This time last year, it was the Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young, now a recently signed NBA rookie, who was answering questions and taking pictures alongside Dana Altman at Pac-12 Media Day in San Francisco. In his final season playing for Oregon, Young averaged 20.7 points, 4.4 boards and 3.8 assists while leading the Ducks to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
But Oregon isn’t too worried about his departure, as the team looks to fill the void he leaves with a balanced approach.
“We were more balanced last year than people gave us credit for,” Altman said. “This year, I think we’ll have that balance. Offensively, we’ve got a number of guys that can step up and score baskets.”
Said Elgin Cook, sitting in the spot previously occupied by Young at this year’s Pac-12 Media Day: “We got a great recruiting class and transfers that will pick up the slack.”
Cook, a redshirt senior that averaged 13.0 points and 5.2 rebounds, is one of six returners.
Altman and Cook took the podium, representing what will be a drastically different looking Oregon men’s basketball team, one that is projected to finish fourth by the media.
Both were optimistic about their potential and incoming mixture of talent.
“I think we’ve got a group of good guys that want to compete,” Altman said. “It will be a lot of fun working with them this year.”
On top of getting Villanova’s Dylan Ennis via transfer as well as reigning Spalding NJCAA Division I Player of the Year Chris Boucher, Altman has three highly touted freshman guards — guards he think “will be good.”
Ennis was a starter for Villanova who Altman said is “easy to work with.” He is now a graduate student that has already shown signs of an emerging leader.
Freshman Tyler Dorsey, a 6-foot-4 product of Maranatha High School in Los Angeles, is the 23rd ranked recruit in the 2015 class, according to Sports Illustrated. Named Gatorade State Player of the Year for California, the double-double machine hung his hat on averages of 34.0 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals as a senior.
Trevor Manuel, a four-star prospect out of Everett High School and Oak Hill Academy, is the No. 3 player out of the state of Michigan. He averaged 21.9 points per game in his senior year.
Kendall Small, a four-star out of Mayfair High School in Anaheim, averaged 22 points and 9.3 rebounds to stand among the best guards in the 2015 class.
An experienced group featuring Cooks, Dillon Brooks and Dwayne Benjamin is returning, and Altman expects them to take over the team.
Altman’s goal will be no different than in years past: to intermix a balanced group of young prospects and veterans into contention.
Since he first arrived in 2010, he has guided Oregon to five straight 20-plus win seasons and a program best three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
“We have to play an exciting brand of basketball,” Altman said. “We have challenges in front of us. (But) we have the resources, the facilities. Our program will grow.”
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim