Oregon Ducks' Dana Altman Addresses Transfer Portal After NCAA Tournament Loss To Arizona

The Oregon Ducks’ NCAA Tournament run is over following a loss to the Arizona Wildcats. After the loss, Oregon coach Dana Altman discussed the team's performance and the upcoming implications of the transfer portal.

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reacts from the sideline against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks’ NCAA tournament run ended with an 87-83 loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the second round. Oregon started strong against Arizona, leading by 14 points. However, the Wildcats rallied to take the lead before halftime. In the second half, the Ducks cut the lead to just two points in the final minute but couldn't regain the lead. 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Members of the Oregon Ducks sit not he bench in the game against the Arizona Wildcats as time winds down in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 25 points, while Arizona's Caleb Love finished with a game-high 29 points. The Ducks struggled at the free-throw line, making just 12 of 22 attempts, and were out-rebounded 43-32. 

Arizona is now the only former Pac-12 team left in the tournament, with UCLA falling to Tennessee in the second round. 

After the loss, Oregon head coach Dana Altman addressed the media, reflecting on the team's performance and the upcoming implications of the transfer portal, which opens in less than 24 hours. 

Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman speaks at a press conference with guard Jackson Shelstad (3) and center Nate Bittle (32) after defeating the Liberty Flames in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

What Oregon Coach Dana Altman Said After Oregon’s Loss to the Arizona Wildcats:

Opening Statement 

“Well, first of all, Arizona did the things necessary to win the game. They out-rebounded us, hit their free throws, and just made the adjustments that they had to make to win the game. Proud of our guys. They fought their tails off. We got down 11 in the second half and fought back. We put ourselves in a position to maybe make a comeback.” 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Jackson Shelstad (3) dribbles the ball against Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Altman on Oregon’s free throw shooting: 

“We’ve played 30-some games, and it’s the first one this year that we lost at the line. We’ve been a good free-throw shooting team. We’ve hit clutch free throws all year, and we went 12-22 with missing a front end. So, you know, that hasn’t been typical for us, but I’ve always told the guys it’s a game of very few possessions in most cases, and tonight that was true. We had our opportunities, came out great, but didn’t play the way that we needed to play to win the game.” 

Dana Altman on rebounding and the team's second-half effort: 

“Well, Nate [Bittle] and K.J. (Kwame Evans Jr.) really got after the boards and really solidified our effort in the second half. You asked about the comeback, we just got some stops and some rebounds. We kind of put fool’s gold that first half. We hit those shots, and then we just gave up easy baskets in transition, and the game got too easy. Both teams shoot 45, 47 percent. You know, you take out the free throws, they shot a little better from three, we shot a little better from two. 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) shoots against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

“We gave up too many easy baskets with that lead, just wanting to outscore them. And that’s not us, that’s not the way—we got out-rebounded in the first half, we gave up easy baskets, and that’s just not the way we need to play. So again, I can’t fault their effort, they got down 11, fought their tails off to come back, we just didn’t do the things necessary to win the game.” 

Dana Altman on the team's free throw performance: 

“You know, we’ve won so many close games and we’ve hit a lot of critical free throws. I was shocked that we were missing some of those. Nate’s shot it really well all year. Jackson missed the front end of a one-and-one, and he’s been shooting it good. T.J. [Bamba] got to the line and missed some. So, K.J. has been shooting them good. So it’s one of those things.” 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Kwame Evans Jr. (10) drives to the basket against Arizona Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) in the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Dana Altman on why Oregon lost: 

“Every area of the game matters, and again, I didn’t think we should have been in that position if we would have rebounded and made some better defensive decisions. I just thought we gave up way too many easy baskets. But again, Arizona’s a good team, Tommy does a good job. We’ve had a lot of close games with them over the years, and they go 17-24, and we go 12-22, and that’s a five-point difference, and that hurts.” 

Dana Altman on the short-term nature of the transfer portal players: 

“T.J. Bamba, Brandon [Angel], Supreme [Cook], Ra’Heim [Moss], the guys that came in this year, they were fun to work with. They were great guys. I enjoyed working with the group. We went through that five-game stretch, four on the road. We played five games in 13 days, and we sucked, we didn’t play very good. And they battled back. 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard KJ Lewis (5) shoots against Oregon Ducks forward Brandon Angel (21) in the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

“I loved working with the guys, I’m sure they didn’t always like working with me, but I did enjoy the group. We did some good things, we had some downs, but we had a lot more ups than we did downs, and this one’s going to hurt for a long time.” 

Dana Altman on losing in the NCAA tournament: 

“That last one, it always hurts. The Creighton game last year, going back to North Carolina in 2017, Virginia in 2019, it doesn’t get any easier. USC in 2021, I loved that group. I mean, I’ve been so fortunate at Oregon, at Creighton, I had teams that I loved working with. So I got a great staff that gets really good players for me and, you know, I love doing my job.” 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Carter Bryant (9) defends against Oregon Ducks guard Jackson Shelstad (3) in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Dana Altman on the transfer portal which opens Monday: 

“I want our guys to be happy. I hope they can be happy at the University of Oregon. You can’t be your best in any relationship unless you’re happy, you know, you want to be in that relationship. I hope and pray that the guys want to stay, because I want them to stay. Everybody that can come back, I want them to come back. But they got to be wanting."

“If they don’t think I’m the guy or Oregon’s the place, I understand that. Because I want them to want to be there so that they can be their best, academically, athletically, have fun playing ball, have fun in college. I don’t want the business aspect to take away from the fun of going to college, the fun of playing ball. It’s different, there’s a business aspect to it, and I understand that. But, man, if you’re not having fun playing ball, if you’re not having fun with your teammates, if you don’t enjoy the four years you get to play, I’m not sure you can put a price on that. 

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) fouls as Oregon Ducks guard TJ Bamba (5) drives to the basket in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

“I hope the guys want to stay, we’ll have conversations with them. I told them to focus on winning ball games, and we would worry about that after the season. The agents and everybody probably aren’t waiting too much, but we’ll talk to the guys, and like I said, everybody that’s eligible to come back, I hope they want to come back, and I hope they want to work their tails off so that we get better. We’ll have those conversations and hopefully they go our way, and if not, then we’ll find a group that wants to be at Oregon and wants to compete in the Big Ten and wants to try to go a little further in the NCAA Tournament.” 

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