Oregon steps into Wednesday night’s clash with UCLA facing a brutal truth: this is the toughest stretch of their season, and it’s not even close. The Ducks have dropped six straight, and the hits keep coming-not just in the standings, but on the roster.
Four key players are out due to injury: Nate Bittle, Jackson Shelstad, Takai Simpkins, and Ege Demir. That’s three of the five opening-night starters gone, and with them goes a huge chunk of Oregon’s scoring punch, rim protection, rebounding, and backcourt stability.
For head coach Dana Altman, there’s no whiteboard fix or lineup shuffle that magically solves this. The message is simple: grit your teeth and compete.
“There’s no easy answer, there’s no quick fix,” Altman said. “You just play as hard as you can. You try to keep the guys together… We’re just trying to play as hard as we can, try to get some shots and try to make something happen.”
That mindset-grind it out, no matter what-is what Oregon basketball has become in this moment. The Ducks aren’t chasing the perfect rotation or waiting for a spark from the bench. They’re leaning into effort, focus, and the hope that growth can come from adversity.
And the adversity is real. Without Bittle and Demir, Oregon’s frontcourt is stretched thin.
That puts the spotlight on Kwame Evans Jr. and Sean Stewart, who now carry the load inside. Bittle had been the Ducks’ most reliable interior scorer and their best rim protector.
Demir brought size and physicality. Their absence leaves a gap that’s hard to fill.
In the backcourt, it’s the same story. Shelstad and Simpkins were two of Oregon’s most dependable guards.
Shelstad brought poise and pace, while Simpkins added perimeter shooting and shot creation. Without them, the Ducks are missing more than just points-they’re missing structure.
And now, into this storm, walks UCLA.
The Bruins come to Eugene with a veteran roster that knows how to win ugly. They’ve had their own ups and downs this season, but they’re built on discipline and toughness-two things that travel well in the Pac-12. UCLA has taken seven of the last nine matchups between these teams, and they’re comfortable in games where every possession feels like a tug-of-war.
“They’re talented, they’re old,” Altman said. “Mick’s done a good job of keeping them going. They had a tough start to the season.”
That experience edge matters-especially in a game where Oregon can’t afford to get into a track meet. The Ducks started the season wanting to play fast, but that playbook’s been tossed out. Now, it’s about slowing things down and controlling the tempo.
“It’s really important,” Altman said. “We started the season wanting to go a little transition, but we’re not in that position.
We’ve tried to slow the tempo, cut down the number of possessions. We don’t feel that a big possession game is in our favor.”
Translation: Oregon needs to squeeze every ounce of value out of each possession. With a shortened bench and limited depth, they can’t afford to play fast and loose.
Every turnover stings. Every missed box-out matters.
And every trip down the floor is a chance to either hang around or let the game slip away.
Altman pointed to two areas that have burned them in recent losses-turnovers and rebounding.
“In the Michigan State game, we only had three turnovers, and then we had seven turnovers the last 10 minutes where they pulled away,” he said. “We had some bad turnovers at Washington that didn’t allow us to get enough shots up.
The rebounding was totally in their favor. We just didn’t get enough shots between the turnovers and not getting any offensive rebounds.”
That’s the margin right now. It’s not about flashy plays or highlight moments.
It’s about protecting the ball, crashing the glass, and grinding through possessions. It’s about finding ways to stay in games when the odds-and the depth chart-aren’t in your favor.
Tonight isn’t about making a statement in the standings. It’s about showing heart.
It’s about a group of players refusing to let injuries write the story of their season. It’s about competing for 40 minutes, playing smart, and proving that effort still matters-even when the scoreboard doesn’t always agree.