Tag: oregon basketball

Sabrina Ionescu and Lebron James share a hug after the Liberty’s win over Las Vegas

After the New York Liberty beat the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday, Lebron James shared congratulations with Sabrina Ionescu.

Moments after Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty closed out their 90-82 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday, Ionescu and Lebron James — who attended the game — shared a hug on the court. Before beginning her WNBA career with the New York Liberty in 2020, Ionescu played four years for the Oregon Ducks.

Ionescu didn’t have her most efficient day shooting the basketball on Saturday, but she still scored 15 points for New York and excelled in other areas, finishing with 12 assists.

The Liberty are off to a hot start this season with a record of 12-2 — the second-best record in the league — putting them a half-game back of the first-place Connecticut Sun. Ionescu has been a large part of New York’s success, averaging 17.6 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, on 42.6% shooting this season.

While the WNBA season is in full swing, James’s offseason began in April after the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a series loss to the Denver Nuggets in five games. After the series, the Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham was fired, and LA is still searching for a replacement.

The Liberty play their next game on Tuesday against the Phoenix Mercury on the road. The Mercury are 7-7 on the season, but they’ve won three of their last four times out. After that, the Liberty will host the LA Sparks for back-to-back games in New York, where Ionescu will face off against Cameron Brink, a Sparks rookie native to Portland.

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Jay Bilas sounds off on NCAA after deplorable N’Faly Dante decision

ESPN’s Jay Bilas sounded off on the NCAA after their denial of Oregon Ducks center N’Faly Dante’s appeal this past week.

It wasn’t long ago that Oregon Duck fans got some bad news about former All-Conference center N’Faly Dante, who had applied for an extra year of eligibility with the NCAA but had his request denied.

Then this week, after appealing the ruling, Dante once again had his appeal denied, officially ending his college career with the Oregon Ducks in an unceremonial fashion.

Oregon fans have been upset about this, but it seems that there is no person more publicly upset that ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who has been claiming all along that Dante should be given another year of eligibility if the NCAA is staying true to the message that they have always pushed.

Dante was looking for an injury hardship waiver since he played in just 12 games in 2019-20 and only six more in 2020-21. Oregon was hopeful since similar cases around the country were upheld, but Dante wasn’t as fortunate.

Ultimately, Bilas’ words won’t be able to change anything, but it is nice for Duck fans to know that he has their back, and they have every right to be frustrated at the ultimate decision.

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4-star SG Jamari Phillips to take Oregon visit this week

Jamari Phillips, a 4-star shooting guard in the class of 2025, is set to take an official visit with the Oregon Ducks on Wednesday.

4-star shooting guard Jamari Phillips is set to take an official visit with the Ducks this Wednesday, according to a report from Joe Tipton, continuing Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks’ hot streak on the recruiting trail.

In December 2022, Phillips committed to Tommy Lloyd and the Arizona Wildcats, but he announced his decommitment from Arizona last week.  Oregon is the only visit Phillips has scheduled since decommiting last Wednesday.

At 6 feet 3 inches, Phillips is on the smaller side of shooting guards, but his vertical-leaping ability makes up for his size. His athleticism makes him dangerous around the rim on both ends of the floor, and he’s also a skilled jump shooter. 247Sports ranks Phillips as the No. 52 in the class of 2025 and On3Sports has him at No. 74.

In the class of 2025, Phillips is ranked by 247Sports as the top recruit in Arizona. Two years ago, Oregon brought in 4-star wing Mookie Cook, the No. 2 Arizona player in his class. After struggling with injuries in 2023-24 — his freshman season — Cook will likely take on a larger this year for Oregon.

Phillips isn’t the only shooting guard the Ducks are pursuing in the 2025 class. Already committed to Oregon is Isaac Carr, a 3-star two-guard from Portland, and Jovani Ruff, a consensus top-50 recruit and 247Sports’s No. 6 shooting guard, announced Oregon as one of his final four school choices. Ruff will announce his commitment Wednesday.

If Altman and the Ducks can pick up Phillips or Ruff, the future of their backcourt would look spectacular. Star Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad will likely stick around for the 2025-26 season, and if paired with Ruff or Phillips, the Ducks could be dangerous.

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Jay Bilas slams NCAA over ‘outrageous’ decision on N’Faly Dante eligibility

ESPN’s Jay Bilas seems to have N’Faly Dante’s back after his appeal was denied on Thursday.

Oregon Duck fans did not wake up to the news that they were hoping for on Thursday, with a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that former All-Conference center N’Faly Dante’s hardship waiver for another year of eligibility had been denied.

Dante played only 12 games during the 2019-20 season after having his eligibility approval delayed before suffering a knee injury then only played in six games in the following 2020-21 season after tearing his ACL. The medical hardship that Oregon filed was in relation to those two seasons.

The NCAA denied the waiver, and now they are finding themselves subject to criticism from one of the most well-known figures in college basketball — ESPN’s Jay Bilas.

Bilas was in favor of Dante getting another year of eligibility, claiming that he is “everything the NCAA claims it wants in an athlete.”

“Dante is a model athlete and person, wants to come back to play and advance his education, and has never asked his school for anything,” Bilas wrote on Twitter. “When the NCAA says ‘athlete welfare,’ it rings hollow. The NCAA needs to do the right thing…allow Dante his additional year.”

According to Rothstein, Oregon will appeal the ruling and continue to push for an additional year for the big man, but it appears to be an uphill battle at this point.

