Oregon's Nate Bittle Continues to put Together Solid Senior Season

The Oregon basketball team has had a rocky start to the 2025-26 NCAA season.

After starting the campaign with four consecutive wins, the Ducks gone 2-6 in their last eight contests. That stretch included five stright losses to Auburn, San Diego State, Creighton, USC and UCLA.

Most recently, Oregon fell at the hands of Gonzaga, putting the team at 6-6 on the year. The Ducks have at least been competitive in most of their losses this year, but still need to get back on track before Big Ten play kicks off for a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.

One of the few bright spots this year for the team has been senior big man Nate Bittle. Bittle declared for the NBA Draft in 2025, but wasn't invited to the combine and ended up withdrawing his name to return to school.

So far, that seems to be a wise decision, as the fifth-year center has turned in a solid season for the Ducks, and has a chance to be selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. In 10 games, Bittle is averaging a career-high 15.1 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.1 blocks per contest.

The talented big man is shooting 45.6% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and a career-best 81.5% from the free throw line this year. Listed at 7-feet tall and 250 pounds, Bittle also has good size to go along with his stats.

While the redshirt senior's shooting percentages aren't as efficient as some other centers, nearly 40% of Bittle's shots are coming from beyond the arc. The Ducks' standout isn't connecting on enough of his attempts from deep to be considered a skilled shooter from that area of the floor yet, his free throw percentages indicate he could eventually develop enough touch to be a decent court spacer.

Additionally, Bittle's willingness to take shots from 3-point range should help spread defenses out even while his attempts aren't falling at a high rate.

Likely the biggest selling point for Bittle's draft stock at this point, however, is his defensive ability. With good size and stength, the veteran center is a strong interior defender with good timing and length.

That has translated into good block numbers, even last season. In 2024-25, Bittle averaged 2.1 blocks per game in 35 contests. If Bittle can continue to showcase his skills as a modern big man on offense, while alsp playing good defense, he could earn a spot in the 2026 class.

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