Oregon Ducks Searching for Identity as Early-Season Struggles Mount
EUGENE - Dana Altman isn’t one to sugarcoat things, and after a rough trip to Las Vegas, the veteran Oregon head coach made it clear: the Ducks have work to do - and fast.
Speaking candidly from inside Matthew Knight Arena on Monday, Altman didn’t deflect or make excuses. He took the brunt of the blame for Oregon’s rocky start, calling out the team’s lack of execution and cohesion heading into a crucial home matchup against undefeated USC.
“There’s no facet of the game that we’re playing well in right now,” Altman said. “We start out rebounding well and don’t finish it.
Our ball movement’s not good. Defensively, we’re giving up way too many easy baskets.
You know, we’re a poorly coached team. This is all on me.”
That’s not coach-speak - that’s a head coach owning the moment. But Altman was also quick to point out that the talent is there.
The staff is strong. The players are capable.
The problem, he said, lies in the trust, the connection, and the buy-in - all foundational pieces of any winning program.
“Coaching is about trust. Players don’t trust what I’m saying.
There’s not a connection there, and that’s on me,” Altman continued. “Our players are better than what we’ve shown.
We just have to figure out a way to improve in every facet of the game.”
Right now, Oregon is a team searching for rhythm, and the inconsistencies are showing up all over the floor. Take their two-game stretch in Vegas: the Ducks battled hard on the glass against Auburn, then turned around and got beat up on the boards by San Diego State.
Defensively, breakdowns are leading to too many easy looks. Offensively, the ball isn’t moving, and the attack is too perimeter-heavy - too often settling for contested threes instead of forcing the issue at the rim.
Altman didn’t mince words about the Ducks’ lack of urgency and detail, particularly in transition. The effort, he said, has been inconsistent - and that’s a red flag for a program that typically thrives on discipline and system play.
And things aren’t getting any easier. Oregon’s schedule is only ramping up in difficulty, and the Ducks are still trying to find their footing.
Injuries aren’t helping. Senior forward Nate Bittle left the San Diego State game with an ankle injury, and his status for the USC game is “very questionable.”
That’s a significant loss. Bittle is more than just a big body in the paint - he’s one of Oregon’s best interior defenders, a communicator on the back line, and a steadying presence who helps cover for mistakes.
When he’s not on the floor, the Ducks are a different team, and Altman made that point clear.
“You look at our plus-minus, you look at any facet - when Nate’s not on the floor, we’re a different team,” Altman said.
Devon Pryor is another key piece likely to be sidelined. The starting forward exited the Creighton game just six minutes in with a groin injury and didn’t return. Altman said he’s “highly questionable” for Tuesday’s game.
Without those two, Oregon’s frontcourt depth takes a serious hit. The rotations are still a work in progress, and it’s putting added pressure on guards like Jackson Shelstad and TK Simpkins, who are logging heavy minutes and seeing their defensive impact wane as a result.
Offensively, Altman pointed to a glaring issue: the Ducks aren’t putting enough pressure on the rim. They’re not getting to the free-throw line, not collapsing defenses, and not forcing rotations. And that’s leading to a stagnant offense that’s too reliant on contested jumpers.
“We feel much more comfortable standing on the perimeter and taking a contested three than getting to the basket,” Altman said. “We don’t get to the free-throw line nearly enough.”
There were flashes of what this team can be - like the second half against Creighton, when Oregon attacked downhill and forced the defense to adjust. But even then, the Ducks missed opportunities to make the extra pass once the defense collapsed. That’s the kind of detail that separates good possessions from wasted ones.
Leadership and chemistry remain question marks. Altman said veterans like Bittle, Shelstad, and Kwame Evans Jr. are trying to be more vocal, but the overall connection still isn’t there. And with injuries keeping players in and out of practice, building momentum has been tough.
“It’s a new group, and the connection between the team has to improve. A lot,” Altman said.
Now, here comes USC - 7-0, fresh off a Maui Invitational title, and averaging nearly 90 points per game. The Trojans play fast, they share the ball, and they can light it up from anywhere on the floor. For an Oregon team still trying to find its defensive identity, that’s a tall order.
“It’ll be a big challenge,” Altman said. “We’re coming off a tough week, and we’ve got a tough week ahead.
We’re not playing very well. It’s going to be really important for our guys to man up a little bit.
Hopefully the crowd gives us a little boost, and we play a little harder, a little smarter, get connected as a team and make some progress.”
The good news? It’s still early.
The Ducks have time to turn things around. But the margin for error is shrinking, and December won’t offer many breathers.
If Oregon wants to live up to its potential, the turnaround has to start now - with trust, with effort, and with a group that believes it can be better than what it’s shown.