Indiana basketball begins its postseason journey on Thursday afternoon in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament against the Oregon Ducks.
The Hoosiers (19-12, 10-10 in Big Ten play) used a second half surge to win a must-win regular season finale against Ohio State on Saturday. The Ducks (23-8, 12-8 in Big Ten play) enter their first Big Ten Tournament fresh off an overtime victory against rival Washington.
Prior to tip-off on Thursday, preview the 8/9 matchup between Indiana and Oregon.
HEAD COACH PROFILE
Head Coach: Dana Altmann
Record: 775-403 in 36 seasons, 365–160 in 15 seasons at Oregon
Altman arrived at the University of Oregon after spending 16 seasons at Creighton where he became the school’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 327-176 (.650). He led the Blue Jays to 13 consecutive postseason appearances, a stretch of 11 straight seasons with 20-plus wins, all while producing 10 or more league victories in each of the last 14 seasons.
Last season, Altman led the Ducks back to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in school history and eighth under his leadership.
The Wilber, Nebraska native is one of only three active coaches in NCAA Division I with 27 consecutive winning seasons. He is part of an exclusive fraternity that includes Hall-of-Famers Tom Izzo and Bill Self. Altman became the 24th head coach to record 700 career wins at the Division I level in 2021-22 and is the winningest head coach in Oregon history with 345 wins.
THIS SEASON
It has been another patented Oregon season under Dana Altman as the Ducks have won 20-plus games for the 15th-straight season.
The Ducks went through their non conference schedule unblemished, beating top-20 teams such as Alabama and Texas A&M. Such wins had the Ducks ranked ninth in the country as the calendar flipped to 2025.
Oregon remained in the top-25 well into January, but a four-game skid at the end of the month into February dropped the Ducks from Big Ten title contention.
Entering Tuesday's tilt with Indiana, Oregon is eighth in the Big Ten and are a projected six seed in the NCAA tournament.
So far this year, Oregon is averaging a prolific 76.7 points per game, while allowing opponents 71.2 points a contest. The Ducks are shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.2% from 3-point range as a team. On the flip side, Oregon allows its opponents to 43.3% from the floor and 31.5 % from deep.
The Ducks turn the ball 11.1 times per game, while forcing opponents into averaging 12.3 turnovers this season.
Oregon currently ranks 32nd in KenPom, holding the nation's 35th-ranked offensive and 36th-ranked defense. The Ducks sit 29th in the NET entering Saturday night.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Guard Jackson Shelstad - Fresh off a selection to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, the 6 foot guard from West Linn, Oregon has been the go-to guy for Dana Altman's team this year. Starting in every game this season, Shelstad is scoring 13.3 points per game on 43.9% shooting. The guard is shooting 37.9% from three, averaging nearly two triples a night. His all around game continues as Shelstad averages 3.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists a night. Shelstad's 84 assists puts him at second on the team, only behind fellow guard TJ Bamba.
Forward Nate Bittle - Standing at 7 feet, 240 pounds, Bittle has solidified himself as one of the best big men in the Big Ten. A career 50.5% shooter, Bittle is scoring a career-best 14.1 points per game while also grabbing 7.3 rebounds a contest. After only attempting nine threes last season, the Central Point, Oregon native has made 32 of his 95 shots from distance in his senior season in Eugene.
Guard Keeshawn Barthelemy - A spark-plug off the bench, Barthelemy averages 10.2 points per game while averaging just 27.6 minutes a contest. The native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada shoots 42.7% from the field and 42.5% from downtown, making 57 of his 134 attempts from three. In addition to his scoring, the Colorado transfer has dished out 81 assists, good enough for third highest on the team.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Will Indiana be able to avenge the recent loss...
It has only been nine days since the Hoosiers and Ducks met in Eugene, a game in which the hosts pulled away late. Jackson Shelstad's late three put Indiana squarely on the bubble, but its victory on Saturday against Ohio State has the Hoosiers in the field of 68 heading into the weekend.
Indiana being able to learn from its mistakes from last Tuesday and avenge the loss could go a long way in its tournament hopes.
Where does Indiana sit heading into Thursday...
Our resident bracketologist Colin McMahon has Indiana as an 11 Seed in the Midwest Regional, avoiding the first four completely. The experts agree. All but one of the Bracketmatrix.com bracketologists have Indiana in the field as high as a 10 seed and as low as a first four 12-seed.
Indiana appears to be safe depending on the amount of bid thieves, but adding a fifth quad-one victory should be enough to keep Indiana out of Dayton.
QUICK HITTERS
Who: No. 9 Indiana (19-12, 10-10) vs. No. 8 Oregon (23-8, 12-8)
Series History: Indiana leads the series 3-1 (Last Meeting: Oregon won 73-64 on March 4, 2025)
When: Thursday, Mar. 13, 2025, 12:00 p.m. ET
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: Big Ten Network: Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Stephen Bardo (analyst), Rick Pizzo (Sideline)
Radio: IU Radio Network: Don Fischer (Play-by-Play), Errek Suhr (Analyst), John Herrick
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