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Dana Altman in the NCAA Tournament: How do the Oregon Ducks do under his guise?

By Sam Fariss

Oregon coach Dana Altman brings his team together before their game against Michigan at Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon coach Dana Altman brings his team together before their game against Michigan at Matthew Knight Arena. / Chris Pietsch/The Register Guard / USA
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2020 season

Oregon would once again make it to the Sweet Sixteen during the 2020-21 season. Altman would lead the Ducks to a Pac-12 regular season title but the team would be upset by Oregon State in the conference tournament.

Receiving an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament, Oregon lucked out and advanced to the second round without playing. The team they were supposed to play in the opening round, VCU, had to forfeit due to COVID regulations.

The Ducks defeated Iowa to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they were defeated by conference foe USC.

2021 season

Altman led the Ducks to a relatively disappointing finish for the 2021-22 season. In somewhat of a rebuilding phase, Oregon failed to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament and instead returned to the NIT.

The Ducks finished fifth in the Pac-12 with a 20-15 overall record. In Altman’s 12th season with Oregon, his team would advance to the second round of the NIT Tournament before being knocked out.

2022 season

The most recent season saw similar results to the one before that. However, Oregon made a deeper run in the NIT Tournament. 

Once again falling short of the main March Madness event, the Ducks played in the NIT where they defeated UC Irvine and UCF in the first two rounds.

Sadly, Oregon would lose to the Wisconsin Badgers in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Mar 16, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, United States; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman displays a net after winning the conference tournament.
Mar 16, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, United States; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman displays a net after winning the conference tournament. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Altman has had some truly historic runs with the Ducks in the postseason tournaments. During his 14th year in Eugene, his team has had to evolve through injuries and illnesses.

The phrase “Dana Altman aligns Rubick’s cubes” has become popularized to point out the head coach’s ability to lead his team to victory despite not having a consistent roster at hand.

As the postseason rapidly approaches, the Ducks are on the bubble watch for an NCAA Tournament bid and can hopefully make another history run under Altman’s guise.

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