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Oregon Ducks Basketball Land Elite Ukrainian Prospect, Oleksandr Kobzystyi

The Oregon Ducks basketball team landed a late international commitment with 21-year-old Oleksandr Kobzystyi. Kobzystyi is a 6 foot 7 wing from Ukraine.

Cory Pappas

Oregon Ducks Land Ukrainian Prospect, Oleksandr Kobzystyi
Oregon Ducks Land Ukrainian Prospect, Oleksandr Kobzystyi / @ko6zone on Instagram
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The Oregon Ducks are still making moves to improve their roster for the 2024-25 season. Coach Dana Altman and the Ducks landed Ukrainian prospect Oleksandr Kobzystyi per Arman Jovic on Twitter (or X).

Oleksandr Kobzystyi Makes the Move to the United States 

Oleksandr Kobzystyi has spent the last few seasons playing professional ball in Serbia for KK Mega Basket of the Adriatic Basketball Association and OKK Beograd in the Basketball League of Serbia. 

Kobzystyi has also spent time playing for Ukraine’s national team. In the summer of 2023, he played for the Ukraine U20 team. He averaged 16.4 points per game and 2.8 assists per game.  

He will be on a big stage playing for the Ducks in their first year in the Big Ten Conference. Now the question is how will Kobzystyi fit in the Oregon rotation?

Oregon Gets More Depth with Kobzystyi 

The 2024-25 Oregon Ducks are missing key contributors from a season ago.

The biggest losses for Oregon are the losses of N’faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard. These two guys carried the load for Oregon and now they have to find a way to replace them. They were the top two scoring leaders for the Ducks in the 2023 season. 

In the 2023-24 season, Dante averaged 17 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Cousinard averaged 16.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. They were always money for the Ducks when they needed to be. 

This was never more apparent than in Oregon’s round of 32 game in the NCAA tournament against Creighton. Dante and Couisnard combined to score 60 of the Duck's 73 points in their heartbreaking double-overtime loss. 

To be fair, Oregon was ravaged with injuries and didn’t have many bodies they could lean on. 

This season, players like Jackson Shelstad, Kwame Evans Jr., and Nate Bittle will have to take a step forward and shoulder the load. Adding Kobzystyi definitely helps, but there is still an unknown how much he will be able to provide. Especially early on in the season as he adjusts to the college game. 

Oregon’s First Year in the Big Ten Conference 

Oregon Ducks men’s basketball coach Dana Altman makes an appearance at the NCAA Men’s Final Four Fan Fest at the Phoenix Conv
Oregon Ducks men’s basketball coach Dana Altman makes an appearance at the NCAA Men’s Final Four Fan Fest at the Phoenix Convention Center on April 7, 2024, in Phoenix. / Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

It will take some getting used to seeing the court in Matthew Knight Arena saying “Big Ten” when the Ducks tip off their season on November 4th against UC Riverside. 

Ducks coach Dana Altman enters his 15th season at the helm. Oregon will look to build off the late-season run they went on last season. The Big Ten will be tough sledding initially, but you have to feel good about the Duck's ability to adapt under Altman. He has proven it time and time again.

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Cory Pappas
CORY PAPPAS

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