Oregon men’s basketball brings in two transfer players with ties to the Pac-12

Mar 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Stanford Cardinal forward Brandon Angel (23) dribbles against the Washington State Cougars during the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t only Dana Altman who knew what he was getting when Oregon went into the transfer portal and signed men’s basketball players TJ Bamba and Brandon Angel.

Both players, veterans of the Pac-12 and former Oregon opponents, also knew what Altman could do for them.

“He’s a proven winner,” said Angel, who spent the past four seasons at Stanford before finding a new home in Eugene. “That was my biggest thing in the transfer portal; I need to win. It’s not a want, it’s I need to win, and I think I found that at Oregon with (Altman) and the history that they’ve had.”

The new-look Ducks will make their season debut at 7:30 p.m. Monday with a nonconference game against UC Riverside at Matthew Knight Arena.

Among Oregon’s offseason departures were the two players – seniors N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard – who practically willed the Ducks to the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament first-round win against South Carolina.

Several familiar faces return, though, such as point guard Jackson Shelstad and forward Kwame Evans Jr, who started nearly every game of their freshman seasons, and senior guard Jadrian Tracey, a valuable role player last season.

Also back are center Nate Bittle, guard Keeshawn Barthelemy and forward Mookie Cook, whose 2023-24 seasons were all ended early by injuries.

Washington State Cougars guard TJ Bamba (5) looks to shoot between Oregon Ducks center N’Faly Dante (1) and Oregon Ducks guard Rivaldo Soares (11) during the second half at T-Mobile Arena.

To fill out the roster, Altman added freshman guard Jamari Phillips and then went into the transfer portal for five players, including Bamba and Angel, who are expected to be immediate contributors at a program that has won at least 20 games in each of Altman’s previous 14 seasons,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/oregon-mens-basketball-brings-two-120341443.html

Author : The Register-Guard

Publish date : 2024-11-03 12:03:00

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