Oregon Basketball Adds First Home Game of Non-Conference Schedule

Oregon Ducks coach Dana Altman's roster is nearly complete in the Emerald City, but the non-conference schedule is still far from being finished.

The Oregon Ducks have scheduled their first home matchup at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon, with the Indiana State Sycamores of the Missouri Valley Conference on Saturday, Dec. 12, per Indiana State basketball's X post. The time and television channel will be announced later.

Indiana State Sycamores

Indiana State coach Matthew Graves took over back in April of 2024. Last season, the Sycamores finished second-to-last in the Missouri Valley standings with a 4-16 conference record, 11-21 overall.

Redshirt freshman guard Martin Kaupanger is the only Indiana State player returning this upcoming season, after Graves' previous roster was decimated through the NCAA transfer portal, similar to what happened to Altman's.

Through the portal, the Sycamores are adding SMU Mustangs redshirt sophomore small forward Chance Puryear and Buffalo Bulls sophomore power forward Aleksa Vlajic as their headlining names.

Mar 7, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman yells instructions during the first half against the Washington Huskies at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Ducks in the Players Era Festival's New Bracket

The only other announced non-conference games will come during Thanksgiving week at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon will be playing in the 16-team bracket the week of Nov. 23 at the Michelob Ultra Arena. ESPN is now the exclusive broadcast partner of the popular event with Name, Image, and Likeness or NIL money on the line.

The Ducks open up against coach Rick Pitino and the St. John's Red Storm on Nov. 24. They then await either the Louisville Cardinals or the Texas Tech Raiders on Nov. 26. On Nov. 27, it will either be the Tennessee Volunteers, Maryland Terrapins, San Diego State Aztecs, or Iowa State Cyclones.

The title game on Nov. 28 will be the fourth chance in Sin City for the final two remaining teams to get another more-than-quality victory. One potential opponent is last year’s Players Era champion Michigan Wolverines, on the opposite end of Oregon's side of the bracket.

Michigan head coach Dusty May smiles at the podium during a celebration honoring the Wolverines’ NCAA men’s basketball national championship at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 11, 2026. | David Rodriguez Muñoz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon's Big Ten Opponents

The Big Ten Conference was the most dominant power conference in the sport last season, finishing with a 21-8 record amongst nine teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That includes the national champions in coach Dusty May's Michigan Wolverines and a Final Four berth from coach Brad Underwood's Illinois Fighting Illini.

Oregon will be battle-tested on again during the winter months while dealing with lots of air travel. Here are the Ducks' home and away opponents.

Home

Illinois Fighting Illini
Indiana Hoosiers
Maryland Terrapins
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Northwestern Wildcats
Purdue Boilermakers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Away

Michigan Wolverines
Michigan State Spartans
Iowa Hawkeyes
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Ohio State Buckeyes
Penn State Nittany Lions
Wisconsin Badgers

Jan 5, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman looks on during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Oregon's 2026-27 Roster

Here's how Oregon's projected depth chart currently plays out:

Point guard - Fred Payne, Jasper Johnson, Jerry Easter II, Seven Spurlock
Shooting guard - Jasper Johnson, Tyrone Riley Jr., Jerry Easter II, Seven Spurlock
Small forward - Tajh Ariza, Tyrone Riley Jr., Andrew Meadow
Power forward - Sean Stewart, Pharaoh Compton, Dwayne Aristode, Kendre Harrison
Center - Taylor Bol Bowen, Pharaoh Compton, Dwayne Aristode, Kendre Harrison

The Ducks have filled out 14 of the 15 available roster spots for both scholarship players and walk-ons, including sophomore forward Luke Johnson and freshman guard Rian Gonzales. With the final opening, Altman should look to add more height and rim protection at the five spot to join Alabama Crimson Tide's senior center Taylor Bol Bowen.

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Taylor Bol Bowen (7) dribbles the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half during a second-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Altman's roster is long and athletic, but short compared to most Big Ten opponents. Bol Bowen can be flexed between the four and five, but will mostly be utilized in the dunker spot and at the basket.

The most talent on the upcoming roster can be found on the wing, with the likes of San Francisco Dons junior transfer Tyrone Riley IV, Boise State Broncos senior transfer Andrew Meadow, and 2026 four-star recruit Tahj Ariza. Ariza is the son of 2009 NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers forward Trevor Ariza. Riley IV looks to play a vital sixth-man role, while Meadow adds a consistent perimeter shooting threat to the Ducks' arsenal.

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