The Players Era Festival is underway in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Oregon Ducks men's basketball team plays against the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies (4-1) at 1:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Ducks are off to a 5-0 start in the 2024-25 season. Can the Ducks stay undefeated in their toughest challenge yet, a matchup with the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies?
“I think battling adversity early in the season is huge for us, especially on the road,” sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad said. “Our first road game, first test, taught us how to stick together. We were down 12 points - we had to come together and see what we were about at that moment, trust our coaches, trust our teammates and that’s going to play a big part going throughout the season.”
Below will be live score updates from the game.
FIRST HALF
- Oregon's starting lineup: Guard Jackson Shelstad, guard TJ Bamba, forward Brandon Angel, forward Jadrian Tracey, center Nate Bittle.
Oregon vs. Texas A&M Preview
Oregon coach Dana Altman and the Ducks are fresh off an exciting 78-75 win over in-state rival Oregon State. The Ducks emerged victorious with much thanks to a comeback bid from center Nate Bittle and guard Jackson Shelstad, both Oregon natives. Bittle finished with career highs in both points (23) and rebounds (14). Clutch late-game shooting from Shelstad helped Oregon go on a 20-5 run to take over in the final 12 minutes.
"We have had some close ones over there," Altman said. "Hopefully we won't take it to the last possession again."
The Ducks will face an Aggies team led by preseason All-America selection Wade Taylor IV, who is hitting 42.9 percent of his threes (15-of-35) this season. Texas A&M is very strong a the rim, averaging 4.6 blocks per game, highest since coach Buzz Williams took over in 2019.
Last season the Aggies led the nation in offensive rebounding, and are continuing their dominance in 2024, averaging 17.4 offensive rebounds per game.
An Aggies win would give sixth-year head coach Buzz Williams his 100th win at Texas A&M.
The last time Oregon and Texas A&M played, the Aggies won 75-60 in the 2022 NIT. There are three Aggies still on the roster that made a significant impact in that game: Taylor IV, Hayden Hefner, Manny Obaseki.
So far in 2024, the Ducks have wins over UC Riverside, Montana, Portland, Troy and the Oregon State Beavers.
The Ducks are 3.5-point underdogs vs. Texas A&M.
What is the Players Era Festival?
The Players Era Festival is an NIL-driven nonconference basketball tournament in Las Vegas that will create $1 million in name, image, likeness payout for the Ducks and each of the other eight teams who participate.
After Oregon's game vs. Texas A&M, the Ducks will face San Diego State on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 1 p.m. PT, and play again against a TBD opponent on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m. PT.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!