Pac 12 Preview: Oregon

Last Season:
Under former coach Paul Westhead the Ducks were 16-156 overall and 6-12 in the conference. The Ducks averaged 93 points but gave up 80. I expect under their new coaching staff that will change a lot. The Ducks average attendance was 1,038 and that will rise for sure.


The Coaching Staff:
It’s all new with Kelly Graves coming in as the Head Coach after so much success at Gonzaga. Graves coached at Gonzaga for 14 seasons and won 70% of his games taking over for a down and out program at the time. Graves was named the League’s Coach of the Year 8 times. Before Gonzaga he was the Head Coach at St Mary’s for 3 seasons.

Former Stanford All American Nicole Powell is in her first season at Oregon having come from Gonzaga with Graves. Nicolle coached one year at Gonzaga while playing in the WNBA. Powell has retired from the NBA after playing for 11 seasons.

Jodie Berry is in her first season at Oregon coming with Graves after 11 seasons at Gonzaga.

Mark Campbell is a big time addition to the Staff after 4 years at Oregon State as their prime recruiter.



Losses:
Ariel Thomas was the starting Point Guard averaging 14 points and leading the team with 3 assists per game.
Danielle Love averaged 27 minutes and 6 points with 5 rebounds.
Laura Stanulis averaged 2 points per game.



The Schedule:
After North Carolina it’s Fresno State. The Ducks should thrive in the pre-season. Oregon plays Stanford, Cal, Utah and Colorado just once, another break.




Additions:
Lexi Bando is a 5-9 Frosh Guard from Eugene. Bando was all state 3 times averaging about 20 points per game those 3 years.

Jacinta Vandenberg is a 6-5 Center from Australia, but she is also a transfer from Fresno State and will redshirt this year due to transfer rules. She started every game last season for Fresno averaging 6 points and 6 rebounds.

Danielle Walter is a 6-0 guard who transferred from Gonzaga after graduating, but isn’t on the current roster. So maybe she didn’t come.

Marie Berthuel is a 5-3 Guard from France who graduated from Oregon this past year and will walk on.

Tatum Neubert is a 6-2 Forward from Colorado. Tatum led the state in scoring, 23 points per game. Her father was on the TV show Baywatch for several years, a show some of us remember.



The Team:

The Ducks return 4 of their top 6 scorers and with the frosh Center Vandenberg coming in it’s really hard to tell if 6-3 Jr Post Jillian Alleyne will be the 4 or the 5. But given the other 3 top scorers returning are less than 6-0 I’ll guess Alleyne at the 4 and Vandenberg starts at the 5. Alleyne averaged 21 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 55%.

We all know the offense will not be run and gun making some but shoot again Offense and will play far better Defense so keep that in mind when reading these stats from last season. For reference the Ducks shot 40% and the opponents 44% last season. Also opponents had 50% more assists than the one on one playing Ducks.

Chrishae Rowe is a 5-10 Soph who last season averaged almost 22 points per game but shot just 37%. She did make 81 threes but at 31%. Rowe averaged 7 rebounds per game.

Katelyn Loper is a 5-11 Sr Guard who averaged 14 points shooting only 32%. Loper made 83 threes at 27%.

Lexi Peterson is 5-11 Jr Guard who averaged 10 points per game.

Off the bench will be the Frosh Neubert up front. Also 6-4 Sr Center Megan Carpenter will play. Last season Carpenter averaged 2 points and 2 rebounds per game.

Drea Toler is a 5-5 Soph Guard who averaged 3 points per game.

Amanda Delgado is a 5-7 Sr Guard who averaged 3 points per game.

Janitah Iamaleava is a 6-2 Redshirt Jr Forward who just played a few games last season, and few the year before.

Jordan Loera is a 5-9 Redshirt Jr Guard who missed last season with a knee injury but as both a Frosh and Soph averaged 6 points per game. Loera will probably be the first Guard off the bench and may well be a starter.



Predictions:
So hard to tell with the major coaching and philosophy change. Anywhere from 6th to 10th.



2015 Recruiting:
Lauren Yearwood, 6-3 P Canada. Playing now for the National 17U team. May play against the US.

Otiona Gildon (6-1 PF Spokane, WA/Gonzaga Prep) commits to Oregon, will be a Duck! # 51 ESPN