The Ducks were originally scheduled to open their season against Eastern Washington on November 25, but the game had to be rescheduled due to the Eagles not having enough scholarship players available due to COVID protocol.
Instead, Eastern Washington began its stretch of PAC-12 play three days later with three-point losses to Washington State and Arizona, 68-71 and 67-70, respectively. Oregon, on the other hand, battled against a pair of non-conference opponents in Omaha, Nebraska—Missouri and Seton Hall—and were looking to add to their momentum after a bounce-back win over the Pirates.
But instead of waiting for the beginning of PAC-12 Play this Saturday against washington, Dana Altman and the Ducks decided to sharpen their skills against two more foes at Matt Knight Arena.