The recent successes of Oregon men’s basketball hasn’t translated into success in the NBA for the program’s players.
In the last 15 years, seven former Ducks have played in the NBA. Only two, Luke Ridnour of the Toronto Raptors (2000-2003 with the Ducks) and Aaron Brooks of the Chicago Bulls (2003-2007), remain in the league today.
Ridnour made headlines today after being traded four times in six days.
Assuming recently-drafted Joseph Young (Indiana Pacers) can make an NBA roster in the upcoming NBA season, he will become the third.
Luke Jackson (2000-2004) and Fred Jones (1998-2002) were picked 10th and 14th respectively in past NBA Drafts, but each was out of the league within five years.
Malik Hairston (2004-2008) was a second-round draft pick in 2008. He played just two years in the NBA before being released by the San Antonio Spurs.
Alex Scales (1998-2000) and Ivan Johnson (2006-2007) each went undrafted and had to fight their way to the NBA through stints on international teams and the NBA Developmental League. Neither lasted past their second year in the NBA.
So how is it that, in a 15-year period in which Oregon men’s basketball has made eight NCAA tournament appearances and won four Pac-12 championships among countless other achievements, so few Oregon players have gone on to have successful NBA careers?
Each player had his own circumstances, but at least part of the reason can be attributed to the small ball brand of basketball the Ducks have traditionally played in the past decade and a half.
Ernie Kent, Oregon’s basketball coach from 1997-2010, was notorious for playing a lineup of three guards and two forwards without a traditional center. This personnel was an ideal fit for Kent’s uptempo offense that emphasized three-point shooting, but it undoubtedly hurt the the chances of some players making a career in the NBA.
In terms of roster breakdown, not much has changed since Dana Altman took over head coaching duties in 2010.
Last season’s starting front court was often a combination Jordan Bell, Elgin Cook and Dillon Brooks. Bell, the tallest of the three, is listed at 6-foot-9 — shorter than most NBA centers.
At 6-foot-2, Young was Oregon’s starting shooting guard the last two seasons. He had question marks going into the 2015 NBA Draft about his size as well.
A few years ago, these players, perhaps unfairly, would’ve been intensely scrutinized over their lack of size once entering the league. This scrutiny followed the likes of Hairston, Scales and Jones when they entered the NBA.
But the NBA size trend is changing rapidly. This year’s champion, the Golden State Warriors, ran lineups deep into the playoffs with 6-foot-7 Draymond Green sometimes playing center. While the Warriors were an extreme case that cannot be emulated by most teams, their dominance this season represents a continual shift of power in the NBA towards the perimeter.
As guards with shooting and distributing capabilities, it’s no coincidence that Brooks and Ridnour are the only two Ducks left in the NBA. Young has the potential to fit this profile as well, and it bodes well for him that the team that selected him, the Indiana Pacers, want to ramp up the offensive tempo next season.
Many years of Oregon’s small-ball lineups might finally pay off for their players at the next level.
Follow Will Denner on Twitter @Will_Denner