Oregon is in good position for the next couple years with this year’s four man recruiting class.
The class includes three star Roy Kasongo, a 6’9’’ 235 pound power forward out of Scarborough, Ontario who is the #35 PF in the class; three star and top 150 recruit Casey Benson, a 6’3’’ 185 pound point guard from Tempe Arizona; four star junior college player Dwayne Benjamin, a 6’6’’ 200 pound small forward hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana; and four star junior college player Michael Chandler, a 6’10’’ 245 pound center coming from Indianapolis. Out of this class, the Ducks have gained both depth and a quality starter in Chandler and solid backups in Benson and Kasongo.
Head coach Dana Altman has always used transfers to full effect during his time at Oregon, and this class again looks to be bringing in impact transfers in Chandler and Kasongo. Benson and Benjamin are also high value players that should continue to strengthen the Oregon program. Altman has a talent for taking the lesser-known or heralded players and molding them into a true team greater than the sum of its parts. This group should be no different.
Three players in this Duck class were especially desirable. Top programs Arizona, Connecticut, and UCLA were all involved with Kasongo. He is a good post prospect who seemingly plays up to the competition. Over the summer he dropped 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 blocks on this year’s top recruit, Duke-bound Jahlil Okafor and his teammate, number four in the class, Kansas commit Cliff Alexander. For a rising program like Oregon to snag someone with those types of offers is a big deal. Beating out the big boys is a major win for Altman and the Ducks and should not go unacknowledged and is a sign the program has been noticed by recruits.
The second player of note is Benson. He was named the Arizona player of the year after his junior season and was recruited by Gonzaga among others, again pointing to an admittedly lower level recruited that is nevertheless still prized by a consistent top 25 program. He is a natural point guard, a selfless distributor who loves to get his teammates involved in the offense. Jonathan Loyd will be gone after this year so another point guard will be critical to backup starter Dominic Artis Assuming everyone returns to run out their eligibility, a natural point is exactly what the Ducks will need with the massive amount of talent on the wings in Joseph Young and Damyean Dotson.
The final player of particular interest is Chandler. He is the prize of the group. He was a top 50 recruit out of high school but failed to qualify academically and went the junior college route, raising his grades enough to become eligible. He will start next year with Ben Carter in the frontcourt and will help cover the production left behind by Mike Moser. Chandler is similar to last year’s rim-protector Tony Woods but with a much better offensive game. With a scoring threat in the post, the perimeter will be freed up for Dominic Artis, Young, and Dotson to wreak havoc on opposing guards. Chandler is a great get.
However, the final member of the class in Benjamin should not be forgotten. He will probably never be a consistent starter with Damyean Dotson ahead of him for the next two years, but he will provide valuable depth. At Mt. San Jacinto College last year, he led the team in scoring, and next season he could fulfill the role of instant offense off the bench. He may not have the relative impact of his classmates, but he is a good pick-up for Altman and the Ducks.
Oregon may even grab one or possibly two more recruits out of the 2014 class. Now that they have depth at all positions anyone else would be a luxury—or possible starter if past history is any indicator. People watching Oregon closely anticipate another big shock commit like Artis, Moser, or Young from previous years. Three star power forward Cameron Oliver (Arizona, UCLA, and Cal rumored to be interested) from Sacramento is one possibility. He has ties with Artis. Oliver is a good dunker but does not seem to have any other appreciable skills. Coming off an ACL tear that forced him to miss junior season, he may not be someone the Ducks should use a scholarship on. One more player who may join the fold is class of 2013 power forward Jordan Bell who may redshirt after enrolling in January if he becomes eligible or even ever arrives on campus. This possibility appears likely to never happen considering the difficulty in getting him to Oregon thus far. With this in mind, Oregon may be better off waiting until next year’s class to extend more offers.
Oregon is placed in an excellent position to compete for future Pac-12 championships and to make quality runs in the NCAA Tournament. Next year there will be a significant upgrade in the post with Waverly Austin and Richard Amardi departing to be replaced by returnee Ben Carter, Kasongo, and Chandler. Benson will spell Artis at the point, and Benjamin will provide valuable depth on the perimeter. This may not be as star-studded as last year’s class with Young, Moser, Jason Calliste, and Elgin Young, but it is a quality group of recruits that will only help the Ducks.
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