Oregon enters a new era after leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten and losing its top two scorers, N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard.
A constant remains with coach Dana Altman, who has won four Pac-12 regular season titles, four Pac-12 tournament titles and been named Pac-12 coach of the year three times in his 14 seasons leading the Ducks.
Here’s a full breakdown of Oregon’s offseason roster changes, plus its outlook for the 2024-25 season.
Who they lost
Who they gained
Returning
Reasons for optimism
Altman retained several players who should be in line for starting roles and have potential for breakout seasons. Start with point guard Jackson Shelstad, who had 13 games with 15-plus points and earned spots on the Pac-12 All-Tournament team and Pac-12 All-Freshman team last season. He’s an electric scorer capable of taking a big step and contending for All-Big Ten status with Jermaine Couisnard graduating.
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Forward Kwame Evans Jr. is another player primed to make a sophomore jump. The former five-star recruit out of Montverde Academy did a bit of everything as a freshman, averaging 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.1 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. At 6-foot-9 with NBA potential, he’s capable of handling the ball and knocking down outside shots, though he’ll have to improve on his 26.7% 3-point shooting from last season.
The Ducks will also hope to get full seasons from 7-foot senior center Nate Bittle, a former five-star recruit, and sophomore wing Mookie Cook, a top-30 recruit in the class of 2023. Both were limited to just five games last season due to injury but could really help Oregon this year.
In the transfer portal, Altman landed three players who were double-digit scorers at the high-major level: 6-foot-5 guard TJ Bamba from Villanova, 6-foot-8 wing Brandon Angel from Stanford and 6-foot-9 forward Supreme Cook from Georgetown. Cook forms a talented frontcourt trio with Evans and Bittle, while Bamba (36.9%) and Angel (44.7%) will help the Ducks’ 3-point shooting and slashing ability on the wings.
Biggest concerns
Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante carried Oregon on their backs during two NCAA Tournament games, accounting for 123 of the Ducks’ 160 total points. Oregon hoped Dante would get an extra year of eligibility, but his appeal was denied by the NCAA. As a result, Oregon will have to move forward without the dynamic duo of Dante, who would have been one of the top centers in college basketball, and Couisnard, a veteran, high-scoring guard.
While Oregon has several young players who are poised to have big years, it’s always difficult for a team to move forward after losing its two leading scorers. It may take the Ducks some time early in the season to learn their roles and build team chemistry, but Altman has the pieces to build a balanced and talented starting five. The other big question with Oregon is its depth, as Altman will rely on a few freshmen and mid-major transfers in backup roles.
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The bottom line
Despite losing two program pillars in Couisnard and Dante, I’m going to trust Altman’s track record of consistency and success. Across 14 seasons at Oregon, he has made the NCAA Tournament eight times, including a Final Four run, two trips to the Elite Eight and five Sweet 16 appearances. He could easily have made another deep run in 2019-20 with a team that peaked at No. 4 in the AP top-25 poll, but the tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.
Led by budding stars Shelstad and Evans, plus a group of proven transfers, Oregon should safely finish in the top half of the Big Ten. Their ceiling may be limited to a No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Altman has put together another solid team.
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Northwestern Wildcats
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Nebraska Cornhuskers
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Michigan State Spartans
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Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Michigan Wolverines
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Maryland Terrapins
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Iowa Hawkeyes
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Indiana Hoosiers
Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Illinois Fighting Illini
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
