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Where does Oregon Ducks basketball go from here?
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- Where does Oregon Ducks basketball go from here?
Where does Oregon Ducks basketball go from here?
No matter how you slice it, Oregon Ducks men's basketball is at a crossroads with a difficult path lying ahead.
On Monday, former five-star forward and one of the highest-rated recruits in Oregon basketball history Kwame Evans Jr. entered the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. Then, on Tuesday, another domino fell as point guard Jackson Shelstad , an in-state product from West Linn High School, joined Evans in the portal. Center Nate Bittle, a 2024-25 third-team All-Big Ten selection alongside Shelstad, has exhausted his eligibility and will also be departing from the program.
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The trio had spearheaded an NCAA tournament victory in 2025, and while the 2025-26 season was derailed as Shelstad missed 20 games, Evans improved greatly and appeared ready for even more responsibility come his senior campaign.
The bones of a tournament team, all gone in an instant.
But therein lies the issue with the Ducks moving forward: the 2025-26 roster was nowhere close to appearing in the NCAA tournament, and now their top three players are moving on.
There were concerns very early on in the season, as the Ducks barely squeaked out a season-opening victory over Hawaii. Although Shelstad missed that contest, home victories against Rice, South Dakota State, and Oregon State, with Shelstad at the helm, provided little reason for optimism.
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Turnovers were a constant. The wing position lacked depth and spacing, clogging the lane for Bittle. The Wei Lin experience, which was one of the more hyped additions in the Big Ten as Lin was an all-star in the Chinese Basketball Association, quickly soured as he fell out of favor with head coach Dana Altman.
The defending Players Era Festival champions were utterly embarrassed in a trio of losses to Auburn, San Diego State, and Creighton by a combined 38 points. At the time, those were somewhat respectable defeats, as all were NCAA tournament hopefuls like the Ducks. None made it in the 68-team cut.
In the end, Oregon finished with a 12-20 record, by far its worst season under Altman and the least amount of wins since the 2008-09 season that helped lead to the firing of head coach Ernie Kent one year later. Altman was then hired and rattled off 15 consecutive 20-win seasons and nine NCAA tournament appearances before this season's dud.
The biggest question moving forward, for both him and the decision-makers at the top, is Altman's future.
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He's repeatedly stated that he isn't retiring and doesn't know where those rumors come from. But with a rebuild appearing to be on the horizon, does the 67-year-old want to stick around? Lacking talent, the transfer portal will have to be a significant way to build back the roster. Across college sports, several head coaches have retired in recent years because of the changing landscape of NIL, the transfer portal, and recruiting. While Altman has added pieces via the portal, it's been more shrewd, around-the-edges moves than anything. Building a contender in the Big Ten next season may take a full-on dive into adding starter-level talent at multiple positions.
And finally, does Athletic Director Rob Mullens view Altman as the man to bring this team back to prominence? He's a coaching legend, not just in Eugene but in college basketball as a whole. He's a proven winner. But there's an argument to be made that there's no better time for a regime change than now, regardless of Altman's impressive resume. The questions are sure to swirl until a reaffirming statement is made — or the opposite.
Decisions will have to be made quickly, as the roster, as mentioned, needs major reinforcements and renovations.
While forward Sean Stewart brings energy and athleticism, he was outclassed in starting 23 games in the Big Ten because of his shooting deficiencies and lack of size. Dezdrick Lindsay is a similar story, as he shrinks the court because no team — rightfully so, as he shoots just 32.8% from 3-point range — is willing to guard him beyond the arc. Texas transfer Devon Pryer started 11 games while battling injuries, but was ineffective, averaging just 2.9 points while recording an abysmal mark of 22.2% from deep.
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Incoming 2026 freshman Tajh Ariza, a four-star prospect and the No. 12 small forward, should solve some talent issues, but even he doesn't offer much in the shooting department.
The point guard and center positions were filled and are now vacant, leaving massive holes left behind by Shelstad and Bittle. Takai Simpkins, assuming he doesn't enter the transfer portal — a big assumption at this point — may be the only starter-level guard on the roster come next season. 2024 four-star guard Jamari Phillips saw more time late in the year, but it was telling that walk-on Drew Carter averaged more minutes.
The transfer portal has to be the Ducks' best friend this offseason, as there needs to be an influx of talent in order for Oregon to claw itself out of the basement of the Big Ten.
There's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Oregon program at the moment. Coaching, roster — you name it. The standard is much, much higher than 12 wins, a low mark that looks daunting as the Ducks enter an offseason set to lose their top three players.
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The only thing that is for certain is that there is a lot of work to be done.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What's next for Oregon MBB amid two disappointing departures?
