It was a year to forget for Oregon basketball fans. They’ll look to get back on track with a new roster.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Oregon basketball.
Since Dana Altman came into the Division 1 college basketball world in 1989, he has seen nothing but success. Oregon has been a tournament lock every season, and he has enjoyed the success of a Final Four appearance and five second-weekend visits.
Before last year, his last losing season was in 1995-1996, when he went 14-15 at Creighton. That changed last year, when Oregon went 12-20, his second-worst season ever. They finished 15th in the Big Ten and really looked lost on the court all year.
A big reason why was that the team was built around the duo of Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad. The year before, it worked perfectly, as the injury-prone stars both managed to stay healthy, and it led to a 25-win season. They kept the same strategy, putting most of their eggs in that basket, but Jackson Shelstad played just 12 games after suffering a preseason injury, and Bittle missed 7. The supporting cast just wasn’t strong enough, and the team imploded.
Now, Bittle has graduated, and Shelstad is off to Louisville. They also lose their other two top scorers in Kwame Evans Jr. (Villanova) and TK Simpkins (graduation). So, they hit the portal, and they bring in a ton of potential. Starting off, they add Jasper Johnson and Dwayne Aristode, who were both top-30 freshman recruits last year and got buried on the bench of talented rosters. Jerry Easter II was a top 50 recruit who shared that same issue.
Oh, and want to feel old? Trevor Ariza’s son, Tahj, joins the team as a high four-star recruit. They also add some solid mid-major scorers in Tyrone Riley IV and Andrew Meadow, and a high-volume shot taker in Fred Payne to run the point.
The name to watch is Malique Ewin, the Arkansas transfer. His eligibility is dependent on the Supreme Court ruling, and if he is deemed eligible, then that is a huge boost in the frontcourt for them.
History tells us to trust that last season was an anomaly and we should see Oregon basketball fighting for a tournament bid once again this year. At 68 years old, it’s no secret that this could be one of, if not the last year we see one of the best to never win it all suit up. Hopefully, it’s a long and successful season if so.
Head coach: Dana Altman (38th season overall, 17th at Oregon)
2025-26 record: 12-20 (5-15)
2026 postseason finish: No tournament
Notable departures:
- Nate Bittle (16.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.6 APG)
- Jackson Shelstad (15.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 4.9 APG)
- Kwame Evans Jr. (13.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- Takai Simpkins (12.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- Oregon State (Nov. 19)
- vs. St. John’s (Nov. 24 – Players Era)
- vs. Louisville OR Texas Tech (Nov. 26 – Players Era)
- TBD (Nov. 27 – Players Era)
Projected Rotation
PG: Fred Payne (6-1, 185, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 15.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 77.2 FT% (Boston College)
SG: Tyrone Riley IV (6-6, 200, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 12.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 47.2 FG%, 36.8 3P%, 70.7 FT% (San Francisco)
SF: Dwayne Aristode (6-8, 220, So.)
2025-26 stats: 3.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 49.0 FG%, 46.2 3P% (Arizona)
PF: Andrew Meadow (6-7, 218, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 51.0 FG%, 38.6 3P%, 65.5 FT% (Boise State)
C: Sean Stewart (6-9, 220, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 50.9 FG%
6: Tahj Ariza (6-9, 200, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 35 ranked recruit
7: Taylor Bol Bowen (6-10, 202, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 41.2 FG%, 79.6 FT% (Florida State)
8: Malique Ewin (6-10, 240, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 9.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 59.0 FG%, 73.9 FT% (Arkansas)
*Eligibility pending NCAA & Supreme Court Ruling
9: Jasper Johnson (6-5, 180, So.)
2025-26 stats: 4.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 40.0 FG%, 34.1 3P%, 88.0 FT% (Kentucky)
10: Pharaoh Compton (6-7, 235, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 7.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 72.1 FG%, 62.5 FT% (San Diego State)
11: Jerry Easter II (6-5, 193, So.)
2025-26 stats: 4.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 43.6 FG%, 74.4 FT% (USC)
Oregon basketball team MVP: Fred Payne
Oregon basketball doesn’t have an MVP, at least not an obvious one. You could argue Payne, Riley, Meadow, even Sean Stewart. Payne gets the nod just because he has shown that he can average 15 points a game in a power conference schedule.
He’s not the most efficient shooter, but when you’re on a team like Boston College where every game you’re fighting to try to come back, that tends to happen. He showcased his rebounding abilities as well last season, grabbing 21 in the last two games despite being just 6’1.
With a pretty much brand new roster, it’ll take time for these players to build chemistry and establish a pecking order. Having a guy like Payne who’s confident with the ball in his hands will help a lot early on, and that’s extremely important, especially with a couple tough games in the non-conference.
Oregon basketball make-or-break player: Dwayne Aristode
Again, you can choose Aristode, Jasper Johnson, or Tahj Ariza here. Heck, you can even put Pharaoh Compton; that’s how many options they have. Aristode probably has the best chance to establish himself on this crowded roster.
Aristode was the forgotten freshman on the Final Four Arizona team due to Brayden Burries and Koa Peat’s brilliance. He showed flashes early on, though, scoring 18 points in 25 minutes against NAU, 17 points in 23 minutes against Denver, and 12 points in 19 minutes against Bethune-Cookman.
He only took 65 threes, but made 30 of them, for a 46.2% accuracy. At 6-8, he has great size as well and can stretch the floor. Putting him at the three can really help them defensively just to have a bunch of athletic wings on the court at the same time. If he can seize this opportunity and develop into a first-round pick and become more than a three-point shooter, he can be the best player on the team. If he can’t, there are plenty of guys under him ready to take his minutes and lower this team’s ceiling.
Key statistic: Away from home record
Oregon may want to find a new hotel to stay at, because whatever the case was, this team could not win away from home. Oregon basketball went 2-13 away from home last season. Their lone wins were against Maryland, who finished 17th in the Big Ten, and USC, who finished 12th.
They lost every neutral-site game, including an 0-3 finish in the Players Era. They’re back in the Players Era this year, and the schedule doesn’t look much easier, so it’ll be essential that they pick up some key wins on the road this year if they want to go dancing once again.
Oregon basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 13th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 exit