What we learned about Oregon Ducks men's basketball at Big Ten Media Day

The build-up is beginning for the 2025-26 Oregon men's basketball season.

Coach Dana Altman and veteran players Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle – both selected as members of the preseason all-conference team – took part in Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Day on Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., to preview a season that begins Nov. 4 against Hawaii at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Ducks will also play home exhibition games against Utah and Stanford on Oct. 24 and Oct. 30, respectively.

Oregon, which went 25-10 last season and advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, has a roster that includes six returning scholarship players and two starters. Among them is junior point guard Shelstad, who is on the shelf until sometime in Novemeber with a broken hand, the school announced Oct. 3.

Jackson Shelstad on hand injury

Shelstad's injury was an obvious topic of conversation Thursday as he attended media day with a cast on his right (shooting) hand.

"I've had this cast on for a about a week," he said. "They gave me about a four-to-six-week kind of thing, where I'm going to have to just take things slow, no contact. I'm doing as much as I can though, still getting cardio in, ball handling, working on my left hand, all that kind of stuff. I just gotta be patient and let the hand heal."

Shelstad, who has started 55 games for Oregon, was third-team all-Big Ten last season with averages of 13.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He shot 45.1% from the field, 37.9% from 3-point range and 83.5% from the free-throw line.

Altman said Shelstad's injury has slowed the Ducks' development in the preseason as the team tries to get eight new players up to speed.

"I don't think it'll hurt Jackson much because he's in great shape and I think he'll get back right away," Altman said. "But I think it'll hurt our team developing quickly because he has the ball in his hands a lot. He knows our system. He knows what to look for on first, second, third looks. So, I think it'll slow us down a little bit in that regard."

Nate Bittle on decision not to stay in NBA draft

After a season in which he was both third-team all-Big Ten and a Big Ten all-defense player, the senior center declared for the NBA draft. He eventually removed his name and returned for a fifth season at Oregon.

"I got a lot of good feedback (from NBA teams), what people want to see me improve on," said Bittle, who is 7 feet and 250 pounds. "I've been working on my body. That's a big thing, getting in the best shape that I can be in."

The Ducks couldn't be happier to have their big man back.

"If you look at our analytics, when Nate was on the floor (last season), we were really good," Altman said. "Sometimes when he was off, both offensively and defensively, we struggled."

Bittle averaged a team-high 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.9 assists last season, and he led the Big Ten with 75 total blocks. He shot 51.1% from the field, 33.6% from 3-point range and 81.1% from the free-throw line.

"The offense is there," Bittle said. "I can shoot the ball, play inside, but I think it's getting those percentages even higher than what they were and just continuing to put in work every single day."

Dana Altman on his two star players

The Ducks have two of the best players in the Big Ten in Shelstad and Bittle and the team's success rests heavily on their shoulders.

Altman said both put in the work in the offseason to meet those expectations.

"That was the first step," Altman said. "Not taking (the success) of last year and assuming it was going to happen again. They both had great offseasons and worked really hard."

For Bittle, that included work on his 3-point shot. He was 36 for 107 from long rangle last season and is 60 for 180 in his career.

"Nate's improved his body and extended his range a little bit," Altman said. "I think he'll be a a little more consistent 3-point shooter."

Part of the improvement plan for Shelstad this season needs to come from the coaches, said Altman, who wants to find ways to create more offensive opportunities for his point guard.

"We've got to make some more shots for Jackson," Altman said. "... You know, getting guys to penetrate and kick to him. He's a really good catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter."

Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What we learned about Oregon men's hoops at Big Ten Media Day