The Oregon Ducks and coach Dana Altman will have to win six games in six days in the Big Ten Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
The Oregon Ducks will be tasked with an extremely tall order as coach Dana Altman will have to win six games in six days to make the NCAA tournament for what would be the third year in a row. The Ducks will begin that task against the Maryland Terrapins on Tuesday, March 10.
Altman has had one of the more disappointing seasons in his tenure as coach of the Ducks, but he has a chance to rectify the entire season starting on Tuesday. Altman has become one of the most reliable coaches in the month of March in college basketball, and that narrative will be put to the test tomorrow against the Maryland Terrapins. Oregon center Nate Bittle celebrates a shot as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on March 7, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesNate Bittle Could Be in Line for Big Performance vs. Terrapins The Terrapins are led by guard David Colt, who averages 13.5 points per game while also shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc per game. Oregon and Nate Bittle will have to key in on Terrapin big man Solomon Washington, who leads the Terrapins with 9.2 rebounds per game. Ever since missing a large portion of the season due to an injury picked up on January 13, Nate Bittle has slowly been returning to form. Bittle has averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game across his last five games. Bittle is one of the most experienced big men in the tournament, and if he catches fire to start the game against Maryland, it could lead the Ducks basketball program into the next round of the Big Ten tournament.Oregon forward Kwame Evans Jr. shoots free throws to seal the Ducks win as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on March 7, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Ducks are no stranger to Maryland’s program. The Ducks went on the road to College Park, Maryland, and defeated the Terrapins 64-54 back in January. Oregon won't have to travel the length of the country this time, and will have a neutral site game against Maryland in Chicago. In the Ducks' 64-54 win over the Terrapins, forward Kwame Evans Jr. logged 12 points and eight rebounds.Oregon head coach Dana Altman yells as the Oregon Ducks host the Wisconsin Badgers on Feb. 25, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Oregon coach Dana Altman should play a huge role in the Ducks first round matchup against Maryland. The Ducks will arguably have the coaching advantage over current Maryland coach Buzz Williams. Altman has won the Big Ten Tournament two times and has made the NCAA tournament in each of his last two seasons. The Ducks path to the March Madness NCAA Tournament will not be easy, but the first few games will be manageable. If Oregon is able to get past Maryland, a team they already beat this season, they'll have a chance for revenge against Iowa. The Hawkeyes defeated the Ducks back on February 1 by a score of 84-66. The Ducks begin Big Ten tournament play against Maryland on Tuesday, March 10, at 2:00 p.m. PT. The game can be watched on Peacock and heard on the Oregon Sports Network.Kyle Clements is beat writer for Oregon Ducks on SI. Kyle is a 2019 graduate of Southern Oregon University and currently does play-by-play for SOU football and men’s and women’s soccer. He currently also writes for Oregon State on SI and hosts a daily sports show in southern Oregon on The Ace Sports Radio, 107.9 FM and 1300 AM. Kyle also does play-by-play for the Rogue Valley Royals hockey team and the North Medford High School Black Tornado for TableRockSports.net. Kyle lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and a Dalmatian named Penny.
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