Insider Speaks Candidly on Oregon's Dana Altman, NCAA Tournament Chances

The Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team had a disappointing 2025-26 season and will look to bounce back in 2026-27.

Oregon was active in the transfer portal and their moves have them listed as a sleeper team in the Big Ten according to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

Oregon Ducks a Big Ten Sleeper Team

oregon ducks dana altman transfer portal jon rothstein sleeper team big ten conference ncaa tournament college basketball — Mar 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jon Rothstein was going through Big Ten teams for the 2026-27 college basketball season on Inside College Basketball. Despite Oregon coming off what he called a “nightmare season,” Rothstein expects Ducks coach Dana Altman to turn things around and get his team back in the NCAA Tournament.

“I think Oregon has done a nice job in the transfer portal,” Rothstein said. “I think Oregon is a team that could be one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten…Dana Altman didn’t forget how to coach. He was ruptured by injuries last year. I think Oregon is a team with this personnel, with Dana Altman, that will find its way back into the NCAA Tournament.”

Oregon is the sleeper team in the Big Ten.https://t.co/c9JLel2QnF (Apple)https://t.co/EsZxIkca32 (Spotify)https://t.co/x5qUSk1Wmn (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/EQj980AVWJ
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 13, 2026

In 2025-26, Oregon went 12-20 overall and 5-15 in Big Ten conference play. This was their worst season since Altman took over at the helm back in 2010. This will be Altman’s 17th season as coach in Eugene. He has an overall record of 382-182 with 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, five Sweet 16 trips, and one Final Four appearance.

Prior to last season, Oregon had made the NCAA Tournament in both 2024 and 2025. Will they make a return to the bracket when the 2027 field is revealed in March? Their chances will be better of doing so with the NCAA Tournament field expanding from 68 to 76 teams this season.

Transfer Portal Additions

The Oregon roster looks completely different compared to how it did just a few months ago. Oregon’s top three leading scorers from a season ago are all gone to the transfer portal or the pros: guard Jackson Shelstad, center Nate Bittle, and forward Kwame Evans Jr. Eight players in total left Oregon for the portal.

On the other side of the portal, the Ducks have eight incoming transfers. This is headlined by four four-star transfers: forward Dwayne Aristode, forward Taylor Bol Bowen, guard Jasper Johnson, and forward Tyrone Riley.

Aristode was a four-star recruit that played his freshman season with the Arizona Wildcats in 2025-26. He didn’t see much of the court for the stacked Wildcats, averaging just 3.8 points and 13.3 minutes per game. He’ll be seeking a bigger role in Eugene as a sophomore.

Taylor Bol Bowen just wrapped up his junior season playing for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Prior to Alabama, he was with the Florida State Seminoles. In 2025-26, Bol Bowen averaged 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Jasper Johnson signed with the Kentucky Wildcats as a four-star recruit in their 2025 recruiting class. He averaged 4.9 points in 12.0 minutes per game last season.

Tyrone Riley played the first two years of his collegiate basketball career for the San Francisco Dons. From 2024-2026, Riley averaged 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

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