Monday Night kicked off a new era of Oregon Basketball as Tony Stubblefield led the Ducks into action following the stunning retirement of Dana Altman this offseason. The schedule gave Tony Stubblefield the perfect opportunity to kick off his head coaching tenure with a win as he audtions for the full-time job with the Montana Grizzlies coming to town.
While the Grizzlies were underdogs, they sure didn't play like it, opening the game by making their first 4 3-point attempts. From the start of the game, the Grizzlies showed they weren't going to make this easy on the Ducks, even tying the game in the final 12 minutes, but Tony Stubblefield's team eventually found their rhythm to secure the win.
4 winners from Oregon's flashy season opening win
Tyrone Riley IV
You never want to overreact to the first game of the season, but it looks pretty clear that Tyrone Riley IV is going to be the Ducks' best player this season. Riley was all over for the Ducks, and his defensive ability may be more impressive than his scoring prowess. The San Francisco transfer finished with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks as the MVP of the night.
First bucket of the season comes from Tyrone Riley. #GoDucks
— Oregon Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB) November 3, 2026
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/g5Nh9lwZjL
Andrew Meadow
Boise State transfer Andrew Meadow flashed his ability during the offseason, but in the season opener, he showed how impactful he can be for the Ducks. Meadow rocked the rim, finishing off lobs while going 2-for-3 from three. The Ducks may like Meadow to impact the game on the glass more, but he can be a great source of offense for this team.
Taylor Bol Bowen
You can tell that Taylor Bol Bowen played for Nate Oats at Alabama, as he's excellent on the perimeter for a big man. While Bol Bowen didn't score a ton, he did a little bit of everything by throwing lobs, grabbing rebounds, and playing solid defense. Like Oats, Stubblefield may need to push his big man to be more aggressive as he could take over games with his skill set.
Malique Ewin
Dana Altman and the staff left a roster spot open with the hope of adding another transfer when the eligibility rules changed, and the Ducks went out and added Malique Ewin. On Monday Night, Ewin showed why he's so valuable, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for the Ducks. As Ewin continues to gel with this team given how late he was cleared, he's only going to make a bigger impact for the Ducks.
The lone loser from Oregon's season opener who needs to improve
Jasper Johnson
Dana Altman joked in his retirement press conference that he may be watching at home, getting upset at Jasper Johnson turnovers, and in the second half, the fans got to see why. While Jasper Johnson made some highlight reel passes, he was clearly flustered once Montana started to press. Johnson finished the game with 1 point, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, but he'll need to clean up the 3 turnovers. Tyrone Riley IV, Wei Lin, and Fred Payne all outplayed Johnson, and if he doesn't bounce back, the guard minutes may be tough to come by.
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