High Expectations for Duck Basketball: Paul White May Be the KEY

Bob Rickert Editorials

Oregon’s rebuilt roster has some fans so excited you’d think the Ducks were favored to win the NBA title. Let’s just see if they can win the Pac-12 first, okay? Five returning players – Paul White, Payton Pritchard, Kenny Wooten, Abu Kigab, and VJ Bailey – will mesh together with that vaunted third-ranked recruiting class. So, why is White a key to this …

Oregon Men’s Basketball: The Non-Conference Grades

Mark Weinrott Analysis

How good is this current Duck basketball team? Here is one fan’s assessment of the Oregon’s 2017-18 team roster through the non-conference games. Full disclosure: I have no basketball coaching background, nor did I have much of a competitive playing career. However, I have been an avid fan long enough to have attended NBA doubleheaders and to have observed Dick …

Duck Basketball Returns Almost Nothing, but Has Enough to Beat Anyone

Bob Rickert Editorials

Coach Dana Altman has done it again. Despite losing eight players last spring, Oregon has enough talent to win 23-24 games and enough talent that they should be a Sweet Sixteen contender. Yes, it is amazing. The Oregon roster includes Payton Pritchard, Keith Smith, Roman Sorkin and players  you wouldn’t recognize if you stood next to them in the EMU. Here’s …

Talent Flocks To Oregon: Big Time Commit, Big Time Visits

Bob Rickert Editorials

Miles Norris may be the most polished big man to ever step on Oregon’s campus when he arrives in the summer of 2018. Brian Bowen is a 5-star McDonald’s All-American who would be the highest rated player Oregon’s ever signed. Cameron Johnson is a transfer from Pitt who is the second rated graduate transfer this year behind Oregon’s other transfer …

Elijah Brown Commits, and Dana Altman’s 2017 Recruiting Class Is Looking Amazing

Bob Rickert Editorials

Oregon landed a huge commitment from forward Kenny Wooten this past week but wasn’t able to secure Brandon McCoy. But never fear with coach Dana Altman and his staff, there are more recruits on the way. Elijah Brown has committed to Oregon, and the Ducks now have three big time starters for next season. What Is It’s amazing that Oregon’s now …

Kenny Wooten Brings Size, Athleticism, and Heart To Oregon Basketball

Bob Rickert Editorials

FishDuck Note: Oregon received the verbal commitment of Kenny Wooten yesterday, and it is expected he will sign a National Letter of Intent today with Oregon. He is an impact player, and we are fortunate to have Bob Rickert report on him immediately for all us basketball fans of our beloved Ducks.  Charles Fischer Kenny Wooten brings a level of …

Payton Pritchard Shoots to Lead Ducks Basketball

Bob Rickert Editorials

Never has there been a sport where a team’s future can change so quickly year after year after year. Just 12 months ago, the addition of Payton Pritchard seemed like a great get for Coach Dana Altman and his Oregon staff. After all, they had Dylan Ennis, Casey Benson, and Tyler Dorsey, who could all play the point. And even …

Keith Smith’s Star Ignites for Oregon Basketball Next Year

Bob Rickert Editorials

With at least five key players gone from this year’s team, the Ducks will reload with a bunch of highly touted freshmen and transfers and one ‘Glue Guy’ who may emerge as a star. Keith Smith, the guy who scored the final two points of Oregon’s 2017 season will likely have a huge impact on next year. Smith showed up …

Secret Ingredients: What Made the Oregon Basketball Team Special

Danny Harris Editorials

While the Oregon men’s basketball team fell just short of the pinnacle of college basketball this year, there is still a lot to be said of what this destined group did. I seemed to be the only person I knew who had them winning it all in my bracket, and I thought for sure that they would shock the world (and I would …

Oregon Ducks Basketball Even Better Next Year? Maybe.

Bob Rickert Editorials

Processing what just happened in Arizona may take a little while, but Oregon’s coaches are undoubtedly ready to turn the page and get on with continuing to build the program. With a little luck like they had last year, the 2017-18 Ducks could have even more depth, experience and talent. It’s incredible but true. We’ll take the stance that everyone …

Looking Back at Oregon’s Best Basketball Season in 78 Years

Bob Rickert Editorials

We all remember the losses and as coach Dana Altman said, ‘This one’s going to hurt for awhile.’ But there’s so much to be proud of this team for, and so much to look ahead to. The pre-season Oregon started the season with Chris Boucher on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Injuries hit them early, and they played without Dillon …

A Ducks Fan Perspective: Final Four Game a Cruel April Fool’s Ruse…

Charles Fischer, Mr. FishDuck Editorials

The Basketball gods had way-too-much fun messing with Oregon fans on April Fools Day. Crush our hopes with the injury to Chris Boucher, and then surprise us with an impressive win over one of college basketball’s blue-bloods in Kansas? So many of us truly did not know what to expect in this game, as there were so many areas that …