College Basketball

Boise St.-Oregon Preview

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:03 p.m. ET

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EUGENE, Ore. -- Oregon is back home until 2017.

The 23rd-ranked Ducks (4-2) played four of their first six games away from home before returning home for nine consecutive games in their home state beginning with Monday night's tip-off against Boise State (3-2).

"We've got home games now in December," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "We've got to get home and get to work and get a lot of things ironed out."

Oregon was ranked as high as No. 4 in the country before losses to Baylor and Georgetown that had it barely in the new poll that came out earlier Monday.

"I've got faith in these guys," Altman said. "These guys have been through it. They won a lot of games and finished second in the Pac-12 and then first. They won a (Pac-12) tournament and went to the finals in the other one. They'll bounce back."

After losing its opener to Georgetown at the Maui Invitational last week, Oregon beat Tennessee and Connecticut.

"I think UConn has a lot of potential and they will get better and Tennessee is young, so they will grow as a team," Altman said. "I think those are three good games for us. Three athletic teams and it gave us an idea of all the things that we need to work on. Our guys know that. They know they are not playing like they are capable, especially the veterans."

Oregon welcomed back all-conference forward Dillon Brooks in Maui after he missed the first three games of the season following foot surgery in July. The 6-foot-7 junior came off the bench to average 11.3 points in 18.7 minutes per game.

He is expected to return to the starting line-up against Boise State.

"I thought for not playing four- and one-half months, he stepped up and played good," Altman said.

Altman will have to alter his rotation when Brooks returns to the starting line-up. The seventh-year coach said he plans to use a month at home to settle on playing time heading into conference play later this month.

"This gives us a month to try and really get things in place with the next seven games in Oregon," he said. "We have to get to work."

Center Chris Boucher leads Oregon with 15 points while averaging 6.8 rebounds. Junior forward Jordan Bell leads Oregon with 8.3 rebounds while scoring 11.2 points per game.

Boise State, which beat Oregon 74-72 last season, lost to College of Charleston and Mississippi State before winning two straight against Western Michigan and Presbyterian. Six-foot-seven forward Chandler Hutchison leads the team with 18.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Broncos coach Leon Rice is well aware the rematch with the Ducks will result in a tough battle.

"Oregon is on the schedule next so we have to step way up," Rice said at a postgame press conference. "This is a terrific Oregon team and a team that's going to contend for a Pac 12 title."

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