veteran’s savvy as a ballhandler and and playmaker, creating great looks for himself and his teammates. Shelstad changes gears smoothly with the ball in his hands, and has a terrific handle whether he’s probing off the bounce in the halfcourt or flying through the open court after forcing a turnover. There’s so much to like about Shelstad’s game that he was invited to the USA U-19 Team training camp this past spring, where he worked out with, among others, future Southern Cal Trojan and former Duck target Bronny James as well as forward Mookie Cook, who will in fact be Shelstad’s teammate this year.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 40.9% – Opponent FG Percentage (17th) |
| 70.8 – Points Per Game (178th) |
| 31.2% Offensive Rebound Percentage (50th) |
| 32.0% – Team 3FG Percentage (287th) |
| 4.9 – Blocks Per Game (19th) |
“It’s only a matter of time until Jackson Shelstad puts his fingerprints all over this Oregon backcourt,” said Isaac Trotter for 247 Sports this summer, calling Shelstad “a straight-up baller.” While Shelstad has given Ducks fans nothing but cause for more and more excitement on the court, the Oregon faithful also can’t help but see a connection that has much more depth than just being enamored of Shelstad’s clean jumper or steady handle. A native Oregonian, Shelstad played his high school ball at West Linn in Linn, OR…the same school which produced consensus All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year Payton Pritchard. Coming from the home ground of one of the most beloved Ducks ever, there are extra pressures upon Shelstad which most young players don’t have to deal with. If he can hit the ground running as a freshman – and fans aren’t sick of hearing media types talk about all this same stuff every 8 minutes and 36 seconds – there’s a chance that Shelstad may be a strong candidate for Mayor of Eugene come the next round of municipal elections.
Cook is nearly as hyped a prospect as Shelstad, and the combo forward is an exceptional athlete who can impact the game consistently at both ends of the floor. Cook’s 7’1″ wingspan and active hands make him an excellent defender, and once he’s taken the ball away from the other team, Cook is willing and very capable of starting the break and either creating for a teammate or stampeding down the lane for a moment-changing dunk. While Cook has a bit of finishing work to do on his jumper, he can score in a variety of ways in the halfcourt, and he’ll fight to get to the rim for a good feed or to stuff an offensive rebound. Unfortunately, Cook has been dealing with an ankle injury this fall. “So that’s been a problem for him,” Altman lamented. Still, the coach expects Cook to be back on the floor before the first month of the season is over. Cook’s role may take a bit longer to define than Shelstad’s, but Cook has the look and the skill of an immediate contributor.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N – Alabama / Ohio State – November 25 |
| N – Syracuse – December 17 |
| vs Michigan – December 2 |
| vs Kent State – December 21 |
| N – Santa Clara – November 24 |
Rounding out this extraordinary recruiting class is another 5-star prospect and the highest-ranked of them all, Kwame Evans. It’s splitting hairs to some degree trying to differentiate between such talents, but suffice to say all of the kids will get all the run they earn this winter as Ducks. Evans is a combo forward with guard skills and devastating moves in the open court which can make him more entertaining than nearly every other prep player in the country. “Evans has the physical tools that are in high demand at the highest levels,” Adam Finklestein analyzed for 247 Sports, adding that he “owns extreme potential versatility on the defensive end of the floor.”
Evans stands a long and bouncy 6’9 with a wingspan well over seven feet and the explosion and awareness to do nearly anything with the ball in transition. He’s not a finished product offensively, and will need to refine both his handle and shot. Evans looks a lot like some NBA wing players already at times, though, and as he polishes his jumper and learns to completely control both his movements, the ball, and his high-octane attitude, the sky appears to be the limit for Evans.
Altman wasn’t pleased with the way last season ended. He wasn’t pleased by injuries, wasn’t always pleased with the effort his players brought to the floor – even wasn’t pleased with the Ducks’ fans when they didn’t come out in force to support the team during their NIT run.
“It’s important to me. We should have more people here. Alright? I mean, the guys played hard. 3,300 people (in attendance)…that’s not good enough,” Altman chided the Duck faithful after his team was knocked out of the tournament at home. “If it’s me, then get rid of me. If you need somebody else to be a promoter, to do something.” Being that Oregon’s longtime coach will be back with one of his more talented rosters, the Duck faithful are planning to show up and show out for their team this year. Now, everyone just needs the injuries to end so that the Ducks can get down to winning.
“Although they all missed games last year, they do know what we are doing. They’ll give us that experience. I’m excited about those guys,” Altman told 247 Sports in looking at his returnees this fall. “We’ve got some experienced guys and some freshmen. I think it’s a good mix. I think our depth is going to be pretty good once we get everyone healthy.” The Ducks have proven post scorers, plenty of versatility on the wing, and outstanding length and athleticism at forward. If the outside shooting improves and Shelstad is ready to run the show, Oregon is going to be very good. Altman has shown he can roll with the changes despite the occasional crotchety interview. And this winter, he’s got a squad which should turn the frowns in Eugene upside down.
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