Can the Badgers keep their win streak alive at home against Oregon?
The 11th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers take on the Oregon Ducks for the first time since the 2023 NIT Tournament on Saturday. Tip-off is at 11 A.M. CT on FOX, and Wisconsin is an 8.5-point favorite.
Last Tuesday, Wisconsin snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Illinois Fighting Illini, winning 95-74. John Tonje and Steven Crowl paced the Badgers, with Tonje scoring 31 points and Crowl scoring 20.
The Badgers are rolling, but their next opponent could be a sneaky matchup. What should Wisconsin fans know about Oregon?
Opponent Preview
It’s been a tale of two parts this season in Dana Altman’s 15th season at Oregon. Before the start of the new year, the 12-1 Ducks were rolling and ranked ninth in the country. The Ducks had impressive wins over current top-10 teams in Texas A&M and Alabama. Oregon appeared to be a top team in the Big Ten race.
But then the calendar turned to 2025, and Oregon received a 109-77 blowout loss at home to Illinois on January 2nd. After losing five straight games from January 25th to February 8th, the Ducks are on a three-game winning streak. Altman’s squad comes to Madison with a 19-8 overall record and 8-8 in conference games.
Guard Jackson Shelstad is the Ducks’ leading scorer at 13.3 points per game. Shelstad and teammate Keeshawn Barthelemy are talented three-point shooters. Shelstad is shooting 46.4% from behind the three-point line in conference play, while Barthelemy has the best overall three-point shooting percentage at 41.4% throughout the season.
Former Washington State and Villanova guard TJ Bamba leads the team with 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Bamba is the third-leading scorer on the Ducks with 10.3 points per game.
In the frontcourt is Stanford transfer forward Brandon Angel and center Nate Bittle. Angel is currently averaging 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Bittle, the tallest player on Oregon’s roster at seven feet, is the Ducks’ top rebounder with 7.1 rebounds and shot-blocker with 2.0 blocks per game. In Oregon’s last game at Iowa City on Wednesday, Bittle had a double-double where he scored 21 points, 10 rebounds, and the game-winning block on Iowa’s last possession to preserve an 80-78 Ducks win.
Score Prediction
Oregon is an enigma to me. The Ducks are a talented team but have not gotten consistent performances in conference play. However, the Ducks can beat you with their three-point shooting guards or down low with an aggressive big man like Bittle.
The Badgers are getting the Ducks at the right time, as Oregon has struggled this season on the road. Before escaping with a win at Iowa, Oregon had lost their last four road games. Look for Wisconsin to make it six Big Ten consecutive wins on Saturday.
Prediction: Wisconsin 81-70.