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Oregon loses Kwame Evans Jr. to the transfer portal
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- Oregon loses Kwame Evans Jr. to the transfer portal
The Oregon Ducks' men's basketball program has suffered its first big loss of the offseason. Junior forward Kwame Evans Jr. is planning to enter the transfer portal, according to On3's Joe Tipton.
Evans has been a core part of Dana Altman's rotation since he arrived in Eugene in 2023. He served primarily as a starter in his freshman season before coming off the bench as a sophomore. Last season, Evans started all 30 games he appeared in, averaging 13.3 points 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Still, the Ducks finished just 12-20 and missed the NCAA tournament.
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The 6-foot-10 forward was a five-star recruit in Oregon's lucrative 2023 class, which has unraveled in recent seasons. The nation's No. 7 recruiting class at the time consisted of Evans, Jackson Shelstad , Mookie Cook and Jadrian "Bam" Tracey. Of that group, three have now left the program through the portal and Shelstad missed nearly the entire 2025-26 season due to a broken hand.
Evans will quickly become one of the most sought-after names in the portal. He recorded four double-doubles for the Ducks last season and scored a career-high 24 points against UCLA last season. Evans has the length to play quality defense for a contender and the ability to step out and knock down 3-pointers on occasion.
Evans posted career-highs in points, assists, blocks, rebounds, minutes, field goal and 3-point percentage in a single season. Last season was by far his best as a Duck.
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Before committing to the Ducks, Evans was also considering UCLA, Indiana, Auburn and Kentucky . A lot has changed for those programs since, but Evans could look to one of those schools as his next stop.
As for the Ducks, replacing Evans will be no easy task. Altman will likely be active in the portal again, also needing to replace center Nate Bittle . The hope could be that Ege Demir and Sean Stewart return to help the Ducks again next season.
Oregon only has two recruits coming in next season. Four-star Tajh Ariza could replace Evans' size with his 6-foot-9 frame, while four-star center Kendre Harrison will join the program while doubling as a tight end for the football team.
The Ducks will definitely miss Evans' leadership on a roster that has seen significant turnover the past few seasons, but most importantly, Evans appeared to finally be putting the pieces together and could have become a valuable piece for Altman next season on both ends of the floor. That's a tough pill to swallow as he walks out the door and leaves a big hole on Oregon's roster.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon F Kwame Evans Jr. enters transfer portal after junior season
