Ducks determined for more in 2022-23: 'Our chemistry is way better'

Coming off a season in which Oregon finished with its fewest wins in coach Dana Altman's 12 years with the program, failing to advance to the NCAA tournament for just the second time in the last decade, he took stock of where he felt things went wrong and how the Ducks could fix it.

"We were disappointed. We won 20 games and we should have won more. For whatever reason, team chemistry, it boiled down to we didn't rebound well enough and we didn't defend well enough if you look at the stats," Altman said Wednesday during Pac-12 Media Day. "Our offense was OK, but defensively and on the boards we weren't good enough. And we should have been. We had the guys to do that. So for whatever reason, we didn't get it done.

"At the end of the year, I think all coaching staffs evaluate what you did right, what you did wrong. We all looked at ourself and said we've got to do better. Fortunately, I've got three starters back, and they're good guys that want to compete at a high level, and if those three guys stay healthy, we've got good experience."

Altman had to give the "if they stay healthy" preface because he said the Ducks have been undermined by injuries this preseason, which has disrupted their ability to practice as he'd like. He did not specify which players are injured.

"Our preseason practice has been a little disrupted by injuries. We've had a little hard time getting everybody on the floor and playing 5-on-5 -- we haven't had enough guys to do that. So we're moving along slower than I anticipated, but I do like the guys," he said. "I think eventually we'll get most of the guys back on. I'm a little worried about two injuries that we have that we may not get a couple of guys back for a while. But I think the rest of the guys we can get back and get to work."

Altman was joined at Pac-12 Media Day by senior center N'Faly Dante and senior forward Quincy Guerrier, two of those aforementioned returning starters (along with senior guard Will Richardson).

What encourages Altman most about this team, perhaps, is that Dante -- the 6-foot-11 big man -- isn't one of those injured players right now. Dante was limited to 20 minutes per game last season as Altman eased him back in his return from the torn ACL that cost him most of his sophomore season.

Dante averaged 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds, shooting a Pac-12-leading 67.5 percent from the field (110 of 163) and should not be limited this season. That's one reason Altman is confident the Ducks can shore up those rebounding and defense issues that marred the end of last season when they lost 8 of their final 12 overall, including 1-1 in the Pac-12 tournament and 1-1 in NIT.

"Any time a 6-foot-11, 250-pound man battles back from an ACL, it takes time. That's not an easy injury to come back from. So that messed up his sophomore year and a lot of last year. He didn't get to practice with us, and then when he did start coming back, we were into the season. He was on a minute restriction, wearing a big old brace. So it just took a while for him to get comfortable," Altman said. "His conditioning never got to the point where I felt comfortable playing him a lot because of the knee and just fear of injury. ...

"I think we need to get him on the floor a lot more than that. He needs to get in great shape. He shot 67 percent, 68 percent from the field. He led the league in [shooting] percentage. We've got to get him the ball more. He's got to play more minutes. He's got to stay out of foul trouble. But I think conditioning is a big part of that."

Furthermore, Altman drew a direct corollary between the Ducks' defensive struggles and Dante's limitations last year.

"We've had five Sweet 16 teams in our 12 years. Those are our five best defensive teams, according to KenPom. And they were. Our rim protection, our depth on those five teams, we were better defensively on those teams. And I'm not very smart, but I look at those stats and go, OK, those are our five best teams, and last year our defensive rating was poor, and it the worst rebounding team we've had in our 12 years, including my first team, which had some limitations," Altman said. "... Again, looking at those stats, the 19 minutes [Dante] was on the floor, our defensive average was pretty good, our rebounding average was pretty good. The 21, 22 minutes he wasn't on the floor, our defensive average suffered and so did our rebounding average. So it showed the importance of having him on the floor a year ago."

Dante said he feels "great" now nearing two years removed from ACL surgery.

"First of all, I feel really good, and I just want to thank Oregon to make this thing possible. Going through injury is not something that's really easy, but they make me feel like, yeah, they're going to be behind me like every step. I feel great," he said. "My knee feels great. I had the best surgery, and then I had the confidence to come back. It's going to be a good season for sure."

The Ducks also have five-star 7-foot freshman Kel'el Ware, the No. 7 ranked prospect in the country, and 7-foot-1 sophomore center Nate Bittle, who could step into a larger role this season.

"We have two other guys that are 6-11, 7-foot. Instead of looking good in the airport, they need to look good on the court," Altman said, drawing laughs. "We need to get on the boards. We need to defend the rim. Nate's had a good spring and summer. He's been out the last few weeks, but I think he's going to start coming back now. Kel'el is a talented freshman that has tremendous upside, but we need to move him along a little quicker. He's not showing us everything he can do. He's got to turn it up a notch or two. But there's no doubt the talent's there. He's 7-foot, long, and when he decides to really kick it in, he's going to be a problem for a lot of people. I just hope it happens this year."

As for Altman's general assessment of why last season unraveled down the stretch, Guerrier agreed and also added his own take -- and it went beyond stats and KenPom ratings.

It's also why he feels the Ducks are primed for a better fate this year.

"I think it was our physicality. We didn't communicate enough defensively, like Coach said. We got out rebounded a lot, and that's the thing that we addressed this year at the very first day of practice," he said. "We're working hard, and we just want to have a good year. We're on the same page. Our chemistry is way better than last year, and that's going to play a big role in our success this year."