When Brandon Angel entered the transfer portal, one of the main things he looked for was a place to win, saying that he had “done enough losing for the last four years.”
Despite a tough three-week stretch that started in the middle of January, the Ducks have done their fair share of winning. A large part of their success stems from the production of role players on both ends of the court.
One of those players is Angel, who committed to Oregon on April 22, 2024, after spending four seasons with the Stanford Cardinal. As one of the most physically imposing players for the Ducks this season, Angel has faced higher expectations to make up for the production they lost this offseason.
N’Faly Dante — who left Oregon to enter the NBA Draft — led the team in rebounding last season and averaged 9.2 rebounds a game across 22 games played.
With the Ducks needing to fill the rebounding gap left by Dante, the team turned to Angel and senior center Nate Bittle under the paint to make up for his absence. Angel recorded 4.7 rebounds per game last season at Stanford and has slightly dropped his average rebound total this season for the Ducks.
“(Angel) has done some really good things for us offensively,” head coach Dana Altman said. “The only area of his game that I’m disappointed in is rebounding.”
Angel said that throughout the summer the coaches emphasized that the team needs guys willing to put their bodies on the line and grab rebounds. Likewise, Altman has pointed out rebounds and second-chance points as key areas when assessing the outcome of games.
“Statistically, when you out-rebound a team, your chances of winning go up by a good margin,” Angel said. “Coaches have shown us the stats of when Oregon out-rebounds and wins the rebounding margin, how many more games we win. It’s definitely a point of emphasis.”
This year, Angel averaged 8.6 points a game on 52.6% shooting during the regular season with more games to be played in upcoming tournaments. His minutes and overall production have decreased compared to last season, but Angel understands the support he has from his teammates.
“One of our biggest strengths is our depth, and any given night we got the whole team who we know can score double digits, defend and it’s next man up,” Angel said after a game against Washington. “If someone’s not playing well, you trust your teammate to step in and fill that void.”
In addition to building trust and confidence with his teammates, Angel said he instantly recognized and appreciated that Altman had set a clear standard for what he expected on both ends of the floor and in the players’ approach to the game.
Altman has talked about the advantages of Angel’s experience and described him as “a really smart young man that knows how to play.” Altman spoke highly of Angel’s efficiency and knowledge of the game, and the edge that his abilities bring to the team.
“I pride myself on being efficient, taking good shots, playing good team basketball and I think if you play basketball the right way, it’s easy to fit in wherever you’re needed,” Angel said.
For Angel, his first and final season with the Ducks has been a ride of different emotions and new experiences. As Oregon looks to close out the season, the team will continue to turn to that chemistry they have built throughout the season, displaying the Oregon culture.
