Exhale, Ducks basketball fans. Standout guard Jackson Shelstad should be healthy enough to play in the Players' Era Festival opener in Las Vegas. Earlier this month, Shelstad unfortunately suffered a broken hand. The injury was said to set him back 4-6 weeks, but he is now expected to be available for the Ducks' Players' Era tournament first game against Auburn.
The Players' Era Festival tournament is a new, but widely successful, college basketball tournament that debuted last year. This year, it will take place from Nov. 24-27. Participating in this tournament provides teams with funds to allocate towards NIL, with each team from the previous year receiving at least $1 million. The Oregon Ducks were the champions last year, defeating Alabama 83-81 in the championship.
Oregon got a steal late with this one
— Players Era (@Players_Era) October 26, 2025
Wei Lin looked great in his D1 Debut
Had 10 points and 4 assists, 3 steals, 0 Turnovers
Lin was the very best domestic scorer in the CBA last season
Savvy Hooper for the Ducks
(Via @PDTScouting 🎥)
pic.twitter.com/hlTXAYqA1s
With Dana Altman shooting for Shelstad to be back against Auburn, this means the Ducks' leader would miss the team's first four games of the season. Oregon is set to open its basketball season against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors at home on Nov. 4. Afterwards, Oregon will face Rice, South Dakota State, and its rivals, Oregon State, all at home before the Players' Era tournament.
In his sophomore season, Shelstad led the Ducks to a 25-10 record. The All-Big Ten guard averaged 21 points per game in the March Madness tournament. Oregon ended up losing in the second round of March Madness to Arizona, but knocked off Liberty in the first round. In the regular season, Shelstad averaged 13.3 PPG, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Without that type of production, the Ducks will have an uphill battle to start their season.
Ducks Win!
— Oregon Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB) October 25, 2025
UO defeats Utah by 20 in the exhibition. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/P6hLCnXnXD
However, the Ducks looked just fine in their exhibition game against the Utah Utes, blasting them by 20 points. In a 73-53 win, big man Nate Bittle led the team with 20 PTS, 12 REBS, and 3 blocks. The Ducks' newest addition, Wei Lin, scored 10 points in his Oregon debut. If Oregon wants to be in a good spot when Shelstad comes back, Bittle is going to have to continue to play well. Catch the Oregon Ducks season opener against Hawai'i on Nov. 4, where you can watch on BTN.