We’re going team-by-team across Big Ten men’s basketball to assess where everyone stands and how things could shake out in 2026-27.
Last year, Oregon suffered its worst season in more than 15 years because of injuries, inconsistency, and underperformance. The Ducks stumbled to a 12-19 finish and missed out on all postseason action for the first time since 2010. And though Dana Altman has a track record ranking among the best coaches in the Big Ten, his program got hit as hard as any other by the transfer portal this offseason. Oregon knew it was losing Nate Bittle, but seeing Jackson Shelstad — and, to a lesser extent, Kwame Evans Jr. — enter the portal was a brutal blow for a program looking to bounce back from a tough year.
WHO’S GONE:
- Nate Bittle (16.8 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Jackson Shelstad (15.6 PPG) (transfer — Louisville)
- Kwame Evans Jr. (13.3 PPG) (transfer — Villanova)
- Takai Simpkins (12.5 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Wei Lin (6.6 PPG) (transfer — uncommitted)
- Dezdrick Lindsay (5.3 PPG) (transfer — Kansas State)
- Devon Pryor (2.9 PPG) (transfer — UTRGV)
- Jamari Phillips (2.7 PPG) (transfer — Washington State)
- Oleksandr Kobzystyi (2.7 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Drew Carter (2.6 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Ege Demir (2.2 PPG) (transfer — Duquesne)
- JJ Frakes (transfer — Buffalo)
- Efe Vaton (transfer — Stony Brook)
WHO’S BACK:
- Sean Stewart, F, Sr. (6.5 PPG)
WHO’S NEW:
Transfer portal
- Fred Payne, G, R-Jr. (15.8 PPG at Boston College)
- Tyron Riley IV, G, Jr. (12.2 PPG at San Francisco)
- Andrew Meadow, F, Sr. (12.1 PPG at Boise State)
- Pharaoh Compton, F, Jr. (7.5 PPG at San Diego State)
- Taylor Bol Bowen, F, Sr. (6.3 PPG at Alabama)
- Jasper Johnson, G, So. (4.9 PPG at Kentucky)
- Jerry Easter II, G, So. (4.4 PPG at USC)
- Dwayne Aristode, F, So. (3.8 PPG at Arizona)
Freshmen (Rankings from 247Sports)
- Tajh Ariza, F (four-star, No. 36)
- Kendre Harrison, F (four-star, No. 156)
- Seven Spurlock, F (three-star, No. 203)
RETURNING MINUTES: 12.5 percent (per barttorvik.com) (tied for 16th in the Big Ten)
Why it will work
Frankly, it feels pretty obvious what Oregon needs to happen for this season to work out. The Ducks need Ariza to blossom and have a Keaton Wagler-esque season in Eugene. They need their transfers to pan out, particularly Payne, Riley, and Meadow. And they need this roster to jell enough to avoid excessive hiccups. There are always going to be a lot of ‘ifs’ when a roster is this new. But Altman has earned benefit of the doubt, and there’s enough talent in the building to see a path back to the NCAA Tournament.
Why it won’t
While UO could’ve realistically hoped that a healthy Shelstad could lead a resurgent campaign for the team and get back to winning ways, his departure completely changed the outlook for Altman’s program. He was forced to build a portal-heavy roster, and while he added some nice pieces with — as he alluded to earlier in the offseason — limited resources, the risks are obvious. Of course, Michigan won a national title with a very portal-heavy team; but this doesn’t look like the group the Wolverines pulled in. Oregon could have upside to return to March Madness, but the ceiling doesn’t feel much higher than that. And the floor, if things don’t pan out as hoped, could be ugly.
PREVIOUS OUTLOOKS:
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Michigan State
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Purdue
- USC
- Wisconsin
- Maryland
- Northwestern
- Rutgers
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