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Recapping the landing spots for every Ducks men's basketball transfer
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- Recapping the landing spots for every Ducks men's basketball transfer
When the Oregon Ducks begin play in the 2026-27 season, a whole new roster from the year prior will take the floor. To date, they've secured eight commitments in the transfer portal, replacing the eight transfers who departed after a 12-win season, the Ducks' lowest win output 18 years.
Of course, much of their lack of success can be attributed to injury. Center Nate Bittle and point guard Jackson Shelstad , both All-Big Ten Third Team selections in 2024-25, missed significant time. Bittle was able to finish the year and his time with the Ducks, as he's entering the 2026 NBA Draft, while Shelstad had to be shut down with a hand injury.
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Shelstad, an in-state product from West Linn, appeared to be following in the footsteps of another legendary Oregon point guard and West Linn native in Payton Pritchard . Both started for the majority of their time with the Ducks, with Pritchard staying all four years and eventually being drafted by the Boston Celtics in the first round. That same story will not be told about Shelstad, who entered the portal shortly after the season, shaking up the Ducks' future plans at the point guard position.
He was one of the most highly sought after players in the portal, and eventually landed with the Louisville Cardinals. He and former Kansas big man Flory Bidunga will form one of the top duos in the country, bringing to mind the Shelstad-Bittle duo that Duck fans enjoyed for multiple years.
Meanwhile, forward Kwame Evans Jr., coming off a breakout junior season in which he averaged 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, committed to Villanova. A Baltimore native, Evans will now be much closer to home and family for his final season of eligibility.
A pair of wings for the Ducks also entered the portal, with Devon Pryor (2.9 points per game) committing to Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Dezdrick Lindsay (5.3 points per game) committing to Kansas State. Pryor and Lindsay combined to start 19 games in 2025.
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One of Oregon's biggest disappointments over the past two seasons had been the lack of development and production from 2024 four-star guard Jamari Phillips, who averaged just 2.2 points and never started a game for the Ducks in his two seasons. The Arizona native opted to remain in the Pacific Northwest, committing to Washington State.
The final three Ducks that entered the portal chose new homes far away from Eugene. Backup center Ege Demir committed to Duquesne (Pittsburgh), guard JJ Frakes committed to Buffalo (New York) and forward Efe Vatan committed to Stony Brook (Long Island).
The transfer portal in college basketball moves extremely fast, with all eight former Ducks now scattered across the country with new homes ahead of the 2026-27 season.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Recapping the landing spots for every Ducks men's basketball transfer
