Dorsey and Boucher Give Oregon Ducks a Chance to Reach New Heights

More from Autzen Zoo

• Oregon football: Ducks and Coach Prime playing it cordial leading up to Saturday
• Oregon Basketball: Non-conference slate features Michigan coming to Eugene
• Oregon football: Ducks find complete game effort in win vs Hawaii
• Oregon Ducks must get run game going against Hawaii
• 8 Pac-12 teams represented in Associated Press Top 25 after Week 2

While the Oregon Men’s Basketball team is consistently good, they are rarely great. The team has made the postseason tournament the past three years in a row, but has not reached the Elite Eight since 2007 and the Final Four since 1939. However, the Ducks have seemed to improve every year and look prepared to have their best season yet under head coach Dana Altman.

This year’s team is a combination of new and old faces, both of which will play a significant role in the team’s success. With former Oregon Ducks standout Joseph Young gone to the NBA, several others will have to step it up in order to replace his production. Returners such as Elgin Cook, Dillon Brooks, Casey Benson, Dwayne Benjamin, and Jordan Bell (when he is healthy) will all take on larger roles than they had in the past. These familiar faces will be responsible for much of the Ducks’ success but two new players will play key roles in freshman guard Tyler Dorsey and transfer student center Chris Boucher.

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Dorsey, a five-star recruit out of Maranatha High School in Los Angeles, CA, has immediately shown why he was so highly touted coming out of high school in Oregon’s first two games versus Jackson State and Baylor. While it is a small sample size, Dorsey has made several highlight plays and contributed stats across the board. In his first two games, Dorsey is not only leading the team in minutes, but also averaging 16 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game on a stellar 53% shooting from the field. Dorsey is still young and inexperienced, but he has already shown an ability to be a star and take the Oregon Ducks to the next level.

Along with Dorsey, the Oregon Ducks found themselves another new player ready to contribute right away in Chris Boucher, a transfer student out of Northwest Junior College in Wyoming. Boucher won junior college player of the year on unreal per-game stats of 22.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.7 blocks and has immediately shown the ability to score, rebound, and block at a higher level in his first two games with the Oregon Ducks. Despite playing just 16 minutes against Jackson State, Boucher still managed 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 blocks, and two steals. He then received a chance to really show his stuff in 35 minutes versus 20th ranked Baylor, where he finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks and was a major contributor in a big win.

With 5 teams currently ranked in the top 25, the Pac-12 is one of the most competitive conferences in college basketball. This means that the Ducks will face plenty challenges throughout the season, but also means they will be given the opportunity to knock off quality opponents and climb their way up the rankings. The season is still young and there is just a small sample size to observe, but the Oregon Ducks Men’s Basketball teams looked loaded with talent and a chance to take the program to new heights.

The Oregon Ducks host 3-0 Savannah State on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 8pm Pacific Time on Pac-12 Networks.