Oregon's Big Ten Tournament Outlook After Snapping Losing Streak

The Oregon Ducks snapped their 10-game losing streak following an 83-72 win over the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday. How can the Ducks improve their Big Ten standing as they enter the final stretch of the regular season?

Feb 9, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reacts to a play against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

In what has been one of their most frustrating seasons in recent memory, featuring major injuries to their star players and long losing streaks, the Oregon Ducks finally received a positive result on Saturday, beating the Penn State Nittany Lions 83-72. 

With the win, the Ducks snapped their 10-game losing streak that had lasted over a month and a half. Their last win came on the road against the Maryland Terrapins on Jan. 2, winning 64-54. Following the win over the Nittany Lions, the Ducks now post a 9-16 overall record and are 2-12 in the Big Ten. 

Feb 7, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reacts to a call during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Despite their recent struggles, the Ducks have an opportunity to improve their standing in the Big Ten and potentially avoid playing in the first round of the conference tournament, which is set to begin in Chicago at the United Center on Mar. 10.

Oregon Ducks Current Big Ten Standing

Feb 9, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) dribbles against Indiana Hoosiers forward Sam Alexis (4) during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

With six games remaining in the regular season, the Ducks are currently the No. 16 seed in the Big Ten and are projected to play the Northwestern Wildcats in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. If the Ducks were to win, they would play the No. 9 seed, the Ohio State Buckeyes, in the second round. The Ducks lost to the Buckeyes 72-62 on Jan. 8 at home, Oregon's second loss of its recent 10-game losing streak. 

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Oregon has yet to play Northwestern this season, as they’ll match up with the Wildcats on the road in Evanston on Feb. 28. In addition to their upcoming matchup against Northwestern, the Ducks will also play the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Tuesday at Matthew Knight Arena and face the USC Trojans on the road at the Galen Center on Saturday. 

A win in either one of these games or both could help the Ducks break into the top 14 in the conference. The Golden Gophers are currently the No. 13 seed in the conference with an 11-14 overall record and are 4-10 in conference play. A win over the Golden Gophers on Tuesday night would get the Ducks one step closer to the second round cut line. 

How Nate Bittle's Leadership Can Help Ducks

Oregon’s Nate Bittle, left, goes inside under pressure from Penn State’s Josh Reed, right and Ivan Jurić during the second half at Matthew Knight in Eugene Feb. 14, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Oregon star guard Jackson Shelstad is out for the season with a right-hand injury, center Nate Bittle is back for the Ducks and back to playing his best basketball as the team’s leading scorer. In the Ducks' recent win over the Penn State Nittany Lions, Bittle scored 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocks on 6-of-9 shooting from the field.

In the 18 games that he has played for the Ducks this season, Bittle leads Oregon in scoring, averaging 16.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. With winnable games remaining on their schedule against bottom Big Ten teams, including Minnesota, Northwestern, and Washington, Bittle's leadership will play a major role in the Ducks coming away with a win.

Coach Dana Altman has never had a losing season in his 15 years with Oregon. That impressive streak is likely to come to an end this season unless the Ducks put together a remarkable turnaround to finish the year with a winning record.