BASKETBALL THOUGHTS:

I am not sure how far this version of the Oregon men’s team will go in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. The inconsistent shooting is going to become an issue at some point, but what we saw from Nate Bittle on Sunday was special. Will that cause Bittle to consider the NBA Draft? That is one of the bigger questions the team will face as they head into the offseason. Aside from Bittle, while there are a lot of players with really good talent, pretty much everyone on the team who saw significant playing time could use at least one more season of college ball. Of course, that doesn't mean they will stay—there are just too many holes in some of their games to think that the NBA is going to come calling.

But in this day and age, that could all depend on whether their projected NIL value is bigger than their projected earnings next season should they elect to turn pro—whether that be the NBA or some other level of professional basketball.

I thought there were some flaws in the win over Washington that were exposed once again. Maybe it was the road game, looking ahead, trying to get rest, the daylight savings change—who knows—but after the strong start, they allowed Washington to hang around for far too long and almost suffered a loss in a game that should never have been as close as it was at the end.

One player to keep an eye on regarding the transfer portal is Mookie Cook. I know he missed time due to injury last season and that the coaches still have a lot of hope for his future, but after averaging just 4.5 minutes per game in 22 games this season, some feel he might make a move for more playing time elsewhere. Nothing in stone yet, just something to keep an eye on.

FOOTBALL NOTES:

Spring practice starts today, and we have talked a lot about some of the battles we will be watching.

One of the questions I was asked about today by Rivals national analysts was about any portal thoughts for the second window. Who might leave? Who might Oregon look at in the second window?

While I will share more detail in an article next week on what that might look like, let me just say that the one position ‘most likely’ to get an incoming portal transfer would be linebacker. Not saying it is going to happen, just that it feels like the most likely spot to get a transfer.

Who might Oregon lose? It would not be surprising if a quarterback left following spring practice, but it also would not surprise me if this staff managed to hold onto all of their scholarship QBs.

BASEBALL THIS WEEK:

Oregon swept USC in the first weekend of Big Ten Conference play to move to 14-2 before an upset loss to Grand Canyon in Eugene on Tuesday. The Ducks moved to 15-3 with a 16-6 win over Grand Canyon yesterday.

Through 18 games, Oregon ranks No. 8 in the nation in home runs, 7th in runs scored, and 5th in fielding percentage. There is still a long way to go in the season, but the Ducks look as good this season as last. If they can improve in a couple of areas, this team could make another Super Regional run and maybe even a trip to the College World Series. A lot of things have to go right for that to happen, but this team has looked solid early. It will be interesting to see how warmer weather changes their performance on the field.

SOFTBALL THIS WEEK:

The softball team swept Florida State in two games during the Jane Sanders Classic this past weekend but suffered only their second loss of the season to Oregon State. They bounced back with two wins over Abilene Christian to finish off the weekend.

The Ducks open Big Ten play with a trip to Seattle for a three-game series against the Huskies starting Friday.

RECRUITING NOTES:

Jared Curtis was the only visitor last weekend, and we discussed his visit in our premium articles. Synopsis: Oregon did everything right and put themselves in the best position possible, but that does not mean this is over. Curtis is in Georgia right now visiting the Bulldogs, and the lure of being close to home is real.

This weekend, however, the Ducks will be hosting a much larger group of players. We will have more on these players tomorrow and next week in our premium content, but here is the list of players we have so far:

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