Coming off a loss that Head Coach Dana Altman himself called an embarrassment, and others probably called it something less family friendly, Men’s Basketball seemed to be due for more with the pregame announcement that neither Nate Bittle or Jackson Shelstad, the teams most consistent players, would be suiting up.
Bittle, as it turns out, will be out for probably a month. Shelstad, who needs surgery on his hand, won’t be seen again this season.
Exciting stuff huh?
With the season already pretty much
a throwaway, Oregon doesn’t have a whole lot to fight for this winter besides pride.
Saturday they at least appeared to have some.
Oregon battled the Wolverines to a stand still in the first half, and a Wei Lin three pointer at the buzzer gave them a one point lead at the break.
Michigan, being the Top 10 team they are, eventually wore out the Ducks in the second half, but it never turned into any sort of blowout.
Four Ducks scored in double figures, and Oregon hardly let Michigan score 80.
Seems they found, for at least a game, a sense of pride and work ethic.
That won’t save this season in terms of a postseason appearance, but it may at least bode well for the future if enough players stick around.
Shelstad, Lin, Kwame Evans, Takain Simpkins, Sean Stewart, and Ege Demir could all potentially be back in Oregon uniforms next season, and if the others besides Shelstad can show a different mindset and intensity the rest of 2026 knowing they won’t really be headed anywhere in March, maybe that could at least lead them into next season believing they can form some cohesion and consistency.
It sucks to already have to look at next year, but here we are.
