College Basketball Preview: Pac 12's Arizona Loaded for Final Four Run

On the Decline: Oregon Ducks

With most of the conference not really having much in the way of anything from which to decline given that only four reached the NCAA Tournament last season, Oregon is the choice for a "declining" team, simply because of the incredible group that departed between seasons.

Gone from last year's fun and memorable Final Four team are Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey, Chris Boucher, Jordan Bell, and Dylan Ennis, who combined to contribute 64 points, 26 rebounds, and 10 assists per game last season.

Coach Dana Altman has done a fine job of getting Oregon on the national stage in recent years, punctuated by last year's trip to the national semifinals. If Oregon falls short of recent heights due to the immense talent that left the school, the Ducks should get a bit of a pass this year. McDonald's All-American Troy Brown and New Mexico graduate transfer Elijah Brown are good options to help carry the torch right away, and they may very well get Oregon back to the Big Dance this season, but there's no mistaking what big shoes this year's Ducks have to fill.