Undefeated No. 11 Oregon getting reinforcements

Nicole Auerbach | USA TODAY Sports

Just before the start of the season, Oregon coach Dana Altman received word that two of his players would be suspended for nine games for selling team-issued shoes.

That, in conjunction with considerable roster turnover and a non-conference slate that featured games against Big East, SEC and Big Ten foes, caused him to wonder. What might his Ducks look like — and how good could they be?

"I really didn't know," Altman told USA TODAY Sports on Monday. "With as many new guys as we had, trying to get everybody on the same page, I wasn't sure how the early part of the season would go. We had good (transfer) players — Joe Young, Mike Moser, Jason (Calliste). I knew those guys were good players, but I didn't know how we'd work together."

As it turns out, quite well. The Ducks are 9-0 with wins against Georgetown, Ole Miss and Illinois. And, perhaps best of all for Oregon's long-term success, reinforcements are arriving.

Tuesday night against UC-Irvine, the Ducks welcome back sophomores Dominic Artis and Ben Carter, who have missed the team's first nine games because of NCAA violations. Altman said he will play both, but they won't start. They have been practicing with the team during their suspensions.

"They're really anxious to get on the floor and play," Altman said. "It's really hard to be big members of the team last year and not be able to travel with the team (this year). ... It's been really tough on them.

"I'm sure their energy level (Tuesday) night will be really high."

To this point, the way Altman has blended nine newcomers with what remained from last year's Sweet 16 squad has been nothing short of masterful. But after the last couple of seasons of Altman expertly mixing inherited players, transfers and new recruits, success should come as no surprise.

Young, a transfer from Houston, arguably has been the best player in the Pac-12, averaging 19.4 points a game while shooting 47.5 from beyond the arc. Moser, a transfer from UNLV, is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds — important contributions for a team that "is a little shorthanded inside," Altman said.

The key to Oregon's 9-0 start, however, is senior guard Johnathan Loyd, who is dishing out 7.3 assists a game and managing a talented roster. He distributes the ball to the right players at the right time, Altman said, and he knows went to push the ball up the court, too.

Moving forward, Carter, a 6-8 forward, will provide some help defensively and on the boards. Artis, a 6-1 guard, will not only spell Loyd but also provide a boost of his own. Last year the Ducks went 23-5 in games he played in, and 5-4 when he was out with a foot injury.

"D.A. is another good ballhander, another good scorer to really help Johnny," Altman said. "Johnny got some quick fouls in some of our earlier games and really limited his minutes. I think we'll be able to do some more things defensively, get a little more aggressive, knowing that we've got a little more depth."

That depth is something Altman is looking forward to; it gives him some wiggle room. He's been playing an eight-man rotation but said he's still got a lot to figure out with this Oregon team. He didn't go so far as to call the roster he's got an embarrassment of riches — though six double-digit scorers plus the return of Artis and Carter might qualify. Either way, integrating talent into an already-talented team is not a bad problem to have.

"It's not an exact science," Altman said. "We're still in December. Heck, we won't get our roles and rotation set until January, maybe February. ... We have a lot of options.

"The guys on the floor will have to play well to keep their minutes."