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Report: Oregon freshman forward Jordan Bell qualifies, now able to join program

Oregon Ducks coach Altman yells out to his team against Louisville during their Midwest Regional NCAA men's basketball game in Indianapolis

Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman yells out to his team against the Louisville Cardinals during their Midwest Regional NCAA men’s basketball game in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 29, 2013. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

REUTERS

With two games remaining in the suspensions of guard Dominic Artis and forward Ben Carter, Oregon will see its depth improve in short order. And apparently the Ducks will add another player, as freshman forward Jordan Bell has qualified and is now able to join the team. Bell, who played at Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, needed to raise his SAT score before being able to qualify.

The news was first reported on Thursday by Matt Prehm of Duck Territory.

Bell’s a highly-athletic forward at 6-foot-7, with that ability allowing him to make an impact as a shot-blocker defensively and an above-the-rim finisher on the other end of the floor. The question now is whether or not Oregon head coach Dana Altman will look to add Bell to the front court rotation or redshirt him and thus preserve a season of eligibility.

After beating Georgetown by seven in their season opener the Ducks have won each of their last six games by 15 points or more, scoring at least 100 points in two of those games. Inside Mike Moser (13.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Elgin Cook (10.4, 5.0) and Richard Amardi (7.0, 4.6) have been the best players in the rotation, with Waverly Austin being another valuable reserve.

Whether or not Bell gets a shot at playing time will depend on how quickly he picks up Altman’s system obviously, and there’s likely to be some rust as well. And with Carter likely factoring into the rotation when he returns, it isn’t as if Oregon has to get a major contribution from Bell.

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