Oregon Ducks Roar Into AP Top 10 With 18-2 Start to the Season

At 18-2 overall and 7-0 within the Pac-12 Conference, the Oregon Ducks have quickly become one of the more successful stories in this college basketball this season.

Head coach Dana Altman features a balanced and dangerous lineup that is highlighted by a loaded front court in the paint. The additions of both Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi have helped bolster things down low for Altman, as both have the potential to stuff the stat sheet for double-doubles on any given night.

The balance across the board makes the Ducks difficult to match-up with, as a number of players have proven this season their individual abilities to score the basketball.

With the re-release of the nation’s top 25, the Ducks have ridden the wave all the way up to No. 10 overall in the AP Top 25. The emergence of Oregon on a national stage only adds more evidence to the improvement of the conference this season as a whole. The Ducks have not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and have not won a game in the Big Dance since their 2007 run to the Elite 8.

Now, the focus in 2013 is no longer about making the NCAA Tournament as that already appears imminent, but winning a conference championship and improving their overall seeding is at the forefront. The Ducks have the balance to make a run come March, but it will be interesting to see how they handle the added pressure now as a top 10 squad.

The Ducks will look to continue their winning ways this week with back-to-back road games at both Stanford and California.

 

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