As Oregon gets set to dive into its first-ever Big Ten conference slate, the biggest hurdle isn’t a scheme or a matchup issue - it’s the injury report.
Coming off an 80-57 win over Omaha, head coach Dana Altman didn’t mince words: if the Ducks are going to make any noise in their new conference home, they need bodies back on the floor. Oregon has been battling through a patchwork rotation all season, and with Big Ten play looming, the Ducks are still waiting for key players to return to full strength.
“We’ve got KJ with the bad ankle and Devon starting to come back,” Altman said after Sunday’s win. “Those three guys - Nate, KJ and Dev - are probably in our starting lineup. We just got to get them healthy.”
That trio - KJ Evans, Devon Pryor, and Nate Bittle - represents the core of what Oregon hoped would be a high-upside, experienced group. But with injuries disrupting the rotation since the early weeks of the season, continuity has been hard to come by. The Ducks sit at 7-6 entering conference play, a record that reflects both the promise of their potential and the reality of their uneven availability.
Evans, who missed the Omaha game after tweaking his ankle in practice, remains questionable for the upcoming road trip. Altman sounded cautiously optimistic but stopped short of confirming his return.
“I’m hoping we have him back for the road trip,” Altman said. “We’ll see how it comes along, but he’ll want to play at Maryland. I hope he’s ready to go.”
Evans’ absence has left a noticeable gap. His versatility on defense, ability to rebound, and switchability across multiple positions have been tough to replicate. With a shortened bench, Oregon has leaned heavily on those still standing - and that’s put added pressure on players like Bittle and freshman guard Jackson Shelstad.
Bittle is still ramping up after his own health setbacks earlier in the year, and Shelstad is trying to find his rhythm after missing significant time with a hand injury. Altman admitted the team’s timeline has been pushed back by several weeks.
“We’re probably where we should have been at the end of November rather than the end of December,” he said. “Jackson being out six weeks, he hadn’t found his flow yet. I thought maybe he’d get going by now, but he’ll give us a big boost when he starts shooting it like he’s capable of.”
Meanwhile, Devon Pryor is still in the early stages of his return. He’s been getting shots up and participating in warmups, but he hasn’t been cleared for live action - meaning his reintegration into the rotation is still a work in progress.
“He hasn’t done anything live yet,” Altman said. “He’s been shooting, warming up, but we haven’t had him in live practice.”
That lack of live reps has made it difficult for Oregon to build any real chemistry on the floor. The Ducks have shown flashes - stretches where the offense flows and the defense tightens - but without a consistent rotation, it’s been hard to sustain.
Still, Altman believes the foundation is there. The trio of Bittle, Evans, and Shelstad holds the experience and talent to anchor this team once everyone is healthy. And in a conference as physical and deep as the Big Ten, that veteran presence could be the difference between treading water and making a real run.
“We’ve got to get healthy if we’re going to make any progress,” Altman said. “Those three guys have the experience. If we’re going to make any kind of run, that’s where it starts.”
Oregon’s Big Ten debut comes on the road with back-to-back games at Maryland and Rutgers - a tough way to open, especially for a team still trying to find its identity. The Ducks showed some encouraging signs against Omaha, but the real test begins now. Whether Oregon can turn the corner will depend less on Xs and Os and more on who’s available to run them.