Tag: ethan butler

Report: Dana Altman’s Ducks to get key pieces back healthy for road-stint vs. Colorado

The Ducks are getting some key pieces back on the floor at the right time, with Bittle, Couisnard, and Butler reportedly expected to play vs. Colorado.

One of the over-arching themes that Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks have had to deal with during the early part of this 2022-23 season has been injuries, and the fact that the team is playing down not just a man, but several key men throughout the first month-plus of the year.

That looks like it could be changing, though. According to a report from CBS Sports’ basketball insider Jon Rothstein, the Ducks are expected to get back a trio of important players on Thursday, with Nate Bittle, Jermaine Couisnard, and Ethan Butler all returning in a limited fashion. According to Rothstein, the three will still be on a minutes restriction but should see the floor against the Colorado Buffaloes.

This is major news for the Ducks, who have been without 4-5 of their top players for most of the season. Bittle came into the year with expectations of being a starter, but a foot injury that was suffered during the exhibition trip to Canada has held him out of practice. Meanwhile, Couisnard was one of the top transfer players that Oregon got this offseason, bringing him over from South Caroline.

With the Ducks starting the year at 8-6, suffering brutal home losses to both UC Irvine and Utah Valley, they are already in a situation where every game comes close to must-win territory. Getting these players back on the court as Oregon starts the tough mountain road trip to Boulder and Utah is a huge boost.

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Surprise journey lands Canadian wing Ethan Butler with Ducks for 2021 season

It has been a wild ride for Ethan Butler, but a mid-August workout with Eugene Omoruyi convinced him (and Oregon) to pair up ahead of the 2021-2022 season.

 

The Oregon men’s basketball squad landed another commitment in the class of 2021, with Canadian prospect Ethan Butler committing to the Ducks on Monday afternoon.

Butler took a very unique path to get to Eugene, coming from Canada and hardly generating much interest in schools stateside.

The six-foot-six, 205 pounder with a seven foot wingspan looks the part, but a lack of hype during his time in Canada – coupled with missing what likely would have been his breakout season due to the pandemic – had Butler paying his own way into the Jane & Finch Classic, a popular Canadian basketball tournament which took place in early August.

Butler’s performance at the tournament earned the attention of Yusuf Ali, a new assistant coach at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. From there, Butler was able to work out with former Oregon star Eugene Omoruyi as well as Oregon State alumni Malcolm Duvivier and Maurice Calloo.

Once Butler proved he could hold his own against solid Pac-12 talent, Ali began working the phones and got interest from a variety of schools; including Eastern Michigan, Lehigh, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Princeton, and Western Michigan.

Eventually though it was Oregon assistant coach Mike Mennenga who rose above the rest and piqued Butler’s interest in coming to Eugene.

“Coach Mike Mennenga is my guy,” Butler said. “I love him. He’s high energy – always checked up on me. He’s got an amazing personality. Much love for that guy.”

A visit in September was enough to convince Butler to commit to Oregon with the hopes of becoming the next great Canadian to play for the Ducks, after Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, and of course Omoruyi.

Butler stands out for his ability on the defensive side of the floor, where his length and athleticism gives him the ability to guard all five positions.

“I definitely want to make a statement on defense and become a first-team all-defense guy,” he said. “I want to lead the team in blocks. I know they have a lot of big men and I’m a guard or a wing, but I want to make a statement on defense. I want to work hard every day and get better than I was the day before.”

Butler will be eligible this season and will arrive on campus shortly. He joins a crowded group of wings on Dana Altman’s squad, but he has certainly proven he’s not a player to be counted out.

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