Everything in coaching is revisited with 20/20 vision. If it works, it’s a great call. If it doesn’t, it’s a dumb decision.

Kelly Graves has banked most of his now 12-year career at Oregon on making the right calls and pushing the right buttons.

Now in 2025-26, he’s hoping that improved pace and a bevy of talented guards — instead of having a traditional lineup with a true center — will help Oregon compete with some of the best the Big Ten has to offer. 

“It’s just kind of the way we’re built. We’re not very tall, but we’ve got a lot of mobile players, and so we’re trying to spread it out,” Graves said on Wednesday following the Ducks’ 15th preseason practice. “We saw a lot of that in the Big Ten last year, and we’ve adjusted to it.”

Graves also mentioned that having nine returners helped Oregon start a little faster than in years past. 

“So far, I really like what I see. We got to start at a higher plane, just simply because we have nine returners, so we were able to move through some things a little bit quicker than we normally would,” he said. “Great energy, they’re very positive, and they’ve been working really hard.”

Although no one on this year’s roster is taller than 6-foot-4, Graves is hoping that having a smaller lineup will help Oregon run the floor more in transition. 

“Unfortunately, with a faster pace comes more turnovers, but right now, through 15 practices, we just got done stat-ing all the practices, and we’re nearly at a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio,” Graves said. “I love what I see so far, and I think they enjoy playing at a faster pace.”

Aside from the height caveat, there is plenty to be optimistic about in the Ducks’ stratosphere.

For one, Katie Fiso looks to be the engine of the Ducks’ offense after an untraditional freshman year that included the deaths of her father and grandfather. She now opens the new season with a different perspective. 

“I come with the joy to practice every single day because not a lot of people are in the position I’m in. I take it as a blessing. I take it day-by-day,” she said. “Excited to keep growing with this team.”

“We keep track of who wins every day. She’s by far our biggest winner,” Graves said of Fiso. “Whatever team she’s on, she’s going to win, and you love that in your point guard.”

Fiso also said she enjoys the idea of playing fast with the ample guard talent Oregon has. 

“Coach is really instilling that in us to get up and down more. I feel like that’s my style of play. I love being fast-paced,” Fiso said.

With the increased number of guards, there has been ample competition throughout fall camp.  Returners Elisa Mevius, Sofia Bell and Ari Long are joined by transfers Astera Tuhina (Washington State University), Avary Cain (UCLA), along with freshmen Janiyah Williams and Sara Barhoum — and they’re contending for the four spots Graves says will be available in the Ducks’ starting five.

Both Long and Graves expressed their excitement with the competitiveness and energy levels at practice.

“We go at each other every day, which makes it so fun. We have so many players who want to go out and be the best that we can,” Long said. “I think we go at each other, which makes each other better, and we all know it comes from a place of love and competition.”

Oregon takes on Western Oregon in an Oct. 30 exhibition. The Ducks open the season on Nov. 3 against West Georgia at Matthew Knight Arena.