Oregon looking like dangerous NCAA Tournament team following upset road win at No. 11 Wisconsin
Oregon has regained its footing.
On Saturday, the Ducks traveled to the Kohl Center and defeated Associated Press No. 11 Wisconsin (21-6, 11-5 in Big Ten), 77-73, for their fourth consecutive victory and Big Ten-leading ninth Quad 1 win in 2024-25.
Oregon erased a 12-point first-half deficit, holding Wisconsin to 25 percent on three-point field goals and forcing 17 turnovers, leading to 24 points.
Sophomore Guard Jackson Shelstad tied the game at 66 with 13.2 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
Oregon senior center Nathan Bittle led all players with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding six rebounds and three blocks. This season, the 7-footer is averaging 13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Oregon (20-8, 9-8 in Big Ten) has rediscovered its groove after hitting a rough patch. From Jan. 25 through Feb. 8, the Ducks lost five in a row.
Per KenPom, the Ducks are one of the country’s most experienced teams, averaging 2.7 years of Division I experience. They do several things veteran teams do well, including taking care of the ball, making free throws and avoiding shooting fouls on defense.
Against Wisconsin, Oregon only had eight turnovers while limiting the Badgers to six free-throw attempts on 65 field-goal tries.
Oregon has two marquee wins against SEC competition, No. 7 Texas A&M (20-7, 9-5 in SEC) and No. 4 Alabama (21-5, 10-3 in SEC), another sign it could be a force this March.
The Ducks are a projected 8-seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s most recent men’s NCAA Tournament prediction but could rise a line following Saturday’s win. Fox Sports’ Mike DeCourcy and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm had Oregon as a 7-seed entering the weekend.
In 2021, Oregon advanced to the Sweet 16 as a 7-seed, one of its four appearances in the regional semifinals during the past nine NCAA Tournaments.
A month ago, with their season spiraling, the Ducks appeared headed for a quick NCAA tourney exit. Less than a month before the round of 64 tips off on March 20, Oregon looks like a serious threat to reach the tournament’s second weekend and potentially beyond.
