Oregon Ducks fans, get ready for a Thanksgiving week full of high-stakes basketball! Dana Altman's squad is heading to Las Vegas to compete in the revamped Players Era Tournament, and this year's field is absolutely stacked.
The tournament has expanded to a massive 24-team format, featuring 13 teams that danced in last season's NCAA Tournament. The Ducks tip off on November 23 as part of a 16-team bracket that reads like a who's who of college hoops. Oregon will share the court with reigning national champion Michigan, plus powerhouse programs like Alabama, Gonzaga, St. John's, Louisville, Tennessee, Iowa State, Miami, Texas Tech, Baylor, Maryland, TCU, Creighton, San Diego State, and Kansas State. That's a murderer's row of competition right out of the gate.
The remaining eight teams—Florida, Houston, Kansas, Auburn, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Rutgers, and UNLV—will battle it out in their own bracket the week prior, starting November 16, also in Las Vegas. All 37 tournament games will be broadcast on ESPN, though Oregon's specific matchups won't be announced until later this offseason.
This tournament could serve as an early measuring stick for a Ducks team undergoing a major roster overhaul. Altman had to replace nearly his entire roster this offseason, with Sean Stewart as the lone scholarship returner. The Ducks will likely face some familiar faces, including former Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, who transferred to Louisville, and Dezdrick Lindsay, now with Kansas State.
Oregon's offseason focus has been on adding scoring punch and size. The Ducks brought in sharpshooters like Fred Payne and Tyrone Riley IV, while adding big men Pharaoh Compton and Taylor Bol Bowen to anchor the paint. Both Compton and Bol Bowen could face their former teams—Alabama and San Diego State, respectively—adding extra intrigue to the bracket.
The Ducks have been a staple of the Players Era Tournament for the past two seasons, but last year's trip to Vegas was a tough one. Oregon dropped three games to Auburn, San Diego State, and Creighton, leaving them hungry for redemption. With a revamped roster and a loaded field, this Thanksgiving week could be the perfect opportunity for the Ducks to make a statement on the national stage.