CBS Sports’ projection: No. 8 in the Big Ten
My ballot: No. 4 in the Big Ten
Oregon was picked eighth in the CBS Sports Big Ten basketball preview. That’s a safe, round number, right? Smack dab in the middle for one of the newbies.
I have the Ducks fourth, even though Dana Altman lost N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard who put Oregon on their collective backs on a wild run to the NCAA Tournament.
It’s not super fun to be out on an island but we press onward.
The reasons for the bullish outlook are pretty self-explanatory. When 25 of the top-61 recruits from the Class of 2023 hit the transfer portal, Oregon was able to retain its prized recruiting class of Jackson Shelstad, KJ Evans and Mookie Cook. It added four fifth-year seniors to its transfer portal haul. Villanova transfer TJ Bamba is the headliner, but Brandon Angel, a Stanford product, was one of my favorite role players in the portal. Supreme Cook and Ra’Heim Moss will buff up the depth in the frontcourt and backcourt, respectively.
Oregon just fits the ethos of the teams I want to be in on. Retention matters and it insulated the sophomore studs with smart, veteran, winning transfers.
This is a big bet on Shelstad being that dude and Evans potentially being a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year contender. Please prove me right @ Ducks.
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