The Oregon Ducks have reportedly signed a deal with Jackson Shelstad, setting the stage for his return following two productive seasons as their point guard. Another year of steady improvement and the departure of some big names in the Big Ten paves the way for Shelstad to potentially become known as a bona-fide star in the Big Ten.
Jackson Shelstad’s Return to Oregon Bodes Well for the Ducks and His Chances for Personal Success
Oregon Ducks point guard Jackson Shelstad is set to return to the team next season in what will be his junior season. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the first to report the news.
Sources: Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad has signed his deal at Oregon, which makes his return for his junior season with the Ducks official. He averaged 13.7 points per game last year, which was second on the team. He’ll be on one of the top returners in the Big Ten next year. pic.twitter.com/sBwRqpe2Xb
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 6, 2025
His steadiness at the point guard position has been invaluable for head coach Dana Altman’s team, and Shelstad’s return locks the eventual junior in for another year in a key position for the Ducks. Oregon has won an NCAA Tournament game in each of the last two seasons but has yet to reach the second weekend with Shelstad.
But with him coming back—as well as the expected return of center Nate Bittle, who is testing the NBA Draft waters with one year of eligibility remaining—the Ducks should be poised to finally reach the Sweet 16 and beyond.
Already one of the best guards in the Big Ten, a deeper analysis reveals that Shelstad may be destined for a major leap in terms of individual performances — and the accolades that come with that.
The West Linn, OR, native started 30 of 32 games as a freshman for the Ducks, averaging 12.8 ppg and dishing out 2.8 apg. He shot 45.0% from the field and 34.5% from three-point range.
In 2024-25, Shelstad improved to 13.7 ppg while proving to be a more consistent threat from deep, nailing 37.9% of his five attempts per game from beyond the arc. In addition to his counting stats, the sophomore nailed a number of game-winning and lead-extending shots late in the game, establishing himself as one of the most clutch players in the Big Ten.
Shelstad’s efforts led to him being named to the third-team All-Big Ten alongside Bittle.
A look at the guard positions on the first/second-team All-Big Ten above the Ducks’ point guard illustrates a potential opening in the 2025-26 season, as several players won’t be back next season.
On the first team, both Brice Williams of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and John Tonje of the Wisconsin Badgers have exhausted their eligiblity and will move on from college basketball.
Fellow point guard Braden Smith, who also claimed the Big Ten Player of the Year award, has yet to make a decision on whether he’ll return to the Purdue Boilermakers or enter the NBA Draft.
The only guard on the second team, Ohio State Buckeyes’ junior Bruce Thornton, is reportedly returning for his senior season.
That leaves potentially only one player ahead of Shelstad in the Big Ten guard hierarchy.
The back court players joining him on the third-team was Illinois Fighting Illini’s Kasparas Jakucionis, Maryland Terrapins’ Ja’Kobi Gillespie and a pair of Michigan State Spartans in senior Jaden Akins and freshman Jase Richardson.
Jakucionis and Richardson are widely expected to enter the NBA Draft, as they’re projected to be the No. 6 and No. 11 picks in our latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft. In addition to that, Akins will graduate and Gillespie announced his intentions of transferring to join the Tennessee Volunteers of the SEC.
KEEP READING: Full 2025 NBA Mock Draft
All of those departures opens the door for Shelstad to step through as one of the top guards in the conference and in all of college basketball — as long as he continues to improve his game as he has the past two seasons.
If he’s able to do so, Altman will be more than happy to give Shelstad the opportunities he needs — in turn, leading to more Duck wins and hopes of making a deep run through the NCAA Tournament.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in football, basketball, and more!
