Oregon kicks off its inaugural Big Ten campaign on Monday against UC-Riverside in a nonconference season opener in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon joined nine other schools in departing the Pac-12 after last season, but the Ducks were the only program to leave with a Pac-12 Tournament championship.
Oregon enters the Big Ten with some talent for longtime head coach Dana Altman.
Pac-12 All-Freshman guard Jackson Shelstad is back after a strong campaign in which he started 30 of 32 games and averaged 12.8 points per game. Other returnees who played key roles include Kwame Evans Jr. and Jadrian Tracey. And three players who dealt with long-term injuries last season are back — Mookie Cook, Nate Bittle and Keeshawn Barthelemy.
Altman landed some talent and experience via the transfer portal in former Stanford standout Brandon Angel, former Washington State and Villanova player TJ Bamba, and former Georgetown forward Supreme Cook. Cook could miss the start of the season due to injury.
“We are going to go back to the way we have traditionally played,” Altman said via SI.com. “This team will look or try to play the style as our teams in 2021 and before.”
UC-Riverside faces Oregon for the third time in the past four seasons. The Highlanders fell to the Ducks by identical scores of 71-65 in December of 2021 and 2022.
UC-Riverside defeated Division II California State-San Marcos 89-61 at home on Oct. 25. Kaleb Smith led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, the Highlanders outrebounded the Cougars 43-27 and outscored them in the paint, 44-20.
Barrington Hargress, the reigning Big West Freshman of the Year, is back. The Highlanders went 16-18 (10-10 Big West) last season after four consecutive winning seasons.
“The goal for this team is to go for a Big West title,” head coach Mike Magpayo told the university’s website. “I think these guys really have a chance to do it, especially with one of the toughest schedules we’ve ever had.”
That schedule includes nonconference games at BYU, Santa Clara, UNLV and Colorado State after it battles the Ducks.
