The final season of Pac-12 conference play began for the Oregon Ducks on Thursday night, an eventual 82-74 win over the USC Trojans. Throughout the first two months of the season, things looked to be pretty much the same in Eugene; injuries were still a major factor, free throw shooting was spotty, at best, and despite flashes of playing really well, head coach Dana Altman was spending far too much time slapping an open hand on the scorer’s table and stomping up and down the bench.
As the season has aged, though, some differences have started to reveal themselves. This Oregon team shoots the deep ball a little bit better than a year ago, and the defense has certainly improved. Assists and steals are up as well.
What’s been the most clear, though, is that a new era of Oregon basketball is unveiling itself. A new era led by true freshmen Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans.
As the two 5-star recruits in Oregon’s 2023 signing class, there were high hopes that an infusion of youthful talent would be the spark that could get this team back to the NCAA Tournament after missing the big dance in back-to-back seasons. So far, the duo has made good on those expectations, highlighted by a combined 43 points in their first-ever conference game.
“If you’d have told me before the season when we had (N’Faly) Dante and Nate (Bittle) that (the freshmen) would do that, yeah, then I would be surprised,” Altman said. “But circumstances are such that they’re getting a lot more opportunities. And tonight, they really took advantage of that.”
With one game left on the 2023 calendar, Altman’s team sits at 9-3, with a clear trajectory ahead. While injuries have been an issue — Dante hasn’t played since the season-opener, Bittle is out indefinitely, Jesse Zarzuela is out for the season, and Mookie Cook has yet to make his collegiate debut — this Ducks’ team hasn’t allowed that to derail them. They’ve fought hard, kept noses down, and gritted out some tough victories.
They’ve also put in the work.
Not two years ago, in the weeks after the 2021-22 season, Altman was telling media members that he was frustrated with the work ethic on the team, saying that he never had to chase any of the players out of the gym. Now, he’s remarking about how hard his true freshman point guard is working already, claiming 8 games into his collegiate career that he has the “It Factor.”
“You either have that competitiveness, that confidence, or you don’t,” Altman said on Thursday. “Either you got a little bit of the ‘it factor’ or you don’t. Jackson’s got a little bit of ‘it.’ He thinks he’s a player. You’ve got to, you’ve got the ball in your hands all of the time. You’ve got to believe in yourself, and he does because he puts the time in. It’s not fake. Confidence comes with preparation, and he works really hard. He’s got a lot of time in the gym.”
After two years of up-and-down seasons ending in disappointment, that’s about as refreshing of a statement as Oregon fans can ask for. After back-to-back seasons of wondering where the leadership was going to come from, and who was going to drag the team through the fire, the Ducks have multiple options. Years after the departure of Payton Pritchard, Oregon’s last “big star,” Dana Altman has Payton Pritchard 2.0.
It sure feels like the start of a new era.
That’s not to say that there aren’t some remnants of the 2021 and 2022 Ducks still hanging around. Injuries continue to be an issue that has threatened to derail this season; there are still far too many bricked three-pointers here and there; the Ducks are still shooting just 68% from the charity stripe. But there’s also heart, and effort, and a back-to-basics mentality that can be felt. There was also an energy present inside Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday night that stemmed from a belief that things are heading in the right direction.
We’ll see how it plays out over the next few weeks. When Dante returns, and Cook makes his debut, we’ll get a solid look at how good this Oregon team can really be. For now, though, I think we can sit back and feel confident that the groundwork has been laid for a bright future ahead, and a new era of Oregon basketball.
Ducks Wire Photographer Ethan Landa had a great view for the game. Here are some of his best images of the 82-74 win over USC.