This week, Beth DeBauche, the first woman commissioner in OVC history, resigned; the NCAA has changed a rule to allow athletes and athletic department staff to bet on pro sports (but betting on college sports remains prohibited); and both Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa – the projected top two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft – claim they are not thinking about this now. As we inch closer to the season’s start, here are some other college basketball stories we’re tracking…

Jackson Shelstad Among the Top PGs in the Country

In 2021-22, the Oregon Ducks won just 20 games, starting a short streak of back-to-back seasons without an NCAA tourney appearance. Since then, it’s been a slow climb uphill, winning 21 games the following season, then upping that total to 24 and 25 over the next two seasons, making March Madness in each, but losing in the second round both times.

This season, however, the Ducks enter play looking like a top 20 team, so perhaps they can advance past the second round for the first time since 2020-21.

With exhibition play beginning for Oregon on October 24, it’s time to take a closer look at what to expect this season.

Perhaps the biggest key for this team is when returning point guard Jackson Shelstad will be recovered from a broken hand he suffered in practice. As of October 3, he was projected to be out 4-to-6 weeks, so that puts his return anywhere from Halloween to November 14. The early timeline has him back for the season opener on November 4 against Hawaii; the later one has him missing the first three games of the season.

Shelstad became a full-time starter as a soph last season, earning Third-team All-Big Ten honours thanks to an improved and more prevelant three-point game with slightly more rebounds and points. His FT percentage regressed a smidge, but was still very good.

Considered a near top 40 player in the country, Shelstad will definitely be among the best point guards in the conference this season. Expect him to pair with returning centre Nate Bittle to form a dominating duo for the Ducks (both are on the All-Big Ten preseason squad as you can see in the video below).

A Tyrese Maxey-type, Shelstad can really make things happen when he has the ball, so could be a second round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Yes, Shelstad is on the small side, but the skills and mental acuity are there for him to find a role in the pros.

Frankie Goes to Vanderbilt

Just two seasons ago, the Vanderbilt Commodores won just nine games, scuffling through their worst campaign since 1945-46 and missing the tournament for the seventh straight year. Yuck.

However, things improved greatly last season as Vanderbilt not only more than doubled its win total to 20, but also managed to snap its March Madness drought. Sure, the Commodores were one and done in the tourney, but it was a very successful turnaround.

Vanderbilt remains a long way from competing for a national championship (+6000 as per FanDuel), but is clearly headed in the right direction after bottoming out in the 2023-24. Thanks to transfer protocol additions, this team has more depth now, so at the very least, getting back to the big dance is a reasonable goal.

The keys to the offense have been handed to PG Frankie Collins, a newcomer from the transfer protocol who will suit up for his fourth school in five seasons. In 2024-25, his season ended early because of a broken foot, and he had taken a step back from the previous campaign – his second at ASU – when he was a bigger part of the Sun Devils offense.

Collins’ touches were down in his only season at TCU, but he did manage career bests in assists and tied his mark in boards, so it wasn’t all bad news last season. He originally started his collegiate career at Michigan and is known for his toughness and physical play.

Considered a Patrick Beverley type, Collins tested the NBA draft in 2023 before withdrawing and returning to school. Perhaps Collins still has second round potential in 2026, but is more likely to have to sign as an undrafted free agent.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver, the American jazz pianist (1928-2014) was known better to the world as simply Horace Silver. In the early ’60s, his quintet released some singles including “Blowin’ the Blues Away,” which reappeared on the 1987 compilation album, A Sample of Blue Notes.