Michigan State Must Be Ready for These 3 Oregon Players

Michigan State is looking to sweep its West Coast trip this year after being swept last year.

The 12th-ranked Spartans took down Washington, 80-63, on Saturday to win their fourth straight game, also reaching 16-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten. MSU will now head south to Eugene to take on Oregon on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET, FS1).

Dec 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reacts during the second half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It hasn't been the kindest season for the Ducks so far. They currently stand at just 8-10 overall and are off to a 1-6 conference start during their second season in the Big Ten. Michigan State and Oregon met twice last season, with the Spartans winning both games --- one was in East Lansing, and the other was in Indianapolis during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. This will be the program's first-ever game in Eugene.

Even though the Ducks' record isn't impressive, road games in the Big Ten are hardly easy. These are the three players to know:

C Nate Bittle

Nate Altma — Jan 5, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) dribbles up court against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Oregon's program player is center Nate Bittle, who is in his fifth and final season as a Duck. Bittle, listed at 7-foot-0 and 250 pounds, was a Third-Team All-Big Ten player last season and made the conference's all-defensive team. He scored eight and 22 points during Oregon's two meetings against MSU last season.

So far this year, Bittle is averaging 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game. Challenging him in the paint is the type of task that gets the response of "good luck." He can also serve as a stretch five, sporting a three-point percentage of 36.9% for this season and at 34.3% for his entire career.

F Kwame Evans Jr.

Another impressive piece of Oregon's frontcourt is junior Kwame Evans Jr. He was mostly a bench guy last year after starting as a freshman, but he's re-earned a starting role this year and has shown improvement. Evans is averaging 13.3 points per game this season after averaging 6.1 last season and 7.3 the year before that.

Evans normally runs the four, creating a pretty threatening duo alongside Bittle. He's also a threat to shoot the three and has made 34.0% of his shots from beyond the arc thus far. Evans is also averaging 7.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game this season.

G Takai Simpkins

Running the point for Oregon is going to be Takai Simpkins. The Ducks brought back last year's starter, Jackson Shelstad, but he is currently injured. Simpkins transferred to Oregon this past offseason from Elon, where he was an All-CAA Second Team honoree in 2024-25.

Simpkins is averaging 12.5 points per game this season. He's another capable shooter from deep, having made 36.5% of them this season and 34.6% across his Division I career.

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