The Oregon Ducks are staring down a major challenge ahead of Saturday’s matchup with No. 4 Michigan - and it’s not just the Wolverines.
Head coach Dana Altman confirmed this week that two of Oregon’s key players, point guard Jackson Shelstad and center Nate Bittle, are both likely to miss the game due to injury. That’s a significant blow for a Ducks team already looking to find its footing midseason.
Shelstad, who returned earlier this year after breaking his right hand in October, has now missed the last four games due to lingering pain in that same hand. Despite starting 12 games since his return, the discomfort has reached a point where he can’t effectively dribble or shoot - a tough ask for any player, let alone your floor general.
“Jackson breaks his hand before the season. Now he's having problems with it again,” Altman said on his weekly “Duck Insider” appearance.
“That hand is bothering him. He wants to play.
But he's in pain and it’s his right hand, so he can’t dribble, can’t shoot.”
The Ducks have gone just 1-3 without Shelstad in the lineup over the past four games - a stretch that’s exposed just how much they rely on his presence to run the offense and stabilize the backcourt.
Meanwhile, the frontcourt is dealing with its own setback. Bittle, Oregon’s 7-foot stretch big and another preseason All-Big Ten selection, originally sprained his ankle during the Players Era Championship over Thanksgiving. He tried to push through it, but then suffered a foot injury against Nebraska that now looks far more serious.
“Nate just hadn’t been the same since he sprained his ankle,” Altman said. “We’re having an MRI on his foot today after the Nebraska game.
He went down early in that game, tried to fight through it. He wasn’t doing very well.
And so we didn’t play him the second half much at all. Played him the first couple minutes, and I could tell he was really in some pain.”
That MRI confirmed the worst: Bittle is expected to miss about a month.
So what does this mean for Oregon heading into a marquee showdown with Michigan? In all likelihood, the Ducks will turn to guard Wei Lin, who joined the program in October after playing three seasons with the Nanjing Monkey Kings in China. Lin has shown flashes - most notably a 23-point outing against Rutgers, where he shot 6-of-12 from deep - but he’s still adjusting to the pace and physicality of the American college game.
“Wei’s made steps, but it’s really unfair to him,” Altman said. “He wasn’t here all summer, doesn’t start practice till October. It’s a totally different game than what he played in China.”
With Bittle sidelined, Oregon has previously leaned on Sean Stewart, the former Ohio State forward, to fill minutes in the frontcourt. But the loss of both Shelstad and Bittle at the same time leaves a significant leadership and production vacuum - one that’s tough to fill on short notice, especially against a top-five opponent.
Beyond injuries, Altman didn’t shy away from pointing out where the Ducks have struggled on the court. Rebounding and turnovers, particularly offensive boards given up, have been costly in recent games.
“Anybody who’s watched the last two games, offensive rebounds have really hurt us,” Altman said. “Ohio State pulled away in the second half with offensive rebounds.
It’s hard to believe the Nebraska game was 28-28 with three or four minutes to go in the first half. And a couple turnovers and offensive rebound, eight quick points, and the game really changed.
And then to start the second half, turnover three. Eleven of those points in that 14-point run came off turnovers and offensive rebound.”
It’s a candid assessment from a veteran coach who knows what it takes to compete at a high level. And while the Ducks are clearly banged up, Altman isn’t putting it all on the injuries.
“Those are things you’ve got to be able to control, and we haven’t controlled them,” he said. “And that’s as much on me as it is on them.
You’ve got to make better decisions, and our guys just haven’t made them.”
Saturday’s game against Michigan now looms even larger - not just because of the opponent, but because it will test the Ducks’ depth, discipline, and ability to regroup in the face of adversity. If Oregon wants to stay competitive in a tightly packed conference race, they’ll need more than just next-man-up mentality - they’ll need players stepping into bigger roles and doing the little things right.