Oregon Ducks sophomore Jackson Shelstad named to preseason All-Big-Ten team

We’re in the full swing of the college football season, with the Oregon Ducks looking great at 4-0, but we’re also two months away from a college basketball season that could be a memorable one for Oregon. Leading the Ducks will be sophomore point guard Jackson Shelstad, who on Tuesday, was named to the preseason All-Big-Ten team.

Shelstad’s selection doesn’t come as a surprise after his spectacular freshman season. Playing in 32 games in 2023, Shelstad averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field, 34.5% from three, and 85.7% from the free throw line.

The Ducks’ 2023 season was capped off with an incredible and improbable run to the NCAA tournament. With no chance at an at-large bid, the Ducks beat UCLA, Arizona, and Colorado consecutively to win the final Pac-12 Championship, punching their ticket to March Madness where they upset South Carolina in the first round, and took three-seeded Creighton to overtime in the round of 32.

Shelstad was a major factor in the Ducks’ win streak at the end of the season, averaging 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, with 40%/32%/85% shooting splits in the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments. Shelstad was hitting big shots in those games, but like all season, he struggled with consistency.

A lack of consistency isn’t a surprise for a freshman like Shelstad. Instead, it’s the expectation. But now as a sophomore, he’s, hopefully, developed that part of his game, because Oregon will need it. With N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard — the other two stars of the 2023 teams — gone, Shelstad will be tasked with leading the Ducks back to the NCAA tournament.

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire