INJURY UPDATE: Oregon G Jesse Zarzuela out for the season

Jesse Zarzuela, a point guard for the Oregon Ducks, is out for the season with an ankle injury.

Dana Altman announced on Tuesday afternoon that Oregon Ducks guard Jesse Zarzuela is out for the season with an ankle injury. Zarzuela, a transfer from Central Michigan, played five games as a Duck before his injury forced him off the floor.

Although it’s early in the season, Zarzuela was off to a hot start. In the five games he played, Zarzuela was averaging 10 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, and he seemed to mesh better with the rest of the team each game.

Zarzuela has taken many stops in his college career, starting at UTEP and transferring multiple times. Officially, Zarzuela is a junior this season, so he’ll have two years of remaining eligibility after this season, assuming a medical redshirt is granted.

The news about Zarzuela couldn’t come at a worse time for Dana Altman and the Ducks. In their most recent game against Syracuse, Oregon had only seven scholarship players available and ended up losing by 20 points. The Ducks’ biggest position of need right is center, with both N’Faly Dante and Nate Bittle out for a few weeks, but the loss of Zarzuela takes away guard depth that Oregon needs without their two best big men.

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Oregon basketball gets commitment from guard Jesse Zarzuela

Former Central Michigan guard Jesse Zarzuela has committed to Oregon via the transfer portal.

Former Central Michigan guard Jesse Zarzuela has officially transferred to Oregon and will be a Duck for the 2023-24 season.

Eugene will be Zarzuela’s sixth stop in six seasons. He previously went to UTEP where he redshirted before going to junior colleges Navarro College and Missouri State West Plains. The 6-foot-3 sharpshooter then made stops at Coppin State and most recently Central Michigan.

Zarzuela had his best year last season at CMU where he averaged 16.3 points per game and shot nearly 36 percent from three-point range.

Oregon is retooling the roster after missing the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. Shooting was a big problem in 2022-23 as the Ducks shot just 45 percent from the field and 32 percent from three-point range.

The Ducks are adding a Top 10 recruiting class along with junior college transfer Jadrian Tracey, who shot 43 percent from beyond the arc.