Two Role Players That Oregon's Dana Altman Will Need To Rely On

The Oregon Ducks basketball roster looks entirely different ahead of their next season. While they added many different players who have the chance to dominate in 2026, there are others who will be role players.

Two players in particular could play important roles for Oregon coach Dana Altman and the Ducks.

Sean Stewart - Forward

Forward Sean Stewart is one of the more unique players on the roster, as he is returning for a massive senior season with the Oregon Ducks. He finished last season averaging 6.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, while only playing an average of 23 minutes per game. This would mean that he would average around one half of play, as he just played in three minutes over the mark.

Stewart is an exceptional athlete and is someone who can be counted on when it comes to scoring down low. He didn't take many shots in the paint, but he did make the one he did take count, as he finished the season with a field goal percentage approaching 51 percent. He also shot 100 percent from behind the three-point line, which is something that is inflated due to his limited amount of shots behind the arc. As for free throws, he shot around 53 percent, which could use some improvement.

The Ducks will lean on Stewart because he can play both the power forward and center spot when asked to. He has been one of the better players when it comes to defense, which allows his 6-9 frame to play down low. His physicality is unmatched, but there will be times when he needs to slow down and take a step back, as he got into foul trouble multiple times last season.

Tajh Ariza - Forward

Four-star forward signee Tajh Ariza is rated as the No. 27 player in the country as of now, and he is someone who has the chance to come in and be a very great contributor with the Oregon Ducks. Ariza has become one of the better players in the state of Missouri, as he is the No. 2 player in the state and is even looked at as a possible five-star before the cycle completely ends.

Ariza is the son of Trevor Ariza, who is one of the more gifted NBA players in terms of a lengthy career. His career didn't come to an end until around the 2021-2022 season, when he was a small role player with the Los Angeles Lakers. One thing to know about the father of the Ducks commit is that he was one of the better role players on many of the teams he played for, which leads many to believe that his son could be just that at the next level.

While Tajh Ariza has the ability to grow as a prospect and be a future top guy, he will likely be a role guy in 2026-2027. The Ducks will have to keep their eye on the prize, which is the March Madness tournament, and thanks to Ariza's defense, he will be a very key player in the rotation.

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