Ranking Oregon Ducks Basketball's Biggest Transfer Portal Needs

The Ducks are dangerously thin at the guard spot following the graduation of Takai Simpkins and Drew Carter, in addition to the transfer portal entries from Jackson Shelstad and Wei Lin. 

In their 2026 recruiting class, the Ducks signed zero guards. That means Oregon coach Dana Altman’s No. 1 priority in the transfer portal should be getting some help in any shape or form. 

With players like Shelstad and forward Kwame Evans Jr. entering the transfer portal, it opens up a good chunk of NIL and rev-sharing dollars for Altman and the Ducks to spend. 

How they choose to spend it will be interesting to see because they need depth in the backcourt as well as front-end talent. 

A Veteran Big

Another spot Oregon is thin at is the frontcourt, specifically at the center position. With starting center Nate Bittle wrapping up his fifth season in Eugene, the Ducks must search for a replacement for the program legend. 

Bittle isn’t the only center to depart. Ege Demir, a junior center, entered the transfer portal on April 8, leaving Oregon with currently zero centers on the roster. 

Oregon signed four-star center Kendre Harrison, but he is a dual-sport athlete who is set to also play tight end for the football team. It’s unknown how much he will actually contribute to Oregon coach Dana Altman's Ducks squad next season. 

More of a 1B than No. 2 need, Oregon must make a move for multiple centers. It would be ideal if the Ducks could add both a bit of youth and experience into the fold. 

Experience in Any Form

One of the biggest things that could deter the Ducks from having a winning season is not having enough experience brought in from the transfer portal. The Big Ten will be a gauntlet next season, considering the conference has the reigning national champion, the Michigan Wolverines.

As the Ducks navigate through the portal, they will have to keep in mind that they will need to bring in players who already have played a good number of college basketball games. If they bring in raw talent who is inexperienced, it could backfire because of how strong the Big Ten will be next season. 

When taking a look at some of the best teams in college basketball this past season, the main denominator amongst most of them was the amount of experience the starting lineups usually had. 

Altman and the Ducks have to be smart with who they pick up if they want to avoid another sub .500 season. 

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