By Yaniv Horenstein
Coach Dana Altman is getting his team ready for Pac-12 play, and some key players with upcoming returns may change the course of Oregon’s season. At 8-3, the Ducks need a strong second half of the season to put themselves in a position for a March Madness tournament selection. After a 20-point loss to unranked Syracuse last week, fans may be doubting the Ducks chances. However, the long-awaited return of N’Faly Dante and Mookie Cook could give Oregon the contributors it needs to beat good teams.
Oregon has faced injuries all year. During the Ducks’ first game against Georgia in early November, Dante suffered a hamstring injury and has been sidelined for roughly two months. Shortly after, Nate Bittle injured his wrist against Tennessee State and could be out for the season. Transfer guard Jesse Zarzuela, from Central Michigan, has an ankle injury and is out for the season. Veteran guard, Keeshawn Barthelemy, has been out the last two games but is expected to return this week. Mookie Cook, a five-star freshman, has yet to play a game for the Ducks but is also expected to return in the coming weeks.
After Oregon took its first two losses of the season to Santa Clara and No. 17 Alabama in back-to-back games, Oregon fans may have begun to worry. Santa Clara was a team Oregon should’ve beat, but let’s not disrespect the Broncos. They have wins over two other Pac-12 teams Stanford and Washington State. With that said, in the game following their win over the Ducks, they lost to unranked Ohio State by 30. Despite back-to-back losses, Oregon bounced back at home against Michigan in a thrilling overtime win. The player who hit the game-winner is a key reason why Oregon fans should be excited about this season’s potential.
Jackson Shelstad, from West Linn, Oregon, has shown flashes that prove he can be the future of Oregon basketball. He currently averages 13 points and three assists in seven appearances and has five starts. He shoots 47% from the field and 36% from behind the arc, which is incredibly efficient for a freshman. He gives flashbacks of young Payton Pritchard, which of course is an easy comparison given they went to the same high school.
Dante’s return means Oregon gets back the centerpiece of their offense. Pairing Dante’s inside presence with the dynamic scoring of Shelstad could result in a two-man game that could save the Ducks season. Off-ball, they’d still have several players with the ability to shoot and score like Jermaine Couisnard, Kario Oquendo, Brennan Rigsby, and Barthelemy. Not to mention, adding the freshman Cook to the mix, and Oregon’s offense have enough weapons to do some serious damage in conference play.
Oregon’s defense has been inconsistent at times, but certain players have stepped up when the Ducks need them to. Freshman Kwame Evans Jr is averaging 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks a game and is leading the Ducks in rebounds amongst healthy players. Oquendo is a six-foot-four-inch guard who has recorded eight blocks in 11 games, including four in one game against Alabama. Couisnard has been an aggressive outside defender and is averaging two steals a game. As a team, the Ducks have recorded 32 more steals than their opponents.
At this point in the season, the Ducks do not have the resume of a tournament team and they don’t always play like one. They show flashes, but they’re inconsistent. Oregon struggles with three-point and free-throw shooting, which are difference-makers in close games. However, with key players getting healthy, Oregon may have the tools to repair their weaknesses.
The Ducks will begin their conference play at Matthew Knight Arena this upcoming Thursday against USC (6-5) and Saturday against UCLA (5-6). While their records aren’t great, these will be two tough tests for the Ducks to see how they fair against talented teams. As the rankings stand currently, Oregon’s only ranked opponent in the Pac-12 is No. 4 Arizona (9-2) who the Ducks play in Eugene on Jan. 27, and on the road in early March. The other good teams in the Pac-12 will have to prove themselves in conference play, and the Ducks are in the mix just like everyone else.