Dentist in Oregon, WI.

The Oregon Ducks are the No. 5 seed in the East Region of the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Oregon’s first round matchup is against the No. 12 seeded Liberty Flames on Friday night at 7:10 p.m PT on truTV.

This is the highest seed the Ducks have got in an NCAA Tournament since 2017 when they got a No. 3 seed. That Ducks team led by Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Jordan Bell, and Tyler Dorsey made it all the way to the Final Four. Can this year’s Ducks team create some of their own March magic?

Here’s how the rest of the East region shakes out.

Duke No. 1 Seed In East Region

The Duke Blue Devils and coach Jon Scheyer are the No. 1 seed in the East Region. Duke is led by the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, forward Cooper Flagg. The Blue Devils have looked invincible over the past month and have won 11 straight games; most of which were complete blowouts. Outside of Flagg (18.9 points per game), Duke’s two leading scorers are freshman guard Kon Knueppel (14.4 points per game) and junior guard Tyrese Proctor (12 points per game).

Duke won the regular season ACC title outright and also won the conference tournament title this past weekend despite Flagg missing the semifinals and final with an ankle sprain. He should be good to go for their first round of the NCAA Tournament. They enter March Madness with a record of 31-3 and are one of the favorites to cut down the nets in San Antonio.

Alabama, Wisconsin, and Arizona Seeded 2, 3, and 4

The Alabama Crimson Tide are there No. 2 seed in the East Region. Alabama finished the season with a 25-8 record in a loaded SEC. Oregon and Alabama played earlier this season in the Players Era Festival, where the Ducks won 83-81. The Tide are seeking a second straight Final Four appearance. They are led by senior guard Mark Sears (18.7 points per game).

The Wisconsin Badgers are the No. 3 seed in the East. This is one of the most fast paced and high scoring Badger teams in quite some time. They are led by senior guard John Tonje, who averages 19.5 points per game and shoots 39.8 percent from three. Oregon and Wisconsin played an overtime thriller last month, where the Ducks won on the road 77-73. Wisconsin has a record of 26-9.

The Arizona Wildcats are the No. 3 seed in the East. Oregon and Arizona have a lot of history dating back to all of their years playing each other in the Pac 12. Now, Oregon is in the Big Ten and Arizona is in the Big 12, but here they are again with a chance to play each other. The 22-12 Wildcats are led by senior guard Caleb Love (16.6 points per game).

Other Teams In The East To Watch Out For

If Oregon were to get by Liberty, they would be on a potential path to play Arizona in the second round and Duke in the Sweet 16.

At the bottom of the region, there are some underrated teams that could make some noise in March. The No. 6 seeded BYU Cougars have been on fire recently, winning 8 straight games before falling in the Big 12 tournament semifinals to Houston. BYU can score with the best of them from inside and out, and the Cougars have eight different players that average seven or more points per game.

The No. 7 seed in the East is Saint Mary's. The Gaels have a suffocating defense anchored by WCC Defensive Player of the Year, Mitchell Saxen. They pride themselves on consistently making the right play and doing all the little things well. Coach Randy Bennett has made the Gaels a 25 plus win machine year in and year out, a feat they achieved once again for the fourth consecutive year.

Everyone loves a cinderella and a potential one in this region is the No. 13 seeded Akron Zips. Akron won the MAC with a record of 28-6, making the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The Zips have never won a tournament game and will try to flip that trend against No. 4 seeded Arizona. Akron is the No. 8 highest scoring team in the whole country, putting up 84.6 points per game. They like to run and gun and could pull the upset if they get hot from three point land.

The Oregon Ducks (20-8, 9-8) are riding a four-game winning streak and added a monumental resume victory on the road at the Wisconsin Badgers this past Saturday, a 77-73 win in overtime. Oregon came back from a 17-point deficit in the second half at the Kohl Center in Madison.

"Players want to play good teams. Wisconsin's a really good team. We just caught fire there in the second half, and that happens. Teams get on a little roll and the game changes momentum, that's simply what happened."

- Dana Altman via Badgers Wire

Because of their strong recent play as the season heads into March, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has listed Oregon coach Dana Altman's squad as the No. 5 seed to play the No. 12 seed Drake Bulldogs out of the Missouri Valley Conference in Denver, Colorado to start off March Madness. Denver is the closest first and second round location in the NCAA Tournament to Eugene besides Seattle.

The current Ducks are moving back up the national rankings as they stand at No. 32 in the NET rankings and are 9-6 in Quad 1 opportunities. The only other programs across the country that have more or the same amount of wins are the Auburn Tigers (14 wins), Tennessee Volunteers (nine wins), and Alabama Crimson Tide (nine wins) all out of the Southeastern Conference.

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Oregon senior Nate Bittle has been the best player on the floor consistently for Altman this season. He's been not only one of the top centers in the Big Ten Conference but the entire country. He's a candidate for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy which the winner will be announced in late March.

Bittle ranks No. 22 in the country with 2.1 blocks per game and No. 10 in the Big Ten with 7.1 rebounds per game. He has been the defensive anchor for this group's turnaround.

