Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Oregon Ducks

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation series, we’ll break down the roster changes and outlook for all 18 Big Ten basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season. Next up is Oregon, which enters its 15th season under coach Dana Altman.

Jack Ankony | Jul 24, 2024

Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman walks off the court after the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon enters a new era after leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten and losing its top two scorers, N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard.

A constant remains with coach Dana Altman, who has won four Pac-12 regular season titles, four Pac-12 tournament titles and been named Pac-12 coach of the year three times in his 14 seasons leading the Ducks.

Here’s a full breakdown of Oregon’s offseason roster changes, plus its outlook for the 2024-25 season.

Who they lost

Transfers: Jesse Zarzuela (10 ppg), Kario Oquendo (7.2 ppg, SMU), Brennan Rigsby (6.1 ppg, Minnesota),
NBA Draft/graduation: Jermaine Couisnard (16.6 ppg), N’Faly Dante (17.0 ppg), Mahamadou Diawara (2.0 ppg)

Who they gained

Transfers: Dez Lindsay (16 ppg, Florida Southwestern State JUCO), Ra’Heim Moss (15.5 ppg, Toledo), Brandon Angel (13 ppg, Stanford), Supreme Cook (10.5 ppg, Georgetown), TJ Bamba (10.1 ppg, Villanova),
Freshmen: Jamari Phillips (No. 48 in 247Sports Composite)

Returning

Jackson Shelstad (12.8 ppg), Nate Bittle (10 ppg), Keeshawn Barthelemy (7.9 ppg), Jadrian Tracey (7.6 ppg), Kwame Evans Jr. (7.3 ppg), Mookie Cook (1.2 ppg)

Reasons for optimism

Altman retained several players who should be in line for starting roles and have potential for breakout seasons. Start with point guard Jackson Shelstad, who had 13 games with 15-plus points and earned spots on the Pac-12 All-Tournament team and Pac-12 All-Freshman team last season. He’s an electric scorer capable of taking a big step and contending for All-Big Ten status with Jermaine Couisnard graduating.

Forward Kwame Evans Jr. is another player primed to make a sophomore jump. The former five-star recruit out of Montverde Academy did a bit of everything as a freshman, averaging 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. At 6-foot-9 with NBA potential, he’s capable of handling the ball and knocking down outside shots, though he’ll have to improve on his 26.7% 3-point shooting from last season.

The Ducks will also hope to get full seasons from 7-foot senior center Nate Bittle, a former five-star recruit, and sophomore wing Mookie Cook, a top-30 recruit in the class of 2023. Both were limited to just five games last season due to injury but could really help Oregon this year.

In the transfer portal, Altman landed three players who were double-digit scorers at the high-major level: 6-foot-5 guard TJ Bamba from Villanova, 6-foot-8 wing Brandon Angel from Stanford and 6-foot-9 forward Supreme Cook from Georgetown. Cook forms a talented frontcourt trio with Evans and Bittle, while Bamba (36.9%) and Angel (44.7%) will help the Ducks’ 3-point shooting and slashing ability on the wings.

Biggest concerns

Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante carried Oregon on their backs during two NCAA Tournament games, accounting for 123 of the Ducks’ 160 total points. Oregon hoped Dante would get an extra year of eligibility, but his appeal was denied by the NCAA. As a result, Oregon will have to move forward without the dynamic duo of Dante, who would have been one of the top centers in college basketball, and Couisnard, a veteran, high-scoring guard.

While Oregon has several young players who are poised to have big years, it’s always difficult for a team to move forward after losing its two leading scorers. It may take the Ducks some time early in the season to learn their roles and build team chemistry, but Altman has the pieces to build a balanced and talented starting five. The other big question with Oregon is its depth, as Altman will rely on a few freshmen and mid-major transfers in backup roles.

The bottom line

Despite losing two program pillars in Couisnard and Dante, I’m going to trust Altman’s track record of consistency and success. Across 14 seasons at Oregon, he has made the NCAA Tournament eight times, including a Final Four run, two trips to the Elite Eight and five Sweet 16 appearances. He could easily have made another deep run in 2019-20 with a team that peaked at No. 4 in the AP top-25 poll, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.

Led by budding stars Shelstad and Evans, plus a group of proven transfers, Oregon should safely finish in the top half of the Big Ten. Their ceiling may be limited to a No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Altman has put together another solid team.