What's Next for Oregon after a Pac-12 Title and Sweet 16 Appearance?

Dana Altman proved why he's one of the best in the business and fielded a talented team yet again.

The No. 7-seeded Ducks saw their season come to an end Sunday night in Indianapolis with an 82-68 loss to No. 6-seeded USC in the Sweet 16. Oregon finished the year with a 21-7, 14-4 record and overcame multiple program pauses due to COVID-19 protocols. 

With the lights shutting off in Matthew Knight Arena until next year, let's take a look back at what made the 2020-2021 basketball season special and what's next for the Ducks.

Coming off a conference championship in 2019, Oregon was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 by preseason media polls, behind Arizona State and UCLA. The roster faced substantial losses, most notably four-year starter Payton Pritchard and Anthony Mathis, one of the team's top 3-point shooters. 

The Ducks were hurt by the transfer portal as well, losing names like C.J. Walker (UCF), Francis Okoro (Saint Louis) and Addison Patterson (Nevada) in the offseason. Faced with the challenge of replacing big names, Dana Altman went to work. 

The winningest head coach in Oregon history still had weapons like Chris Duarte and Will Richardson who were second and third respectively in scoring last season behind Pritchard. Injuries were also an issue, as big man N'Faly Dante tore his ACL early in the season and Will Richardson missed six weeks after thumb surgery.

Oregon went 8-2 in the first ten games and looked to be another competitive team with the emergence of Eugene Omoruyi and LJ Figueroa. The Ducks, like many teams, were hit by COVID-19 protocols and endured multiple pauses, playing without veterans Figueroa and Duarte who later dealt with an ankle injury. 

Their absences were crucial, as the team dropped games to Washington State and Oregon State, but a full healthy squad would go on a crazy tear, winning 10 of 12 games before the postseason. The race for the Pac-12 got really tight, but crucial wins over Arizona and UCLA helped the Ducks secure the conference crown for the second year in a row.

Chris Duarte and his teammates looked to take that momentum into the Pac-12 tournament, and that looked like it was going to happen following a blowout win over an injury-riddled ASU. However, the Ducks got a dose of reality against rival Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament semifinal, losing 75-64 and getting scorched from distance by the Beavers' Ethan Thompson.

Following the loss, the team was dealt a No. 7 seed and was slated to face VCU before COVID-19 protocols forced a cancellation and the game was ruled a no-contest. The Ducks advanced to play No. 2-seeded Iowa where Luka Garza scored at will, but the defense limited the rest of the team.

Four of five starters scored in double figures for Altman's team and the Ducks soared into the sweet 16. 

And that's where things would fall apart.

USC's length gave Oregon fits all night, as the Ducks' athleticism couldn't overcome solid defense. Altman said after the game that he should have put Franck Kepnang in to contend with Evan Mobley, but was hesitant since the freshman didn't have much experience against a zone.

The Trojans tore them up from 3-point range, as poor perimeter defense proved to be a downfall once again. Duarte and Omoruyi both finished with more than 20 points but the rest of the team didn't show up on the stat sheet, with LJ Figueroa having an uncharacteristic night, shooting 2-12 from the field. 

As for what's next, the team will lose Omoruyi to the NBA Dfraft, but official decisions and announcements remain for other upperclassmen like Duarte, Figueroa, Amauri Hardy and Eric Williams Jr. Dana Altman said he's going to have individual conversations with each player and tell them to take a week or two to think about their decisions. 

The Ducks figure to be contenders once again next season. The team will welcome Chandler Lawson's younger brother  2021 signee Jonathan, a 4-star forward from Tennessee. 

Altman also signed McDonald's All-American big man Nathan Bittle, a 5-star originally from Oregon who relocated to Northern California's Prolific Prep to train and hopefully play a senior season. 

The Ducks are also awaiting the arrival of Isaac Johnson, a top-75 prospect from American Fork, Utah who took an LDS mission after graduating from high school in 2019. He's a very capable shooter at 6-foot-11, who will add even more length to a loaded front court. 

Guard will emerge as a major position of need for this team, as Aaron Estrada is one of the few returning guards next year along with freshman Jalen Terry and Will Richardson should he return after playing a shortened season. Amauri Hardy has the option to return with the NCAA's extra year of eligibility, but it's not certain he'll stay.

This is a bit concerning considering the lack of proven production, but Altman has made a living signing players late, whether it be as high school gems or players in the transfer portal. Things are a bit murky now but the school understandably has faith in their head man to assemble another strong squad.

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