Oregon plays Wisconsin in Round 3 of NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Oregon Ducks guard Joseph Young (3) reacts to losing to Wisconsin on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament. His decision to either stay in school or leave for professional basketball is one key offseason question.

(Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian)

This is the third of a three-part Oregon men's basketball season review. Oregon ended the 2013-14 season Saturday in an 85-77 loss to Wisconsin in the third round of the NCAA Tournament's West Regional. Oregon finished 24-10. Part One examined the season's story lines; Part Two broke down the Ducks by the numbers.

Will Joseph Young turn professional?

Shooting guard Joseph Young's debut season in Eugene, after transferring from Houston, was one of the best offensive performances in school history, yet left him no obvious choice about whether or not to turn professional one year early.

Young scored the fifth-most points in a single Oregon season and also cracked the school's top-10 list for free throws, a blaze of points that displayed his range (he shot 60.3 percent at the rim and 41.5 percent from three) and hot hand (29 points in one half at Arizona State). And for a player with his offensive rating, few scorers matched his output while handling the ball as few possessions as he did.

Because he was counted on as such a scorer, we don't know his full potential as a ball handler or defender. All this leaves Young on the awkward cusp of possibly being selected in June's NBA Draft, but without a sign from any draft projections that he is certain to rise to a first-round pick -- with its guaranteed three-year contracts. Chad Ford of ESPN once listed Young as the 60th and final pick in one mock draft, while DraftExpress ranks him 34th in his class. (The last pick of the 2013 NBA Draft's first round was projected to earn $880,000 this season, according to ShamSports.) Of course, other options include playing in Europe or the NBA Developmental League.

If Young declared for the draft but did not hire an agent, he would have until April 15 to withdraw.

But this isn't about what he should do, only how it would affect the Ducks. Should he return, Oregon's expected backcourt of Dominic Artis, Damyean Dotson and Young should be one of the Pac-12's most experienced and potent offensively. If he leaves, Oregon loses 23 percent of its offensive production -- on top of the 50.1 percent guaranteed to leave because of graduating seniors -- and must hope to fill that void by plucking another transfer scorer (like Young) or hoping incoming star guard JaQuan Lyle is a quick study.

Regardless of what happens with Young, how much will Dotson and Artis improve?

Artis' season never got off the ground after his nine-game suspension. Dotson's expected offensive development was stunted by the arrival of Young. Both struggled -- Artis moreso than Dotson, who compensated by becoming one of the team's best defenders and rebounders from the wing -- to find their roles after entering the season fresh off a Sweet 16 run as freshmen.

Artis' offensive rating, possessions used, efficient field-goal percentage, steals and assist percentages all dipped as a sophomore. Dotson's shooting decreased, as well, and his possessions used remained unchanged, but his all-around development showed through with his increases in rebounding and assists.

The question then becomes whether their junior seasons will remain another work in progress or fulfill the leap they were expected to make in 2013-14. With at least half of Oregon's offense lost from this roster, these two will be relied on for not only a one-two scoring punch next season but a consistency that was missing as sophomores, when it ebbed and flowed with a host of more experienced players there to make up for the gap.

Next season, they are the veterans. With roles more clearly defined through graduation (no more Johnny Loyd at point guard, nor Jason Calliste as a sharpshooter) or early pro entry, Artis and Dotson should be in line to flourish. What they make of that opportunity is up to them, however.

How will Oregon fill its void down low?

Oregon's front-line play was a concern all season, and the Ducks lamented the sub-par rebounding and limited offensive production of their smallish lineup from the time practices began in the fall until its NCAA Tournament loss to Wisconsin. Oregon centers scored 17.0 percent of UO points, which ranked 248th in Division I, while grabbing less than the D-I average in offensive rebounds, too.

And now, the three seniors who occasionally filled in at center are gone in Mike Moser, Wavely Austin and Richard Amardi. Next season, will a new group of centers who are much younger be able to improve a position that has historically been a UO weakness?

The pressure is on highly touted Ray Kasongo, a 6-foot-9 Canadian who has played at several U.S. prep schools, 6-9 Jordan Bell, a vicious shot-blocker, and 6-10 Michael Chandler, who transfers from Northwest Florida State, the school that sent Elgin Cook to Oregon. While no doubt talented, they are also young and the Pac-12 is a hard place to learn on the job.

"You know I wish I could have got them to guard a little better," Altman said following the Wisconsin loss of his regret for the season. "It hurt us today and rebounding was going to be a problem because we played small a lot this year, but we should have been a better defensive team and that's on me. But (they're) really good guys, really enjoyed working with them. Really going to miss the seniors."

Can Dana Altman pull off yet another 20-win season?

No Oregon team has ever put together five straight seasons with at least 20 victories, just as Oregon has never played in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. How Oregon answers all the the preceding questions -- and the many, many more surrounding this team -- will answer the larger question of whether Altman's record consistency will keep on rolling or hit its first major bump in his Eugene tenure.

And now, a final word from Altman, from Saturday's locker room following the loss to Wisconsin:

"We just want to get players who want to work and we need to get guys to work in the offseason and get better. We've got a lot of guys coming in and we've got to get them incorporated so we've got a lot of challenges ahead, but no moreso than any of the last four years. I always like to look forward, you just hate to end this way. It's hard to look ahead right now today, in a day or two we'll start looking ahead."

-- Andrew Greif