Tag: Franck Kepnang

Former Oregon Ducks with varying levels of success after transferring

11 former Oregon Ducks are playing D1 basketball at different schools this season after entering the transfer portal. How are they doing?

Like it or not, college sports have officially entered the transfer portal era. Student-athletes now have the freedom to explore other universities during the offseason, and for the men’s basketball program it has meant a lot of turnover in the past few years.

Additionally, an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 season created a situation where some players have been in college since 2017 and are still suiting up and hooping, hoping to make it into the big dance.

Here at Ducks Wire we took a look at how Oregon’s transfer departures over the last half decade have performed elsewhere – pulling numbers on 11 former Ducks playing around the country after departing Eugene.

Some have found success at the mid-major level, like Victor Bailey and Eric Williams, one stayed in conference with a team up north, and some are – unfortunately – battling injuries or ineffectiveness in other programs.

Without further ado, here is a look at each Oregon transfer playing D-1 ball this season:

Report: De’Vion Harmon reverses course, enters the transfer portal

De’Vion Harmon changes his mind and has decided to enter the transfer portal after earlier saying he would come back to Oregon.

In a bit of stunning news, guard De’Vion Harmon has decided to leave the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball program and enter the transfer portal, sources confirm.

It’s stunning because earlier this month, he reiterated his commitment to the Ducks and announced he would indeed come back for his senior season. Where ever he goes, it will be Harmon’s third school in three years. He came to Oregon after two seasons at Oklahoma.

As an Oregon Duck, Harmon had his good moments as well as some shooting slumps. But overall, it was a nice first season in Eugene. Harmon averaged nearly 11 points a game and shot 41.5 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from the three-point line.

This announcement comes a day after guard Rivaldo Soares announced he would be coming back to Oregon for his senior season.

Harmon joins Franck Kepnang, Eric Williams, Jr. and Isaac Johnson as those who have decided to find greener pastures elsewhere.

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5 potential Franck Kepnang replacements the Oregon Ducks should pursue via transfer portal

The Oregon Ducks could use a fourth big man to replace Franck Kepnang. Here are five names in the NCAA transfer portal who could be good fits.

The Oregon Ducks have seen more players depart via the transfer portal this offseason than they have brought in — a trend that Dana Altman is no doubt trying to rectify over the phone this month.

The latest loss, sophomore center Franck Kepnang, is a big one, not just in stature but in role. Kepnang may have only averaged 14.5 minutes per game last season, but he was a vital piece to the team on both offense and defense, and losing him leaves a big hole around the rim.

N’Faly Dante, Nate Bittle and five-star prospect Kel’el Ware is definitely an excellent trio of frontcourt stars, but this team is lacking a fourth big who can protect the rim, snare some rebounds and bring some energy and bravado to the second unit.

While no one can quite replace the unique personality Kepnang brings, there are more than a handful of standout big men in the transfer portal for Altman to reach out to.

Here are five who could fill a role similar to Kepnang’s — and a few would exceed it — should Altman find a way to work his magic and bring them to Eugene:

What Franck Kepnang’s transfer could mean about the future of N’Faly Dante

It’s always tough to watch a player like Franck Kepnang leave. However, it may mean good things when it comes to a potential return of N’Faly Dante.

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On Monday evening, Oregon Ducks center Franck Kepnang announced that he will be entering the transfer portal and looking to leave the team this offseason.

Kepnang, who averaged 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block in his 14.5 minutes per game this season, was always more of an impact player than he showed to be on the stat sheet. As a 6 or 7-man coming off of the bench, ‘Franck the Tank’ always brought the energy for the Ducks and quickly became a fan favorite in his time in Eugene thanks to his infectious effort and hard work on both ends of the floor.

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While it is absolutely unfortunate for Oregon to lose a player like Kepnang, who stands 6-foot-11, 225 pounds, there could be a chance to look on the bright side in this scenario. It could mean that the core of Oregon’s big-men, of which there are plenty, might be sticking around for the 2022 season.

At the heart of the paint is N’Faly Dante, the Ducks’ go-to big-man who averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game this past year. After the season, there was a thought that Dante might capitalize on his recent success and try to make a jump to the NBA, but a growing feeling has it that he will return for one more season instead. Kepnang’s departure may portend to that train of thought being true, since having both of them back, plus incoming 5-star center Kel’el Ware could lead to too many cooks in the kitchen.

On top of that, there is also the Nate Bittle piece of this all. Bittle is a former 5-star PF/C who stands at 7-feet tall with a high ceiling. He didn’t play very much in his freshman season, but there are hopes that he will find more of a role going forward. In my view of things, it was going to be either Bittle or Kepnang to transfer this offseason — as long as Dante returned — and the Ducks would have to keep that core going forward.

Now we have the first domino to fall with Kepnang departing. Should that lead to the other players announcing a return, we will see.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Oregon center Franck Kepnang to enter transfer portal and leave Ducks

Ouch. Franck Kepnang has announced that he is going to enter the transfer portal. That’s a tough loss for the Ducks.

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One of the key pieces in Oregon’s frontcourt has announced that he will be leaving the Ducks via the transfer portal this offseason.

On Monday night, Franck Kepnang posted on his Instagram page and said that he is deciding to find a new team to play for in the future.

“After much consideration and thought, I have decided to put my name in the transfer portal,” Kepnang wrote. “I am forever grateful for my time here in Eugene.”

While it is a tough development for the Ducks, it’s hard to say that Kepnang’s departure doesn’t make sense for his future. He came off of the bench for Oregon in 2021, his second season with the team, and his minutes — Kepnang played an average of 14.5 last season — only project to be cut even more, especially with 5-star center Kel’el Ware coming to Eugene.

