Basketball: Mass Exodus

Merrily they transfer along. Oregon Basketball, both on the men’s and women’s sides, have seen significant departures so far this offseason, but some welcome returns as well. Such is the state of modern-day college basketball.

Men’s hoops, much to the delight of many, no doubt, will be trotting out a significantly different roster next season, thanks in part to a wave of outgoing transfers.

Kel’el Ware, Rivaldo Soares, Quincy Gurrier, Tyrone Williams and Lok Wur are all heading elsewhere for 2024.

Ware, who never really lived up to his recruiting ranking in Eugene, averaged six points and four rebounds a game as the third option at Center for Oregon. Gurrier had been a consistent starter and one of the more reliable players for Oregon during the 2022 season. However, his productivity slumped slightly in 2023 and his numbers reflected that. Soares, another starter in 2023, came to Eugene as one of the highest-rated junior college players in the nation. Although he only averaged six points as a Duck, he was one of Oregon’s better on-ball defenders. Finally, Wur and Williams were bench players who at times showed flashes of potential but never were able to achieve a consistent spot in Oregon’s rotation.

No need to fret, however. Men’s Basketball is bringing in one of the top recruiting classes in the country for 2024 and twin towers N’Faly Dante and Nate Bittle will be back in uniform as well as streaky shooter Jermaine Cousinard. Oregon has also recently signed guard Jadrian Tracey, who averaged 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists in junior college while shooting 45% from the floor and are on the hunt for Devan Cambridge, a portal entrant from Arizona State who recently took a visit to Eugene.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Things aren’t looking quite as peachy for Oregon Women’s head coach Kelly Graves, who has struggled to regain the magic he had captured with his historic squad led by Sabrina Ionescu.

Oregon’s two most productive guards, Te Hina Pao Pao and Endyia Rogers will both be portalling away from Eugene, joined by center Sedona Prince.

Pao Pao was the only one of Oregon’s fabled 2020 recruiting class who actually became a consistent leader for the team, averaging 13 points, four rebounds and four assists a game. Rogers had been a nice bolt of energy the past two seasons after initially transferring from USC, with averages of 15 points, four rebounds and four assists. Prince, who was looked at as a potential team staple at center, could never stay completely healthy and had an up-and-down career in Oregon. She had initially stated that her collegiate career was over after her latest surgery but recently withdrew from the WNBA draft to get into the portal mix.

Graves will have a lot of cleaning up to do, and thankfully he’s got at least a start with the recent addition of Northwest athletic Conference Player of the Year Bella Hamel, who averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in Junior College last season. An Oregon native from Liberty High in Hillsboro, Hamel was already in Eugene at nearby Lane Community College.