Preview: Oregon Ducks Basketball Defend Players Era Festival Championship

Oregon will open the Players Era Festival on Monday, as they'll face off against the No. 22 Auburn Tigers. Auburn enters the tournament at 4-1 on the season, with its only loss coming to the No. 2 Houston Cougars, who defeated them 73-72 in the RxBenefits Battleground 2k25 game in Birmingham, Alabama. The tip-off for the Ducks' opening game of the Players Era Festival is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT with the game broadcast on truTV.

In addition to playing Auburn, the Ducks will also face the San Diego State Aztecs in the second game of the tournament on Tuesday. The Aztecs enter the tournament with a 2-1 record and are coming off a thrilling double overtime 108-107 loss to the Troy Trojans.

The Aztecs will play No. 7 Michigan on Monday before facing Oregon. The tip-off for the Ducks' second game against the Aztecs is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. PT with the game broadcast on TNT. Both of Oregon's opening games of the Players Era Festival will be at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

How Can the Ducks Defend Their Players Era Festival Title?

For the Ducks to make it to the championship game for a second consecutive season, they must win both games against Auburn and San Diego State to earn a spot. Last season, the Ducks defeated Texas A&M and San Diego State to advance to the title game.

Several top teams highlight the 2025 Players Era Festival, including No. 2 Houston, No. 7 Michigan, No. 11 Alabama, No. 13 Gonzaga, No. 14 St. John's, No. 16 Iowa State, No. 20 Tennessee, and No. 24 Kansas.

Oregon opened its season with home wins over Hawaii, Rice, South Dakota State, and Oregon State. The Ducks enter the Players Era Festival tournament coming off an 87-75 win over their in-state rival, the Beavers, and Oregon center Nate Bittle led the Ducks in scoring the win with 24 points, seven rebounds, and one assist on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.

Bittle has been one of the top scoring leaders for the Ducks this season. Through four games, Bittle leads the Ducks in scoring with 18.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Junior guard Jackson Shelstad has also made a huge impact, averaging 18.3 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Elon transfer guard Takai Simpkins has proven to be a great offseason portal addition for the Ducks. Through four games, Simpkins has averaged 14.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game for the Ducks.

The performance of these three players will be crucial for Oregon in its quest to defend its Players Era Festival title. Junior forward Kwame Evans Jr., who has shown great improvement since last season, could also have an important role for the Ducks in the tournament.