Oregon Ducks Hit With Bad And Good Injury News Before Facing Purdue

Oregon Ducks coach Dana Altman's roster has been stung hard by the injury bug once again. It's not great timing with junior point guard Jackson Shelstad out for the rest of the season and senior center Nate Bittle's future up in the air.

Jan 17, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks starting center Nate Bittle (32) on the Bench with an injury before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Back in the middle of January, it was announced that star Oregon Ducks junior lead guard Jackson Shelstad would be out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season with a right-hand injury.

Shelstad suffered the original setback during the offseason and re-aggravated his shooting hand in the non-conference against the Omaha Mavericks on Dec. 28. He was averaging career-highs across the board at 15.6 points on a 39.1 percent field goal shooting and 31.4 percent three-point shooting, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game throughout 12 available contests.

Jan 17, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks starting guard Jackson Shelstad (3) on the bench with an injury before the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The unfortunate news has just continued to fly in as Oregon coach Dana Altman recently told the media that junior center Ege Demir will also be done for the year with a shoulder injury. In his first college basketball season in Eugene, the Turkish big man put together 2.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in just 8.8 minutes per the 19 games that he suited up for.

Altman continued that junior wing Devon Pryor is also likely out for the rest of the season. The Texas Longhorns transfer, the first in Altman's recruiting cycle after the completion of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, exacerbated a nagging groin/leg injury during the UCLA Bruins matchup this past week on Wednesday, Jan. 28. After getting the starting nod, Pryor only played in six minutes during their seventh straight loss in Big Ten Conference play, 73-57.

It's now at eight straight losses for the Ducks after falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes at Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday, Feb. 1, 84-66.

Jan 17, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) drives to the basket against defense by Oregon Ducks forward Devon Pryor (22) during the second half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

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The Return of Nate Bittle?

The only good news coming from Altman is that senior center Nate Bittle looks as if he will make his return to the floor at the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers (18-4, 8-3 Big Ten) this Saturday, Feb. 7, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. He has been recently seen riding a scooter on the bench to keep the pressure off his left foot.

Bittle is averaging a team-high 16.3 points to go along with 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in 15 starts this season. His defensive presence at the rim will be needed against Purdue coach Matt Painter's massive roster, with 6-9 senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, 6-11 senior center Oscar Cluff, as well as 7-4 sophomore center Daniel Jacobsen.

Oregon senior guard Takai Simpkins, who is also far from 100 percent healthy after missing the UCLA game with ankle soreness, will have a tough challenge of his own guarding the likes of senior guard Braden Smith without Shelstad available. The NCAA star is a contender for the Big Ten Player of the Year, leading the conference in assists at 8.9 per game.

Oregon’s Nate Bittle is out of the lineup with an injury before the Ducks' basketball game with Michigan at Matthew Knight Arena Jan. 17, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks had high expectations centered around the returning trio of Shelstad, Bittle, and junior forward Kwame Evans Jr. To say the results of the 2025-26 season to this point have been a disappointment is an underwhelming statement.

Oregon is at an 8-14 overall record, currently 1-10 in Big Ten play. That places them tied for last place in the conference standings along with the Penn State Nittany Lions, out of the 18 programs in the Big Ten.

Altman's 15-season streak of winning 20+ games as the head man of the Pacific Northwest program will be coming to a close, and questions surrounding his coaching future with the Ducks have been frequently raised.