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Oregon basketball: 2019-2020 season review and 2020-2021 first-look preview

By Cody Williams

EUGENE, OREGON - MARCH 07: Holding a piece of the net that he cut off, Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks hugs a teammate after playing his final home game against the Stanford Cardinal at Matthew Knight Arena on March 07, 2020 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won 80-67. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
EUGENE, OREGON - MARCH 07: Holding a piece of the net that he cut off, Payton Pritchard #3 of the Oregon Ducks hugs a teammate after playing his final home game against the Stanford Cardinal at Matthew Knight Arena on March 07, 2020 in Eugene, Oregon. Oregon won 80-67. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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Chris Duarte #5 of the Oregon Ducks (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) /

An early look at the 2020-21 roster

Obviously, the Ducks are going to miss Pritchard’s scoring, playmaking, ability to come up big in key moments, and probably his choice of music in the locker room for all we know. His departure is the kind that can make some teams take a step back for a season, but Oregon should be just fine even if no one player ends up filling Pritchard’s shoes.

Oregon shouldn’t lack for options in the backcourt as Duarte and Richardson should form a potent starting duo. They’ll be backed up by Addison Patterson, who saw action in 28 games this season, and four-star incoming freshman point guard Jalen Terry. That’s a fantastic mix of proven performance and potential, and Richardson, in particular, figures to have another gear he hasn’t hit yet.

Yet it’s possible that the Ducks could shift to a more bruising game and still be successful because they figure to be very deep at the 3-5 spots. Shakur Juiston won’t be back, but pretty much every other player you’d call a forward or center will be, and it’s worth remembering that these were some high-end prospects. According to 247Sports, Dante and C.J. Walker were among the school’s top seven recruits of all time, and they bring a tantalizing combination of size and athleticism. We never really got the full Dante experience this season, and arguably only the tip of the iceberg for Walker.

So yes, things will be different next season. It won’t be Pritchard to the rescue, and maybe it will be a last shot by committee deal. But on the other hand, Altman knows he isn’t going to be hit by a wave of early NBA Draft entrants and has a cupboard that’s already full instead of trying to figure out how his team will come together. Barring a sudden resurrection of the Pac-12 as a whole, Oregon looks like it should be a top contender to win the conference again and be nationally relevant all season long.

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