The Oregon Ducks men's basketball is in Spain over the next two weeks, taking place in exhibition games afforded to college basketball programs once every four years.

The Ducks will be doing so, however, without one of their most important pieces of the upcoming season.

Dillon Brooks, who injured his left foot earlier this summer, will miss a significant amount of time, Oregon head coach Dana Altman said late last week.

"He's going to be out for a while," Altman said. "He had surgery and we'll just have to wait and see what the doctors say."

This isn't uncharted territory for the Ducks. Last season Oregon had a pair of foot injuries, with Jordan Bell missing the first half of the season following offseason surgery and Dylan Ennis missing all but two games due to a foot injury.

Brooks' injury will have the biggest impact on the Ducks. The junior led the Ducks in scoring as a sophomore and was a first-team all-Pac-12 pick. He's the focal point of Oregon's offense and its on-court leader, meaning Oregon's other returning players such as Bell, Chris Boucher, Ennis, Casey Benson and Tyler Dorsey will have to absorb the blow.

"I feel for Dillon," Benson said. "But other guys have to step up while he's out. It will thrust guys into a bigger role than maybe they expected. Dillon Brooks was a big part of the team and we have to pick up the the slack when he's out."

Before Brooks' injury, The Oregonian/OregonLive would have projected Oregon's starting lineup as Ennis, Dorsey, Brooks, Bell and Boucher. With Brooks out, the Ducks could potentially switch to a three-guard starting front with Benson -- who started at point guard last season --, Dorsey and Ennis, or look to new additions at the forward position in freshman M.J. Cage, junior college transfer Kavell Bigby-Williams or another freshman in Keith Smith.

"I think we're deep and we have vets in Jordan and Roman (Sorkin) and Chris and new guys with Kavell and Cage," Altman said. "Michael has done well for a freshman, especially battling those older guys. Chris and Kavell and Jordan are older and Roman has been here a year and a half. For a freshman to come in and battle those four older guys and hang in there, I'm pleased with his efforts."

The Ducks first game in Spain is Tuesday against an all-star team from Madrid.

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger