The Oregon Ducks men’s basketball program finished with back-to-back top-5 nationally-ranked recruiting classes in the 2018 and 2019 recruiting cycles.

But with just one pledge in 2020 - consensus four-star point guard Jalen Terry - Oregon entered the week outside the top-80 nationally.

While incoming transfers don’t help the recruiting class rank, they can dramatically alter the future outlook for a college basketball program.

And the Ducks added a key piece Monday.

Down to a final three of Creighton, Oregon and Syracuse, Saint Peter’s University freshman guard Aaron Estrada announced his commitment to the Ducks:

The 6-foot-4, 207-pound point guard is the reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) rookie of the year after averaging 8.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field, 34.0 from three-point range and 87.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Estrada, who scored in double-digits in 6 of Saint Peter’s last nine games, was also a third-team all-MAAC selection.

The talented combo guard is expected to sit out the upcoming season before hitting the floor in Eugene as a redshirt sophomore for the 2021-2022 season.

However with the coronavirus shutdown of NCAA athletics - and the ongoing discussion of altering eligibility rules - it remains a (slim) possibility Estrada competes next season.

-- Andrew Nemec | anemec@oregonian.com | @AndrewNemec