Last season, the Pac-12 shocked all top sportsbooks with an impressive NCAA Tournament record. In the 2021-22 season, they plan to do more of the same. One of the top teams in the conference is the Oregon Ducks. Oregon may be known for its unique court, but plenty of great basketball is played in Eugene.
Oregon was a seven-seed in last season’s NCAA Tournament, but they made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen due to an upperclassmen-led team that got hot at the right time. Oregon had success, but they need to prove that they can take the next step as a program. One of the keys to making that happen is Quincy Guerrier, a transfer from Syracuse.
Guerrier was an all-conference player for the Orange, and he led the team in rebounds as a sophomore. Syracuse made it to the Sweet Sixteen as well, but he hopes to do more for the Ducks this season. Oregon has +3300 odds to win a title, so they’ll have to do a lot to win it all. Still, what can we expect from a top transfer from Oregon?
Guerrier was an all-conference player in the ACC, so he knows a thing or two about performing at a high level. While the Pac-12 had more postseason success last year, Guerrier has experience against teams like UNC, Duke and Virginia. He’ll be ready for anything thrown at him this season.
Guerrier is a solid rim-runner who likes to win with strength and athleticism. He’s not as big as a traditional post-player, but he has more than enough strength to win against any forwards. He can protect the rim as well. He always finds himself in the right place at the right time. That’s how he led Syracuse in rebounds and averaged over a block a game.
Above all, experience matters in college basketball and for NCAAB picks. Thankfully, Quincy Guerrier has two years under his belt. He’s developed as an outside shooter, making almost as many threes as a sophomore as he attempted in his freshman season. He’s a threat outside, a beast inside, and a formidable presence on the defensive end.
Oregon made it to the Sweet Sixteen last season, but they’ll have to replace a ton of talent. Guerrier will bring the experience necessary to go beyond the Sweet Sixteen. Oregon was a terrible rebounding team last year, and it lowered their ceiling as a team. One person alone can’t change that, but Guerrier can be trusted to get boards in every game.
Pairing this with his offensive consistency brings the Ducks to a new level as a team. Guerrier can’t carry Oregon to the Final Four by himself, but he’s already proven in the ACC that he can be a great piece on a winning basketball team. This will be a challenge, but don’t be shocked when things work out for the Ducks towards the end of the year.
At the end of the day, the postseason is all that matters. Will adding Guerrier be enough for Oregon?
It depends on the final goal. Guerrier has what it takes to lead Oregon the a conference title. Even with teams like UCLA and USC in the mix, the Ducks should be a top team in the Pac-12. Take it into consideration for your NCAAB odds.
In the NCAA Tournament, Oregon should be considered a Sweet Sixteen team or better if things go well this season. Even with so much roster turnover, this should be a reasonable goal for Oregon. Guerrier is a new face with a proven skillset that other teams will have to plan against. He’s not going to singlehandedly take over a game, but he raises the floor for a quality team that exceeded expectations in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Last season, it was surprising when Oregon made it to the Sweet Sixteen. This year, that is a more attainable goal than ever. We’re still months away from the start of the season, but all the pieces are there for Oregon to win the Pac-12 on their way to an impressive NCAA Tournament run.