Oregon
Three Reasons to be Excited for Oregon Ducks Basketball Next Season
The Oregon Ducks suffered through their worst season yet under coach Dana Altman. With a 12-20 record, the Ducks were under .500 for the first time in Altman’s tenure. Oregon was plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, but the program will need to quickly forget and move on in order to compete in the Big Ten next season.
Here are three reasons why Ducks’ fans should be excited for the 2026-27 season.
Freshman Reinforcements on the Way
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Despite not having much on-the-court success this year, Altman and the Ducks were able to get it done on the recruiting trail. Sitting with the No. 27 class in the 2026 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports’ rankings, Oregon is listed ahead of UConn, Arizona, and Houston.
Leading the way for Oregon is four-star forward Tajh Ariza. He is ranked the No. 13 small forward and No. 32 player in the country. Ariza should be counted on in a big way during his freshman season, especially with the rash of key departures the Ducks have sustained. Altman has shown that he isn’t afraid of playing freshmen. If Ariza can prove he belongs on the court, he will play significant minutes.
Joining the four-star signee are four-star center Kendre Harrison and three-star forward Seven Spurlock.
Harrison is a dual-sport athlete at Oregon and is on campus already with the football team. As a basketball recruit, Harrison is ranked as the No. 22 center and No. 7 player in the country. It will be interesting to see how the timing will work with the Ducks’ football season going into January, the past two years. Any contributions they can get out of Harrison are a plus.
Spurlock is the most recent addition to their 2026 recruiting class. He committed on March 29, choosing Oregon over Auburn, Houston, and Missouri.
The Potential for a Big Transfer Portal Class
Since the end of the season for the Ducks, they have seen four players enter the transfer portal in Kwame Evans Jr., Dezdrick Lindsay, Devon Pryor and Jackson Shelstad.
That’s three scholarships plus NIL money that opened up for Oregon to use for some potential incoming transfers. The transfer portal doesn’t officially open up until April 7, but the Ducks’ coaching staff should have an idea of what type of players they need to bring in.
With Shelstad leaving, plus center Nate Bittle running out of eligibility, Oregon will be in the market for a starting point guard as well as a quality big man to help replace the outgoing talent.
The Development of Key Returnees
Despite losing key players like Shelstad and Evans to the portal, the Ducks have been able to retain some key players so far. A pair of guards in Wei Lin and Jamari Phillips, as well as forward Sean Stewart, have yet to announce their intentions, but all three pieces could have bigger roles with the program next season.
Stewart, Lin and Phillips played in at least 26 games or more. The experience is there. It’s just about building chemistry with the right five pieces. Add in an offseason of development for the quartet, and the Ducks could avoid another disastrous year on the hardwood.
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Entering the 2026 college football season, the Oregon Ducks are looking to not only win their first national championship in program history but also their second Big Ten title in the last three seasons.
When the Ducks joined the Big Ten in 2024, they kicked off their inaugural season in the conference in style, finishing the regular season undefeated at 13-0. This regular season was concluded with a thrilling 45-37 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Big Ten championship game.
Eug 040522 Lanning 02 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Ohio State Buckeyes, however, got revenge for their loss to the Ducks at Autzen Stadium earlier in the regular season, beating Oregon 41-21 in the CFP Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. Entering the 2026 season, here’s a look at the Ducks’ chances of winning the Big Ten for the second time.
Oregon Ducks Big Ten Title Odds: Who’s The Biggest Threat?
According to the latest betting odds by FanDuel Sportsbook, the Ducks have +270 odds to win the Big Ten championship this season. The one team ahead of them is the Ohio State Buckeyes at +190, who, believe it or not, are in search of their first Big Ten title since 2020. The Buckeyes were upset by the Indiana Hoosiers 13-10 in the Big Ten championship last season.
Among the top teams in the Big Ten next season, Ohio State poses the biggest threat to the Ducks’ chances of not only winning a conference title but also the national championship. The Buckeyes and Ducks will face off in what could be the game of the year in Columbus on Nov. 7.
As exciting as this matchup will be for college football fans, it likely won’t be the only one between the Buckeyes and Ducks. Regardless of which team wins the Nov. 7 showdown in Columbus, the Buckeyes and Ducks could match up again in the Big Ten title game and in the CFP.
Other Teams That Pose a Threat to Oregon
While the Buckeyes are the main threat to the Ducks’ Big Ten title aspirations, other teams will be worth watching. One of those teams is the defending national champions, the Indiana Hoosiers.
Despite the key losses this offseason, which include Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, coach Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers restocked talent with the addition of TCU Horned Frogs transfer quarterback Josh Hoover and Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Nick Marsh.
The only two losses that the Ducks suffered last season came against the Hoosiers. If the two face off in the Big Ten championship, Indiana looks to continue its dominance over the Ducks. The Hoosiers and Ducks don’t play each other during the regular season.
The USC Trojans, whom the Ducks will face at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Sept. 26, also look to knock off Oregon in what should be one of the top games of the first month of the college football season. Oregon coach Dan Lanning is undefeated 2-0 against USC’s Lincoln Riley and looks to extend the Ducks’ winning streak against the Trojans to five games.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 14 drawing
02-04-10-48-56, Mega Ball: 22
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 14 drawing
1PM: 6-3-6-3
4PM: 7-0-0-9
7PM: 2-0-6-0
10PM: 2-5-1-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. — Oregon State Police are asking for additional witnesses to come forward after a three-vehicle crash on Highway 20E in Deschutes County left two people seriously injured.
Troopers responded at 12:47 p.m. Friday, July 10, to the crash near milepost 41. A preliminary investigation found a westbound 2013 black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck pulling a single-axle utility trailer attempted to pass a black Dodge 4500 towing a trailer. Police said an eastbound Hyundai Elantra tried to avoid a collision with the Chevrolet, lost control in the gravel on the eastbound shoulder, veered into the westbound lane and collided with the trailer pulled by the Dodge 4500.
The driver and passenger of the Hyundai were flown by air medic to a local hospital with serious injuries.
The crash affected traffic for about five hours. The driver of the Chevrolet was cited for careless driving and unsafe passing.
OSP is asking anyone who may have seen the Chevrolet driving westbound on Highway 20 at the moment of, or prior to, the collision to contact the OSP Northern Command Center dispatch at 800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Callers should reference case number SP26-255130.
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