Oregon head coach Dana Altman had heard the hype about his Ducks before the season.
If things played out well, Altman and the Ducks knew they could be the last team standing at the end of the college basketball season. But, if Oregon was going to reach its final destination, the month of December would be vital.
“We had a stretch there where we were playing every day so having some time to really practice in between games is important for us,” Altman said at the beginning of December. “This month will be the most important part of our season because this is where we really make our improvements for the rest of the year.”
Including two games at the end of November, Oregon (15-2, 4-0 Pac-12) played seven nonconference and two Pac-12 games to finish the calendar year.
During that timespan, Oregon improved. The No. 15 Ducks cleaned up their early-season issues, re-acclimated standout Dillon Brooks to the lineup and knocked off two undefeated teams in UCLA and USC cap an undefeated December showing.
“We’re getting closer to where we want to be. … We’ve definitely made some strides but there’s still more steps to be taken,” Altman said. “Playing at home with some development games — I call them development games because we got to get better — helped us find ways to win.”
Early in the season, the Ducks struggled with ball movement on offense to jumpstart a stagnant offense. The extra practice time paid off as Oregon averaged 85.1 points per game, up considerably from the 70.8 points averaged to that point.
“I’m loving the way our team chemistry is right now,” Brooks said. “Guys feel great and are energized each day to get better.
“We are all pushing each other, getting more comfortable with one another and finding different ways to score the ball.”
Defensively, Oregon hoped to use the month as a stepping stone to improving its defensive capability for a full game. Oregon checked that box when the Ducks held seven of nine opponents under 64 points, a noticeable improvement from when five of their first six opponents scored more than 64 points.
Oregon was also focused on reacclimating Brooks brooks with the court.
When he first returned from his foot injury, he struggled. He admitted to “trying too hard” and wanting to assert himself right away when he wasn’t ready. Since getting a few games under his belt, it’s safe to say Brooks is back to full strength.
Brooks was awarded NCAA Player of the Week two weeks ago when he helped lead Oregon past previously undefeated No. 2 UCLA and No. 21 USC. Brooks hit a last-second 3-pointer to propel the Ducks to victory over the Bruins before scoring a career-high 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting.
“He was big time for us the last couple of games,” guard Casey Benson said of Brooks. “It’s been good to see him get back into his rhythm, which has helped us get back into ours.”
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