When guards Jermaine Couisnard and Keeshawn Barthelemy were weighing their individual transfer options, a few things were appealing about the Oregon men’s basketball team.
It could offer an opportunity to contribute to a team with the hopes of making an NCAA tournament run. It has a history of continued success under head coach Dana Altman. And it had just lost guards Jacob Young and De’Vion Harmon, meaning Couisnard and Barthelemy could fill those gaps.
By the middle of spring, each had finalized that decision and committed to play at Oregon. At that point they were excited to play heavy minutes for a competitive program.
But that’s the thing about the transfer portal: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Fast forward to January and a talented bunch, that added Couisnard and Barthelemy among others, whose goal was to compete in the NCAA Tournament, finds itself at 11-8, needing to essentially win out to achieve that goal.
So, when the question was proposed to the two transfers, that, if in the spring, someone had told them what the future held, would they still make that same decision, each offered a varying response.
“I’d tell them, they are lying,” Couisnard said.
And Barthelemy said: “I would still come because the best teams face adversity at some point in their season. I think the little stretch of injuries, and the games that we dropped against Arizona State or Utah Valley, it builds character.”
Therein both responses lies the truth: At the mid-way point of the NCAA basketball season, not many expected the Ducks to be in must-win mode. Rather than sulk about it, they’ve accepted the challenge and are using it to fuel a second half run.
At a preseason press conference, Altman gazed over at a gaggle of players who sat on the bench donning street clothes, and he let out a light-hearted chuckle while sporting a pain-masking grin.
He was seemingly trying to underplay the issue at hand: his Ducks were preparing to open the 2022-23 season with a roster far from complete.
“I’m not sure if we’re going to have anybody to play on Monday night,” he said, jokingly. “We’ll see.”
The Ducks were down Cousinard and guard Brennan Rigsby — both of whom Altman said were slated to be starters — as well as forward Lök Wur. Rigsby and Cousinard’s absences extended into conference play, with the former returning on December 1.
Along with those three pre-opener injuries, Barthelemy hurt his foot in the Ducks’ game against Houston on Nov. 20, guard Tyrone Williams hurt his ankle playing UConn four days later and center Nate Bittle sustained a foot injury in their following game against Michigan State.
It hit a low point during the game against Michigan State where the Ducks featured walk-ons Gabe Reichle, James Cooper and Brady Parris.
The injury bug and the lack of chemistry — a product of that revolving door — have Oregon in an uphill battle. It’s the first time since they went 21-18 in 2010-11, that this program’s postseason hopes hang in the balance just midway through the season.
While the slew of injuries took a toll on the Ducks’ roster and, in turn, its record, it did just the opposite for the team’s morale.
“We couldn’t control what happened toward the beginning of the year,” Couisnard said. “So we just had to man up and ride with the guys we got.”
It certainly put more of a load onto point guard Will Richardson, who played 199 of a possible 200 minutes during a five-game stretch from Nov. 26-Dec. 10, one in which he averaged 19.2 points per game and eight assists.
As for Couisnard, who sees himself as a leader on the court, it offered a period of reflection. After undergoing a successful surgery on Nov. 1, he took the time away from playing basketball to learn about himself and where he could fit in on his new team.
That much was evident in his performance against No. 11 Arizona. Couisnard moved into the starting lineup for the first time and played an off-ball scoring role alongside Richardson. He shot 6-of-9 from three and scored 27 points as the Ducks upset the Wildcats 87-68.
Barthlemy had returned from his foot injury the game prior to that Arizona one, but didn’t see significant playing time. Against the Wildcats, however, it seemed Altman found a lineup that maximized the talents of all three guards.
“I really feel good about that lineup,” Barthelemy said. “We can all run the floor, shoot and everybody can pass.”
Barthelemy finished with a plus-minus of 16, while Richardson and Couisnard each posted a plus-minus of 17.
The Ducks built off that success by blowing out University of California Berkeley, 87-58. Within those victories it’s remained evident that the Ducks are growing as the season progresses and players get healthier. Remaining consistent is the next step.
“Now that we’re full, we just have to take it game-by-game,” Couisnard said.
It’s a tough mindset to adhere to when the overarching goal is at risk each time the Ducks take the court. That process continues on Saturday when Oregon takes on the Stanford Cardinal.
