Oregon men’s basketball is on the rise.
In 2015-16, the Ducks won the Pac-12 championship, advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament and began the current season ranked No. 5 in the country. Head coach Dana Altman received a seven-year contract extension.
To top it all off, the future looks bright for Oregon. Over the past month, Altman and his staff assembled the No. 8-ranked 2017 recruiting class in the nation, according to ESPN.
“We’re excited about bringing another talented group of recruits into our program,” Altman said in a news release. “I think our fans will enjoy watching Abu [Kigab], Victor [Bailey Jr.] and Troy [Brown].”
Here’s a look at the three new faces who will call Eugene home beginning next season:
Troy Brown
Brown is arguably the most talented recruit ever to commit to Oregon. When the five-star forward announced in a Bleacher Report video last Monday that he would play for the Ducks, it further cemented Oregon basketball’s place in the national conversation.
Coming out of Centennial High School in Las Vegas, and standing at 6-foot-7, Brown will play multiple positions on and off the ball for the Ducks. Brown averaged 19 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists last season as a junior.
He has been named to the All-State first team twice (2015, 2016), named to USA Today All-Nevada first team in 2016, and was named to the 2015-16 USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.
Brown picked Oregon over other schools such as Duke, Arizona and Kansas.
Victor Bailey Jr.
Bailey is a four-star guard from Austin, Texas. He is the son of former NFL receiver Victor Bailey and Olympic 400-meter hurdles bronze medalist Tonja Buford-Bailey.
Standing at 6-foot-3, he has led McNeil High School to two district titles as well as qualified for the playoffs all three of his seasons so far. Bailey was voted district MVP as both a sophomore and junior, and will look to make it three times in a row this upcoming season. Last season, Bailey averaged 20.3 points per game.
The left-handed shooting guard is ranked as one of the best guards in the nation. He has a nice shot from mid-range and behind the arc.
Abu Kigab
A four-star recruit out of Prolific Prep Academy in Napa, California, Kigab is ranked as the second-best small forward in California according to Scout.com.
Kigab averaged 13.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists as a junior. He played for Canada in the FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
Kigab chose Oregon over Illinois. His long and athletic build will make Kigab a versatile player at the combo forward position for Oregon.
Follow Cole Kundich on Twitter @ckundich
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