"We've got to bring our defense. Offense will come. Stops lead to transition, turnovers and stuff like that lead to transition buckets, which are easy baskets. Coach Altman has been emphasizing defense a lot lately, rebounding the basketball. It's a big part of winning."

- Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle

A Big Ten regular season title is not within reach for the Ducks but a run at the Big Ten Tournament at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis from Wednesday, March 12 through Sunday, March 16. That final day is also Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament.

If the season were to end on Feb. 25, Oregon would be the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Ducks trail the UCLA Bruins and Purdue Boilermakers by 2.5 games of the No. 5 and 6 seeds.

Oregon's remaining conference schedule is against the USC Trojans on Saturday, March 1, Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, March 4, and at rival Washington Huskies on Sunday, March 9. Those first two games will be played at Matthew Knight Arena.

Wisconsin basketball (21-6, 11-5 Big Ten) fell 77-73 in overtime to the Oregon Ducks (20-8, 9-8 Big Ten) on Saturday afternoon.

Backed by 16 early points from star wing John Tonje, the Badgers built a 17-point edge late in the first half. They held the Ducks to just 26 points in the opening frame on 11-of-32 shooting from the field. At the break, it appeared as if Wisconsin would cruise to another blowout win at home.

The beginning of the second half suggested a similar theme -- Wisconsin maintained a comfortable double-digit lead courtesy of several buckets from Nolan Winter, Kamari McGee and Max Klesmit. A Tonje layup extended UW's advantage to 14, 64-50, with just over six minutes to play. The Ducks, however, had yet to ignite their late-game surge.

Over the ensuing six minutes of play, Oregon piloted a 16-2 spurt, ending in a game-tying three-pointer from Jackson Shelstad. From there, big man Nate Bittle took the offensive reigns to propel the Ducks to an unlikely upset over the nation's No. 11-ranked team.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman met with the media after his team's statement win. Here's everything he said, including some praise for the 2024-25 Badgers:

Opening statement

"Very proud of the fellas. I thought we really sucked it up there after being down 17. Got the ball inside to Nate that second half. Kind of went inside out. Got our offense going a little bit, which generated our defense. We got 17 points off of turnovers in the second half and overtime. I thought that was the difference in the game. Coming in, watching Greg [Gard]'s team play on film, their ball movement and execution are so impressive. I told our guys we have to break their rhythm in some way because they move the ball so good. So we got that rhythm just a little bit out of sync that second half, and that really helped us."

On breaking Wisconsin's offensive rhythm

"It started with T.J. Bamba doing a really good job on [John] Tonje. He's hit so many big shots for them. I thought T.J. did a good job. Jackson [Shelstad] gave us a little ball pressure. Nate got in bad foul trouble in the first half. That third foul with the reach is just unexplainable. But he gives us a presence inside where guys can't get to the rim really easy. So, we need him on the floor. Then I thought our pressure on the perimeter increased, we got hands on some balls and contested some shots that I thought they got pretty easy in the first half."

On Oregon's full-court pressure

"Not a lot of teams press, We start pressing early and, I thought that took a little of the rhythm away. They just weren't able to walk into their offensive. We wore them down a little bit and put them in spots you're not used to being in. That really helped us."

On limiting Wisconsin's inside attack

"Well, I thought we did a better job of keeping it out there and getting some guys off and to the ball. When you give the post man a one-on-one and four dribbles, most guys are going to put themselves in a pretty good spot. In the first half, our activity just wasn't very good. I thought it got a lot better in the second half, and we were just off and to the ball a lot better."

On continuing to acclimate to the Big Ten

"We wanted to be in the Big Ten. We asked to be in the league, and we're not complaining about travel or complaining about anything. We have made a few trips and our guys enjoy the new atmospheres. Different places to play. You guys, unbelievable atmosphere here, great crowd honoring coach [Dick] Bennett's team before the game. It's a great atmosphere. Players want to play good teams. Wisconsin's a really good team. We just caught fire there in the second half, and that happens. Teams get on a little roll and the game changes momentum, that's simply what happened."

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Oregon was six minutes away from another double-digit road loss.

That proved to be just enough time to mount a comeback Saturday.

The Ducks trailed by as much as 17 in the first half, as much as 16 in the second half and by 14 with 6:15 to play before storming back to force overtime en route to a 77-73 upset of No. 11 Wisconsin in a Big Ten men’s basketball game at the Kohl Center in Madison.

The Ducks (20-8, 9-8 Big Ten) have now won four straight to move into a tie with Illinois for seventh place in the conference standings.

"Really good effort,” coach Dana Altman said during his postgame radio interview on KUJZ-FM. “I can’t tell you how proud I am … down 17, it takes a lot of character to man up and come back.”

Jackson Shelstad’s step-back 3-pointer with 13.2 seconds to play in regulation tied the score at 66-66 and capped a 16-2 run by the Ducks over the final 6:04.

Oregon then outscored the Badgers 11-7 in overtime, with Nate Bittle scoring six in the extra session as the senior center tied his career high with 23 points despite playing just seven minutes in the first half after picking up three early fouls.

He gave the Ducks the lead for good with a pair of free throws that made the score 72-71 with 1:34 to play in OT. He followed with a layup on Oregon's ensuing possession to make 74-71 with 55.3 remining.

