The losing streak has hit ten, and the clock is ticking in Eugene. But Saturday afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena offers the Ducks a rare break in the storm - a Big Ten opponent that isn’t currently penciled into the NCAA Tournament field. That doesn’t mean Oregon’s path suddenly gets easier, but it does shift the focus squarely back to what Dana Altman’s team can control.
With seven games left on the schedule - four of them at home - Oregon is running out of chances to flip the script. And Altman knows it.
“We’ve got seven games left, four at home, three on the road,” he said. “We’ve had a tough schedule… Now it’s - I wouldn’t say easier - but we’ve got them at home… gotta take advantage. We gotta play better at home.”
Tip-off against Penn State is set for noon, and while the Ducks are still dealing with a depleted roster, there’s one major reason for optimism: Nate Bittle is back.
The junior big man returned earlier than expected from injury and immediately made his presence felt in Oregon’s narrow loss at Purdue. Altman didn’t hold back in praising Bittle’s effort - both in his rehab and his impact on the floor.
“First of all, I credit him for fighting his tail off to get back,” Altman said. “What they told us originally, he’d be just getting back now from injury, but he fought back a week early and played really well against Purdue. The whole reason we were in that game was because of him.”
That’s not hyperbole. Bittle’s return gives Oregon a much-needed anchor in the paint - and not just as a scorer.
With Jackson Shelstad, Ege Demir, and Devon Pryor all sidelined, Bittle’s ability to stabilize the defense becomes even more critical. Pryor is the only one of the three who hasn’t been ruled out for the season, but the Ducks are undeniably thin, especially up front.
And that’s where Bittle’s importance really shows. Altman was candid about how much his absence has affected Oregon’s rim protection.
“Nate last year, blocking shots, bouncy,” Altman said. “He hasn’t done that this year… the ankles… it’s hurt his mobility… So our rim protection hasn’t been the same this year.”
If Oregon is going to pull out of this skid, it starts with Bittle reasserting himself in the paint - finishing possessions, altering shots, and giving opponents something to think about when they drive the lane.
The Ducks will need all of that and more against a Penn State team that may be young, but brings talent and confidence - especially if you let them get comfortable early. Altman’s scouting report was direct.
“They’re talented. They’re young, but they are talented,” he said.
“Their guards get to the rim. They’re playing free… they will give us all we want.”
In other words, this isn’t a team you can sleepwalk through. Penn State’s guards are aggressive, and they’ve got size and physicality inside - a combination that could be especially problematic for an Oregon team still trying to patch together a frontcourt rotation.
“They’re big inside, and they’re physical inside,” Altman said.
That sets the blueprint for Oregon: control the paint with Bittle, stay locked in on defense, and don’t let Penn State’s guards dictate the tempo. The Ducks have had no trouble scoring at times - Altman pointed to the Indiana game, where Oregon put up 44 second-half points but couldn’t get a stop to save their lives.
“We didn’t play well the second half against Indiana defensively,” he said. “We scored 44 points. It wasn’t like we weren’t scoring buckets, but, man, we didn’t get any stops at all… that first seven possessions that game got away from us.”
The message heading into Saturday is less about scheme and more about energy and execution. With a noon tip, the Ducks are managing legs carefully. Altman said they had a strong practice on Thursday and kept things light Friday to stay fresh.
“We had a good practice yesterday… Guys were bouncy,” he said. “We’ll go short today with the noon game tomorrow… just trying to keep them fresh and trying to get them better.”
That word - “fresh” - keeps coming up, and it’s not just about rest. It’s about mindset.
Oregon isn’t searching for one magic fix. The losing streak has been the result of small breakdowns that snowball into big problems.
The path back starts with cleaning up the little things and playing connected basketball.
“The wins won’t come if we don’t play better than what we’ve been playing, regardless of who we’re playing,” Altman said.
There’s no secret to the formula. Oregon needs to defend, rebound, and get stops when it matters.
With Bittle back, and a stretch of home games ahead, the Ducks have a window to turn things around. It’s not a guarantee - but it’s a chance.
“We just haven’t found ways to win games,” Altman said. “And hopefully… we can just get our heads up and fire their tails off.”