The bracket for the 2025 NCAA Tournament is set as Liberty is back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2021 and seventh time in school history. The Flames are a No. 12 seed in the East Region and will face No. 5 seed Oregon in the first round on Friday in Seattle. Tipoff is set for 10:10 pm Eastern on TruTV.
Here are 10 quick things to know about the Flames’ first round opponent – the Oregon Ducks.
1. THE DUCKS ARE 24-9 THIS SEASON
In their first season in the Big Ten, Oregon got off to a 9-0 start and were 12-1 when the calendar shifted to 2025. Their non-conference slate including a win over Alabama, 83-81, on a neutral floor in late November. The Ducks struggled through a five game losing skid in the middle of conference play, but they bounced back with a 8-game win streak before falling to Michigan State in the Quarterfinals of the Big 10 Tournament on Friday.
2. DANA ALTMAN IS IN HIS 15TH YEAR AS HEAD COACH
Altman is a veteran head coach who is in his 15th season as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. He is 369-161 at Oregon and have led the Ducks to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2017 Final Four. Prior to his time at Oregon, Altman was Creighton’s head coach for 16 seasons. He began his head coaching career at Marshall in 1989-1990 and moved to Kansas State for four seasons following his one year guiding the Thundering Herd.
3. NOT A FIESTA BOWL REMATCH
Liberty and Oregon don’t meet often in any sport due to being on the opposite side of the country from each other. This will be the first meeting in men’s basketball between the Flames and the Ducks. Of course, Liberty and Oregon met in the Fiesta Bowl back on New Year’s Day 2024.
4. NATE BITTLE WILL BE TOUGH TO HANDLE
Perhaps the Flames’ toughest challenge with Oregon will be with their big man Nate Bittle. The 7’0″, 220 pound senior center was a third-team all-Big Ten selection as he leads the team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. Bottle is averaging 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in 27.6 minutes each contest. He’s also shooting 51% from the floor and has the ability to step out behind the three-point line, as he’s making 33.3% of his 102 threes attempted this season.
5. JACKSON SHELSTAD IS A PROBLEM
The compliment to Bittle is Jackson Shelstad. The 6’0″ sophomore guard is averaging 13.2 points per game this season. He has made 60 of his 164 (36.6%) three-point attempts this season. Shelstad has 5 20-point performances on the year. Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay compared him to former Oregon star and current Boston Celtic Payton Pritchard.
6. THE DUCKS ARE GOOD IN MARCH
Oregon is making their second straight Tournament appearance and 9th under Altman. They have won at least one game in each of those appearances while reaching as far as the Final Four in 2017. Last year, the Ducks upset South Carolina as an 11-seed in the first round and fell to Altman’s former team, Creighton, in double overtime in the second round.
7. TJ BAMBA IS ANOTHER NAME TO WATCH
Bamba leads Oregon in assists (2.9) and steals (1.7) and is also third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.4 points per game. The 6’5″ guard is in his 5th collegiate season after playing his first three years at Washington State, where he averaged 15.8 points per game during the 2022-23 season, and then played last year at Villanova before joining the Ducks this season. He has started all 33 games and is averaging 28 minutes per game.
8. BALANCED TEAM BEHIND THE TOP 3 NAMES
Behind Bittle, Shelstad, and Bamba, Oregon has four other players that have also played in all 33 games and are averaging between 6.1 and 10.1 points per game. 6’1″ guard Keeshawn Barthelemy is averaging 10.1 points per game, the fourth double figures scorer for the Ducks in his third season in the program. Stanford transfer Brandon Angel, a 6’8″ senior in his first year at Oregon, is averaging 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 35.9% from three. Jadrian Tracey is a 6’5″ senior guard that is averaging 7.0 points per game, and 6’9″ sophomore forward Kwame Evans is averaging 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
9. OREGON IS FAVORED BY 6.5
The Ducks are currently 6.5 point favorites. This is just the 6th time this season the Flames go into a game as an underdog. Liberty has also been an underdog against Seattle, Charleston, Kansas State, McNeese, and Middle Tennessee. The Flames won all five of those games straight up.
10. OREGON IS RANKED NO. 29 IN THE NET
The Ducks enter the Tournament at No. 29 in the NET and No. 31 in KenPom. They have 8 Quad 1 wins this season, posting an 8-7 record in those games. Liberty is currently ranked No. 60 in the NET and No. 62 in KenPom and Friday’s contest will be the Flames’ first Quad 1 game of the season. Oregon will be the highest ranked team since the Flames took on Alabama early in the 2022-23 season
