Oregon Ducks Biggest Sleeper Team In NCAA Tournament?

The Oregon Ducks picked up a dramatic comeback win over the Wisconsin Badgers. After their late January and early February struggles this season, the Ducks have bounced back in a big way. One of college basketball's most well known voices is not sleeping on Oregon heading into March.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman talks to his team during a timeout as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks put the country on notice this weekend with a huge come from behind victory on the road against the Wisconsin Badgers. The Badgers were ranked No. 11 in the country at the time and the Ducks went into Madison and pulled off the stunning upset. 

College basketball personality/broadcaster John Fanta is not sleeping on this Oregon Ducks team as March Madness approaches. 

Fanta was on Monday’s Pardon My Take (PMT) show with Big Cat and PFT Commentator. 

John Fanta: “Don’t Sleep On the Ducks”

Oregon head coach Dana Altman talks to his team as the Oregon Ducks host the Northwestern Wildcats Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

John Fanta is one of the most well respected voices in all of college basketball. Coaches, players, analysts, media members, and fans all rave about him. From his play-by-play broadcasts to his X (Twitter) Spaces conversations, when Fanta speaks, people listen. 

Fanta is high on the Ducks and coach Dana Altman, especially after their comeback win over Wisconsin this weekend. 

“Oregon just gave ya’ll a lesson now. If Dana Atman makes a Sweet 16, everyone is like, ‘How did that just happen?’ They’re talented,” Fanta said on PMT. 

Dana Altman has had a knack with Oregon for making late season surges that lead to NCAA Tournament runs. Since taking over at the helm in Eugene in 2010, Altman has lead the Ducks to the Sweet 16 five different times, including a Final Four trip in 2017. This year’s Oregon team has the talent on the roster to make another run. 

“They (Oregon) are a dangerous team,” Fanta said. “The Oregon Ducks with Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle, who’s a 7-footer who’s a matchup problem…Don’t sleep on the Ducks.”

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Oregon Ducks Entering March Red Hot

Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee (4) and Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad (3) vie for the ball during the first half of their game Saturday, February 22, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Saturday, Oregon was down by as much as 17 points against the Badgers. They made a furious comeback late, sending the game to overtime after Wisconsin miscues and a deep Jackson Shelstad game tying three-pointer. The Ducks rolled in overtime and won 77-73. Coach Dana Altman’s bunch is now 20-8 and should be a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Oregon has turned a five-game losing streak into a four-game winning streak. 

Things were looking bleak for Oregon as recent as two weeks ago. They were coming off a 5th consecutive loss to drop to the bottom half of the Big Ten with a 5-8 conference record. Since then, they have picked up wins against Northwestern, Rutgers, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

These four wins in this stretch have propelled the Ducks to what now looks like a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Oregon had a dream start to the season and finished non-conference play at a perfect 11-0, including a Players Era Festival title. Their best non-conference wins were over Alabama, Texas A&M, and San Diego State. These wins have boosted Oregon’s resume dramatically. Oregon has nine quadrant one wins, which is second best in the entire country, only behind the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. 

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports released his updated NCAA Tournament projections on Monday morning. He has the Ducks as a No. 6 seed. 

Oregon will be in action next at home on Saturday against the USC Trojans. 

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