College Basketball season has officially arrived, and on Monday Night, the Oregon Ducks will tip off the season, hoping to make a run to the expanded NCAA Tournament. When the Ducks kick off the season against Montana, it'll be the beginning of the Tony Stubblefield era, as Dana Altman's surprise retirement allows one of his assistants to take a shot at earning the full-time role.
Oregon is coming off what was the worst season of the Dana Altman era, and before he left, he worked to rebuild this roster. The Ducks are going to have a roster loaded with transfers, and it's going to be up to Stubblefield and his staff to get the most out of a high-upside group that will be gelling together as the season moves along.
Predicting Oregon Basketball's season opening Starting 5
Guard - Tyrone Riley IV
2025-26 Stats: 12.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 47.2% FG, and 36.8% 3PT
Oregon went into the Transfer Portal and added a high-level scorer this offseason adding Tyrone Riley IV. While Riley's averages aren't the highest, at times he took over games, and couldn't miss which Oregon will be hoping to make a more consistent feat. The Big Ten is going to be a massive step up in competition, but Riley's game translates well with his ability to get to the basket.
Guard - Jasper Johnson
- 2025-26 Stats: 4.9 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 40% FG, and 34.1% 3PT
A year after being one of the most highly sought after players in the country, Jasper Johnson arrives in Eugene looking to live up to the hype after an up-and-down season at Kentucky. While there are going to be plenty of highs and lows with Johnson, he has the most raw talent on this team, and if the staff can get the most out of him, it could go a long way. The biggest key for Johnson is going to be shooting the 3 at a high level, as he can help level up this offense.
Forward - Andrew Meadow
- 2025-26 Stats: 12.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 51% FG, and 38.6% 3PT
The Ducks turned to Boise State this offseason to add forward Andrew Meadow, and while he started the exhibition cycle on the bench, he's played his way into a starting role. Meadow scored 24 points off the bench against the University of Fraser Valley Cascades, and has proved he's going to be a key piece for the Ducks this season in the exhibition games. Meadow can knock down 3's at a high-level, and at 6-foot-7, he's a valuable cog on defense.
Forward - Dwayne Aristode
- 2025-26 Stats: 3.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.7 APG, 49% FG, and 46.2% 3PT
Dana Altman loves adding high-ceiling players even if they've gotten off to a slow start to their career, and now Tony Stubblefield is responsible for developing Dwayne Aristode. The former 5-star recruit started his career at Arizona, but will now look to prove himself in extended playing time with the Ducks. At 6-foot-8, Aristode brings elite athletic ability and size to the front court and will help the Ducks to be better suited for Big Ten play.
Forward - Sean Stewart
- 2025-26 Stats: 6.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, and 50.9% FG
As one of the few returning players for the Ducks, Sean Stewart will likely open the season as one of Tony Stubblefield's starters in the front court. Given that Malique Ewin was just ruled eligible ahead of the final exhibition game, the staff will likely ramp him up before inserting him into the starting lineup. Taking a step forward is going to be key for Stewart as the Ducks look like a team that's going to shoot the 3 a ton this season.
The good news for Tony Stubblefield is that Dana Altman left him a balanced roster, and he could end up deploying plenty of different combinations off the bench. Taylor Bol Bowen, Pharaoh Compton, Tajh Ariza, Fred Payne, and Malique Ewin are all talented enough to start in this league, and may end up proving that as the season goes along.
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