Oregon Basketball: With Payton Pritchard Returning, All Eyes On Anthony Mathis
Last week, Oregon now Senior Payton Pritchard withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and will return to the Oregon Ducks.
He is one of just three returning players to Oregon with experience and one of the lone Starting members for a team that reached the NCAA Tournament in two of three seasons he has been in Eugene. Oregon has lost seven players from last season to graduation, transfer or to the NBA Draft. Most notable departures are Bol Bol and Louis King.
Despite the departures, Head Coach Dana Atman is finding a way to not only cobble together a team but potentially find his way back to the NCAA Tournament again. On Monday morning, he may have gotten a little closer.
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Anthony Mathis, a high school teammate of Payton Pritchard announced he was entering the Transfer Portal. I expect the Ducks to reach out. Mathis has one year of eligibility remaining and will be available to play immediately. He will also fill a hole in the current Oregon Lineup and could be a dependable starter for his final season.
Mathis enters the portal from New Mexico and is averaging better than 14 points and close to 44 percent shooting from three-point range. Oregon currently sits with just six scholarship players for next season and finding players is one thing, but finding players that have something they can grow on to become better is key.
Dana Altman is one of the best in the country when it comes to getting the most out of his players. While it sometimes takes time, the coaching staff has shown time and time again over the last decade that they are willing to do the work.
Oregon Basketball is coming off a season that saw a ten game winning streak that them to the Sweet 16 where they lost a battle to the eventual Champion in Virginia.