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Oregon Basketball: Ducks Open Season Ranked 15th In AP Poll

By Justin Phillips

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks signals his players during a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks signals his players during a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the USC Trojans at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 74-54. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Head Coach Dana Altman and the Oregon Men’s Basketball team will start the 2019 season ranked in the Top 15 of the Associated Press poll.

While most of the attention will be on the Oregon Women’s Basketball team, the Oregon Men’s team is primed to make some noise of their own this season. On Monday, the Preseason Associated Press poll as released and the Ducks will start the season ranked 15th. There was one other Pac-12 school ranked to start the season, Arizona at 21.

There are several tournaments early in the season that will help shape the landscape for the Pac-12 and Nationally including the key tournament the Ducks will play in, The Battle 4 Atlantis. The tournament will have Oregon against several ranked opponents including 12th ranked Seton Hall and 8th ranked Gonzaga. Oregon will have to get past the Pirates first. Of course, this could all change, and will over the first few weeks of the season.

Payton Pritchard returns for his senior season and has some key experience returning this season with Will Richardson and Francis Okoro returning. Pritchard will also be joined by a fellow high school teammate in Anthony Mathis, who will be spending his senior season with the Oregon Ducks.

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OregonBaskeetball has a lot of early opportunities to grow with matchups against Hawaii, Houston, Seton Hall, Gonzaga, and Michigan along with two games against Boise State during the non-conference slate. The Ducks open Pac-12 play on the road against Colorado and Utah.

Once again, Head Coach Dana Altman has a team that brings experience and new faces and will have to find a way to gel early. Injuries have derailed or attempted to derail the Ducks in past seasons. Last year, Oregon finished the season on a run that took them into the NCAA Tournament.

The 2019 regular season begins on Tuesday, November 5th hosting Fresno State at Matthew Knight Arena at 6 pm Pacific Time. Four of the first five games will be at home with one (Memphis) being played at the Moda Center in Portland.

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