What Needs To Change For People To Care About Oregon Basketball

Oregon head coach Dana Altman calls to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Washington State in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 The Game

Dana Altman was noticeably frustrated after the Ducks loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday night in the NIT quarterfinals. He was frustrated with the team, the execution, and the shooting. But he was also frustrated with the lack of attendance.

Only 3,300 people showed up for the game. Matt Prehm of 247 Sports joined The Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano and said the presentation of the game is lacking compared to football.

“I think the presentation of the arena, and the game itself which has nothing to do with the product on the court,” Prehm said. “The operations of game day is very poor. I think you go to other places in the conference, I think Oregon State for when Oregon comes at least. I think their presentation of their basketball environment is better then Oregon. And it shouldn’t be that way. That arena is 12 years old, 13 years old, Matt Knight Arena, and they still haven’t figured out the sound levels.”

Prehm went on to add that it has been the same things for years and nothing has changed, “It’s very stale, it’s very boring, it’s the same thing they have been doing for 20 years. Wisconsin brought their band to the game last night. They probably had it budgeted for a tournament run and they use that money regardless. But they were playing songs that are played on the radio.”

It may be the players. It may be the coaches. It may be the fans. Matt Prehm says it could be the actual program, “The program itself has been very insulated. And there’s a member no longer here on the coaching staff that was a brick wall for those inside the athletic department and those that work in the media room and was very difficult to get through to get features to get players in front of the camera to get player in front of a microphone. For whatever reason, I don’t know if it’s Dana request, I don’t know if it’s his agenda. Whatever it was it was very difficult to get people to talk with the Oregon basketball program.”

It doesn’t seem like Altman will be leaving Oregon anytime soon. But it does seem like there are some that the Oregon basketball program can change to engage their fanbase a little better. It remains to be seen if those changes will happen. But Oregon will have talent once again next season.

Listen to Prehm’s full appearance here, and don’t miss John Canzano deliver the Bald Faced Truth weekdays 3-6 p.m. exclusively in Portland on 750 The Game.