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On the other hand, the departure of Kepnang could actually portend some good news for the Ducks when it comes to the future of center N’Faly Dante. After the season, there was a thought that Dante could test his NBA draft possibilities, but with Kepnang transferring, it seems that Dante may be returning to Eugene.

At any rate, losing a player like Kepnang is tough to swallow. His infectious energy and effort level on both sides of the ball was thrilling to watch, and he quickly became a fan favorite. Here’s to hoping that he finds a team that best suits him going forward.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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NIT offers chance for Oregon’s young bigs to grow and develop

Franck Kepnang and Nathan Bittle showed exactly why they have promising futures in Oregon’s win over Utah State in the NIT.

It’s not always easy to find the benefits of participating in the NIT, especially a team that came into the season with as high of expectations as Oregon had.

But for Dana Altman and the Ducks, postseason basketball provides an opportunity for some of the team’s young players to step into bigger roles on a relatively big stage – without the pressure of an NCAA Tournament loss hanging in the balance.

Oregon took care of business in the first round of the NIT, defeating Utah State without the assistance of either Will Richardson or N’Faly Dante, who both remain out with (non-COVID) illnesses.

Dante’s absence gave Oregon fans a chance to see their two young big men, Franck Kepnang and Nathan Bittle, in extended action – offering a nice glimpse into the future of the program down on the blocks.

Kepnang is the most familiar of the pair, appearing in 34 games this season for the Ducks, while averaging five points and three rebounds in about 15 minutes per contest. He stepped into a starting role against Utah State, and the sophomore responded with nine points on 4-7 shooting, while tacking on nine boards and a pair of blocks in 24 minutes.

The No. 36 overall prospect in the class of 2020, Kepnang is awaiting his turn once Dante moves on – and he showed he is more than capable of being Altman’s go-to guy in the paint against the Aggies.

Most of the rest of the big man minutes went to Bittle, a five-star freshman from Central Point, Oregon who only averaged 6.7 minutes per game this year, buried on the depth chart behind Dante and Kepnang.

He saw 14 minutes of action against Utah State, and drilled a three pointer while grabbing four defensive rebounds and blocking three shots – showcasing the kind of unique skill set that made him one of the most coveted big man in the Class of 2021.

The Ducks are advancing to take on Texas A&M on Saturday morning, in College Station no less, and win or lose it is a great opportunity for Oregon’s youngest players to experience postseason basketball in a hostile road environment, which can only be a positive thing for their development heading into 22-23 and beyond.

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How it happened: Cougars trounce the Ducks 94-74 in the Palouse

Oregon ends the regular season in the Palouse where Washington State dominated the Ducks 94-74.

No team in the country will be happier to see the regular season end.

The wheels completely came off the proverbial car for the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team as they were crushed in the Palouse 94-74. Now with the postseason on the horizon, the Ducks (18-13, 11-9) will have to do some soul searching and pick it up a few notches if they want to be one of 68 teams in the NCAA tournament.

They’ll have to win four games in four days. It’s been done before, but not often. Oregon will have to play a lot better than it did in the second half that saw WSU outscore 48-42 the Ducks after halftime where it wasn’t even that close.

How it happened: A big first half helps Oregon steamroll the Huskies, 84-56

The Oregon Ducks have now won 6th straight after an impressive 84-56 blowout over Washington.

It would have been a bit understandable if Oregon had a little letdown after that historic weekend in Los Angeles. But instead, the Ducks proved those wins over UCLA and USC were not a fluke as they humiliated Washington for 40 straight minutes.

Oregon played nearly a perfect half in the first 20 minutes of action, led 48-13 at halftime and cruised from there to hammer the Huskies 84-56 inside Matthew Knight Arena.

The win is the Ducks’ sixth straight as they improve to 12-6 overall and 5-2 in Pac-12 play. The last four wins have shown Oregon is playing as well as anyone in the country and the Ducks should wake up Monday morning as a ranked team.

Quick Hits: Oregon Ducks finish non-conference schedule with 68-59 win over Pepperdine

The Ducks enter the holiday break on a semi-high note with a 68-59 win over Pepperdine, though the victory wasn’t very pretty.

The Oregon Ducks finished their non-conference schedule with a 68-59 win over Pepperdine and will now enter a short holiday break on a semi-high note following the victory.

Of course, it could have been a lot prettier, and head coach Dana Altman will certainly have a lot to say about the performance. The Ducks were lackadaisical early on, and struggle to put away a team that many would consider beneath them when it comes to talent on the floor.

Nonetheless, a win is a win, and those have been hard to come by for the Ducks so far this year. Here are a few quick notes from the victory on Tuesday:

Everything we know following Oregon Ducks’ 86-63 beatdown over SMU Mustangs

The Ducks grabbed a resounding 86-63 win over the SMU Mustangs on Friday night, using a hot start and solid defense to pace the way to an easy win.

The Oregon Ducks got a commanding victory over the SMU Mustangs on Friday night, which gives them a nice boost of momentum going into next week when they get set to travel to Portland and take on the BYU Cougars in the PK85.

Oregon’s 86-63 win will look solid on the schedule this early on, especially considering that SMU was an NIT team last season and returned much of their core from that run.

The Ducks got off to an incredibly hot start in this game, making their first 7 shots and building an early lead over SMU. Their first missed basket didn’t come until the 14:33 minute mark, with Jacob Young and Quincy Guerrier doing the heavy lifting early on.

Once they cooled off on offense, it was the Oregon defense that stepped up in the first half, holding the Mustangs to under 30% shooting beyond the arc.

The second half was much of the same, with the Ducks building up a 24-point lead and using the final 12-15 minutes of the game to go through offensive sets and get some developmental work in the game. Overall, it was an impressive victory for the Ducks, and their season is off to a great start.

Here are some instant notes from the game: