university of oregon ducks mens basketball

In the midst of another NCAA Tournament wrapping up there’s a lot of positives surrounding Oregon Men’s Basketball despite a disappointing ending in the round of 32.

There were four pillar players that all had the eligibility to return for another run in 2026 and thus far three have decided to do just that.

Jadrian Tracey, Jackson Shelstad, and KJ Evans will all be suiting up for Dana Altman again next season, with the lone wildcard being center Nate Bittle.

Bittle has declared for the NBA draft…BUT has maintained his eligibility and even enrolled in spring courses at Oregon.

So the assumption here is that the 7-footer is testing the waters to see where he might land.

With his height and general skillset, it’s more than fair to assume Bittle could secure himself a spot on a professional roster. Still, his draft stock may be hindered by a couple significant factors.

The first simply being that the rangy big man would need to bulk up to deal with the strength and size of centers in the NBA. While you can’t teach height, it won’t do as much good if you’re getting bullied underneath.

There is, of course, the evolution of the position over the last decade, but that again comes into play statistically.

For his career at Oregon, Bittle has shot 33 percent from deep. Given the NBA 3-point line being further back and the increased reliance on downtown shots, that may not be enough to consider him a threat as a stretch five.

So there we are, and it’s the final piece of the puzzle that will tell how much experience the Ducks will trot out in November.

While a bevy of young new talent never hurts, one tried and true fashion of winning in the NCAA has always been a group of players that have played together over multiple seasons.

The last time Oregon had that, they went to the Final Four. You can also look back at their Elite Eight runs in 2002 and 2007 and see the same thing.

Missing out on 5-star guard Brayden Burries was unfortunate. Securing the services of 16 ppg scorer TK Simpkins via the transfer portal was fortunate.

But there may well be nothing as significant for Altman’s squad next year than who’s already been down this road with this team and is ready for another run.

Bittle is the final piece of that puzzle. Stay tuned.