Bittle, who had five points and no rebounds in the first half, finished 9 of 17 from the field and with six rebounds and three blocks. He didn’t commit another foul after halftime.

“I was really mad at him when he got that third foul on a reach in the first half, but he really came back and had a tremendous, tremendous second half,” Altman said. “When we play through him, we’re a much better team.”

Keeshawn Barthelemy also scored 14, Shelstad had 13 points, Jadrian Tracey scored 11 and Kwame Evans Jr., had 10 points and nine rebounds as the sophomore forward came within one rebound of his first career double-double.

Oregon’s defense was stifling in the second half and overtime.

After allowing Wisconsin (21-6, 11-5) to go on a 24-4 run in the first half that put them up 38-21 with 2:07 to play on the first half, the Ducks buckled down.

They held the Badgers to 16 points below their season average during regulation play and to just one field goal in the final six minutes of the second half.

Wisconsin also had a season-high 17 turnovers that Oregon turned into 24 points.

John Tonje had 22 points for the Badgers, but 16 of those came during their big run in the first half. He was held to six points on 3-of-10 shooting in the second half and overtime thanks in no small part to the defensive effort of Ducks guard TJ Bamba.

What's next for the Oregon men's basketball team?

The Ducks will open March at home in one week when USC comes to Matthew Knight Arena Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip-off.

Oregon defeated USC 68-60 in its Big Ten opener Dec. 4 in Los Angeles.

The Trojans (14-12, 6-9) are fighting to stay in contention for a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, as they are 1 1/2 games ahead of finishing in the bottom three in the conference standings going into their 3 p.m. game Sunday at Rutgers. Only the top 15 teams in the Big Ten make the tournament.

USC also has a home game against Ohio State on Wednesday before it comes to Eugene.

Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG

Down 15 with 7:57 to go in regulation, Oregon mounted a furious comeback and upset No. 11 Wisconsin for one of its best wins of the season.

Nate Bittle scored 18 of his 23 points and all six of his rebounds after halftime as the Ducks beat the Badgers 77-73 in overtime Saturday afternoon at Kohl Center.

Oregon (20-8, 9-8 Big Ten) trailed by as much as 17 in the first half and was behind for over 31 minutes from midway through the first half until overtime. It was the biggest deficit overcome by UO since an 18-point gap at Cal on Jan. 13, 2024.

“Showed a lot of character,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said on postgame radio. “Our defense really picked up the second half. We had 17 points off their turnovers the second half and overtime, and that was the difference. We picked it up. The press hurt them a little bit; a little bit of zone hurt them, threw them off their rhythm just a little bit.

“Finally threw that ball inside to Nate. We got to get that ball inside; play inside-out. When we did that, we got really good looks. Really good effort. Can’t tell you how proud I am of them. This is a packed house. They’re celebrating a Final Four team. Down 17, it takes a lot of character to man up and come back.”

John Tonje scored 16 of his 22 points in the first half for Wisconsin (21-6, 11-5), which committed a season-high 17 turnovers, including 11 in the second half. It led to a 24-12 UO advantage in points off turnovers.

Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half, Jackson Shelstad had 13, Jadrian Tracey scored 11, and Kwame Evans Jr. had 10 points and nine rebounds for Oregon.

“Nate and Jackson carried us, but Keeshawn hit some big shots and really did a nice job hitting a couple of big ones there in the second half to get us close,” Altman said. “When (Evans) plays and just goes to the boards, he’s just a different player. Tremendous effort.”

Bittle was 9 of 17 from the field, including 1 of 2 from three-point range, and 4 of 5 from the free throw line. The Ducks center made a pair of jumpers — both of Oregon’s baskets in overtime — and made two free throws to put UO ahead with 1:36 to go.

“He really came back and had a tremendous second half,” Altman said. “When we play though him, we’re a much better team. The first half he didn’t get in there, we didn’t play through him and that’s why our offense struggled.

“He contested shots without fouling (in the second half), had hand activity without fouling. I was very pleased with his effort that second half.”

Tonje was 9 of 20 from the field, including 2 of 10 from three. He missed his final three attempts, all from behind the arc.

The late comeback was in stark contrast to the first half, when Oregon’s starters combined for four rebounds, three by Shelstad, and Bittle had three fouls.

Shelstad went 5 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 5 from three. After Wisconsin turned it over off an inbound pass, Shelstad made the game-tying three with 13.2 to go in regulation.

Steven Crowl had 12 points and six rebounds, and Nolan Winter had 11 points for Wisconsin, which went from dominating the paint 26-12 in the first half to just a 40-38 edge for the game.

The stunning comeback is a massive résumé enhancer for Oregon, which entered the day No. 34 in NET. The Ducks improve to 9-6 in Quadrant 1 games after their second-best win of the season.

UO moves into a tie for seventh in the Big Ten standings with three games remaining in the regular season, 1½ games ahead of Ohio State and Nebraska, which play on Sunday and Monday, respectively.

It also marks the 15th consecutive 20-win season for Oregon under Altman — his entire tenure at UO.

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