Entering the 2016-17 college basketball season, the Oregon basketball team had high expectations. The Ducks were ranked No. 5 in the nation — reaching as high as No. 1 in some polls — and were the returning Pac-12 Champions.
With all the pieces in tact for the Ducks to make a run to the Final Four this year, chemistry, cohesion and understanding of the game were going to have to develop if Oregon wanted to live up to the hype.
Because of this importance, head coach Dana Altman views the month of December — in which Oregon will play seven home games — as the most vital experience for his team to succeed in March.
“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. “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.”
When Oregon made its run to the Elite Eight last spring, Altman and many of his players credited a productive December as the reason for standout play come March.
“You could tell that last year at this time, we really learned a lot about ourselves and it carried us through the rest of the season,” guard Tyler Dorsey said. “We took the time to really grow close as a team and that helped us later when we were in close games. We knew we could trust each other to get the job done.”
Oregon opened December play with a win over Savannah State on Sunday.
Last year, the Ducks went 5-2 in December, losing close games at UNLV and Boise State before taking control late in the month. Dorsey said that it was during those losses on the road that Oregon grew into a team that knew what it would take to win when visiting opposing Pac-12 foes.
“One of the hardest things about this conference is going on the road and winning,” Dorsey said. “Last year we learned how to do that by struggling and fighting through in December. That helped us go so far.”
The month of December is typically reserved for teams to iron out all their issues and fine tune their respective styles of play. For Altman, he’s hoping the month will improve the team’s defensive play by making them understand the need to play team defense for a full 40 minutes with zero lapses.
The players themselves are hoping the month will help them break out of their odd offensive struggles. For most of the year, the Ducks have struggled with scoring.
Another important factor for the month is the reintegration of Dillon Brooks, Oregon’s preseason All-American. He missed the first couple of games this season after recovering from an offseason foot surgery.
“We have many things to work on but getting Dillon back and game ready is one of the most important,” Altman said. “We have new guys out there. Dillon has got to learn how to play with them so getting him back and with the team is important.”
While the season may be far from over for Oregon, the most important part of it is already here. If the Ducks hope to accomplish their goal of cutting down the nets on the last night of the season, the journey begins now.
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