Oregon was supposed to be on a plane today, flying to Italy for an 11-day, four-game trip. Instead, Dana Altman’s team will be staying home, nursing injuries.
If that’s not a summer bummer, I don’t know what is.
But the Ducks’ new coach is being realistic. They finished practice last week with just six healthy players. Only Norman Dale would’ve made that trip.
“Anytime you get a chance to put a new system in and then have an opportunity to play four games, it would have really helped,’' Altman told the Oregonian’s John Hunt. “There’s no doubt about it. But it would not have helped us to go over there undermanned.’'
Then again, maybe they just should’ve gone. The NCAA could dock the Ducks practice time in the final (about 11 hours worth) because of the preparation that went into the trip. And the school also lost some money from reservations. It is tourist season, after all.
Altman doesn’t care. He just wants his guys - Teondre Williams, Michael Dunigan, Joevan Catron, John Elorriaga and Nic Fearn - to get healthy.
“We’ve got some things we’ve got to investigate with some of our players,’' Altman told the paper. “There are a number of nagging injuries and also some things that we need to have some tests run.’'
Mike Miller’s also on Twitter @BeyndArcMMiller, usually talkin’ hoops. Click here for more.