Kwame Evans Jr., a freshman power forward for the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team, will return to Oregon for the 2024-25 season. Evans announced the news Tuesday morning on Twitter.
After the Ducks lost Creighton in the round of 32 of the NCAA tournament and their season came to a close, Evans left his future at Oregon ambiguous, telling Oregonian reporter James Crepea that it was “hard to tell,” what his future looked like.
Evans was a key player for the Ducks throughout last season, and he could be even more impactful going forward. As a freshman, Evans averaged 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, while also averaging more than one steal and one block each game.
In 2023-24, Evans did experience some struggles finding consistency in his game. Smoked layups and defensive breakdowns weren’t uncommon for the freshman. But what has never been in doubt is Evans’ talent and potential to grow. Even from the start of the season to the end, Evans transformed his game, and there’s no cap on what he can do going forward.
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Evans came to Oregon as a 5-star recruit in the class of 2023, and he was joined by Jackson Shelstad and Mookie Cook — two Portland natives who were also highly sought after in their recruiting class. Shelstad and Cook have both announced their intent to return to Eugene in the fall, and now that the trio of elite recruits has a year of experience, Oregon could be a dangerous team come fall.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek talks about climate executive order
The executive order, announced on Nov. 19, is intended to align agencies toward meeting Oregon’s clean energy goals.
Oregon is in a fuel emergency following a shutdown of the Olympic Pipeline, Gov. Tina Kotek declared Nov. 24.
The pipeline provides more than 90% of the fuel used for Oregon’s transportation and was shut down Nov. 17, Kotek said.
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Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson issued an emergency declaration because of the leak on Nov. 19. The declaration activated an emergency management plan and temporarily lifted some regulations for commercial vehicles bringing jet fuel to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
A leak in the pipeline was found during regular maintenance in Washington on Nov. 11, Ferguson said in the declaration.
Oregon does not anticipate shortages to the fuel supply or jet fuel impacts at Oregon’s airports, but prices at the gas pump could increase for Oregonian drivers due to “higher-cost delivery methods,” an FAQ for Kotek’s order said.
The FAQ said it was unknown when the pipeline’s service would be restored.
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The order directs the Oregon Department of Emergency Management to use an emergency plan to direct and determine how agencies can respond.
The Oregon Department of Energy will communicate updates and advice to the state and fuel industry. ODOE will follow the Oregon Fuel Action Plan, which gives guidance for outages or impacts to the fuel supply.
Commercial vehicles “providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts” will get regulatory support from the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the order directs the department to provide waivers to “state-regulated hours-of service requirements.”
The order is in effect for 30 days, but Kotek can extend or end it early.
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Anastasia Mason covers state government for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at acmason@statesmanjournal.com or 971-208-5615.
Just 11 games into his stint as the team’s offensive coordinator, the Las Vegas Raiders have decided to part ways with Chip Kelly.
The Raiders offense is averaging just 15.0 points per game this season, tied for last in the NFL. They hold a 2-9 record after losing to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
The former Oregon Ducks head coach was hired by Las Vegas in February after helping lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to the 2025 national title. His rushing scheme during the Buckeye’s College Football Playoff was lauded, with the Raiders expecting big things from Kelly and 2025 No. 4 overall pick, running back Ashton Jeanty.
The production simply hasn’t been there, as Jeanty has just a single 100-yard game this season and is averaging 3.7 yards per carry. He’s scored nearly as many touchdowns in the receiving game (three) as on the ground (four).
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The Raiders also traded for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, pairing him with newly-hired head coach Pete Carroll and Kelly. Thus far, he leads the league in interceptions with 13, having thrown just 12 touchdown passes despite having one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Brock Bowers as his go-to target.
At the end of the day, the blame falls on Kelly, who simply couldn’t coax enough points out of this group as they embarked on an extremely disappointing season.
Kelly rose to prominence in the football world during his tenure as the Ducks’ head coach from 2009 to 2012. He led them to the 2011 national championship, where they narrowly lost to the Auburn Tigers, 22-19.
He parlayed his success at Oregon into landing his first head coaching gig in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, leading them to a 10-win season and a playoff berth in his debut campaign in 2013. But his quick, no-huddle offense quickly fell out of style in the league, and he was fired in 2015. He was soon hired by the San Francisco 49ers before being fired after just one season and a dismal 2-14 record.
Now, after less than 12 months on the job with the Raiders, Kelly is once again on the offensive coordinator or head coach job market.
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The Oregon Ducks took care of business at Autzen Stadium on Saturday against the USC Trojans in a 42-27 win, boosting their College Football Playoff hopes in a major way in the process.
With one loss so far this season, the Ducks don’t control their destiny back to the Big Ten Championship but there is still a clear path for them to get there.
So, what is it going to take for Oregon to book another trip back to Indianapolis?
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Autzen Stadium. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Oregon will need to win its regular-season finale against the Washington Huskies — and get some help from one of their other Big Ten foes — in order to book another trip to Indianapolis.
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The Ducks will need to:
– win vs. Washington Huskies
– Michigan Wolverines win over Ohio State Buckeyes
If this happens, Oregon would face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship and would have a chance to avenge its only loss of the regular season. The Hoosiers beat the Ducks, 30-20, in Eugene on Oct. 11.
MORE: The Betting Line Keeps Moving For Oregon vs. USC
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MORE: Weather Forecast May Give Oregon Ducks the Edge Over USC
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This seems simple enough, but it will require another big upset to happen for the second year in a row in “The Game.”
Despite Ohio State’s struggles against Michigan over the past few seasons, the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes have been on a roll all season long and appear to be the favorites to repeat as national champions. The Wolverines upset Ohio State in Columbus last season, and it’s hard to imagine that hasn’t been on the minds of the Buckeyes over the past year.
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Expect Ohio State coach Ryan Day’s squad to be highly motivated headed into the matchup in Ann Arbor. But as we’ve seen in this rivalry, crazier things have happened, and the Ducks will certainly be hoping for something wild.
Washington Huskies wide receiver Giles Jackson catches a pass for a first down during the first half as Oregon Ducks defensive back Kobe Savage is called for face masking on the play at Autzen Stadium. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
For Oregon, a win over Washington might be the simplest step in this equation despite the Huskies’ 8-3 record. Washington took down the UCLA Bruins with an easy 48-14 win in Los Angeles on Saturday night, but the Huskies had a questionable 13-10 loss to a lowly Wisconsin squad on Nov. 8 and certainly appear vulnerable.
The Huskies are out of CFP contention and can’t make the Big Ten Championship. On the surface, it doesn’t appear as if there’s much to play for against a heated rival in Oregon.
However, Oregon will be in town for Senior Day at Husky Stadium against an old Pac-12 rival, and the Washington fans are certain to be chaotic in hopes of spoiling the Ducks’ Big Ten title hopes.
The Ducks have battled through some tough road environments this season, but the Washington crowd is arguably among the toughest they will face when the two teams kick off on Saturday.