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N’Faly Dante’s hardship waiver denied by NCAA, per report

The NCAA has reportedly denied the hardship waiver for Oregon Ducks star N’Faly Dante, per a report.

For a few months there, it seemed that Oregon Ducks former All-Conference center could be coming back to Eugene for one more season under Dana Altman, but those dreams seem far less likely now.

On Thursday morning, it was reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that N’Faly Dante’s hardship waiver to the NCAA for one more year of eligibility has been denied.

Rothstein reports that Dante and the Ducks will appeal the decision and continue to push for one more year of eligibility for Dante.

In April, Oregon submitted a hardship waiver request to the NCAA, stemming from Dante’s ACL tear in the 2020-21 season that forced him to miss most of the year.

While Dante had a long and very successful career at Oregon, he has missed a lot of time due to injuries. The big man played only 12 games during the 2019-20 season after having his eligibility approval delayed, and then suffering a knee injury. In 2020-21, Dante played in only six games before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. The medical hardship that Oregon filed was in relation to those two seasons.

In 2023, Dante was the Ducks’ best player on the court, averaging 17 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, carrying the team to a remarkable tournament run in March alongside Jermaine Couisnard, helping the team win the last ever Pac-12 Tournament.

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Oregon Ducks to host Miami transfer Wooga Poplar after turning down NBA Draft, per report

Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are expected to get a visit from Miami transfer Wooga Poplar after he withdrew name from 2024 NBA Draft.

It looks like Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks may not be finished in the transfer portal just yet.

After adding players like TJ Bamba, Ra’Heim Moss, and Brandon Angel, Oregon’s roster is looking very solid heading into the 2024-25 season, but it appears that they might still be trying to add one more player to join the rest, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.

According to the report, former Miami Hurricanes guard Wooga Poplar is going to be taking a visit to Eugene to check things out after taking his name out of the 2024 NBA Draft consideration on Wednesday.

Poplar had a very solid 2023-24 season at Miami, posting career-highs across the board – averaging 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. On top of the scoring, Poplar shot 38.5% from deep in 2023 as well.

We will see if anything comes of the visit to Oregon, but landing this caliber of transfer would be a massive score for Dana Altman and company.

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4-star SG Jovani Ruff names Oregon as a finalist ahead of commitment

Jovani Ruff, a 4-star SG and a top-50 player in the class of 2025, named Oregon Basketball as a finalist ahead of his June 5th commitment.

There hasn’t been much action for the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team regarding recruiting. As May wraps up, Oregon’s only commit is Issac Carr, a 3-star guard from Portland, but on June 5th, things could heat up for the Ducks’ class of 2025.

Jovani Ruff, a 4-star shooting guard in the class of 2025, has narrowed his college search to four schools — one of which is Oregon — according to a report from Joe Tipton of On3Sports. Ruff is also considering USC, Cal, and Kansas, and will announce his commitment on June 5th, a week from Wednesday.

Listed at 6’5″, Ruff has good size for a shooting guard, which aids his knack for shooting the three-ball, but Ruff is more than just a catch-and-shoot guard. In the halfcourt, Ruff gets to the rim well and can finish from intricate angles, and on defense, Ruff uses his athleticism to make big plays.

Ruff lives in Long Beach, California, and based on his top four, staying close to home seems like a priority for him. Oregon isn’t as close as USC and Cal, but the Ducks have won more than the Trojans and the Golden Bears in recent years, in the face of strong recruiting from USC.

After 2024, Oregon will be searching for a new two-guard, with Keeshawn Barthelemy and TJ Bamba playing their final seasons this fall. If Ruff chooses Oregon, he is good enough to fill that role as a freshman, starting next to Jackson Shelstad, who will likely be back in 2025.

Oregon basketball stand near top of early Big Ten Conference rankings for 2024-25

CBS Sports has already published its “way too early” predictions for Big Ten men’s basketball for the 2024-25 season.

This upcoming 2024-25 season in all sports is going to be a strange one and it’s going to take a while to get used to.

Oregon is set to officially join the Big Ten Conference on July 1 and the Ducks are going to have a new set of opponents and rivals to play.

With that comes some weird predictions from media outlets that will look out of sorts. Even the graphics look out of place. But it’s the new world of college athletics.

In CBSsports’ “way too early” predictions for the Big Ten men’s basketball season, writer Isaac Trotter published his first power rankings six months before the season and of course, he says that traditional Big Ten power of UCLA will win its new league in the very first season.

Trotter has the Ducks finishing fourth in the new 18-team league with Indiana and Purdue second and third, respectively.

According to the rankings, it could be a rough adjustment for Washington and USC, however. The Huskies are expected to finish 14th and the Trojans 15th.

But the season is so far away that the phrase “way too early” definitely applies here. It should be a fun season on the hardwood and it can’t get here quick enough.

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North Carolina transfer guard Deja Kelly commits to Oregon out of transfer portal

Deja Kelly, a four-year guard at North Carolina, has committed to the Oregon Ducks after entering the transfer portal this offseason.

It’s been a rough few seasons for Kelly Graves and the Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team. This year’s Ducks ended the season on a 14-game losing streak, won just 11 games all season, and for the second year in a row, Graves lost all of his top players to the transfer portal.

But at last, Graves and the Ducks have won a round in the transfer portal by picking up Deja Kelly, a fifth-year senior guard who earned All-ACC honors three times at North Carolina.

Kelly’s strong season with the Tar Heels, a season in which she averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, came to a disappointing end. For the second year in a row, UNC was knocked out in the second round of the NCAA tournament, this time in an 88-41 rout by the South Carolina Gamecocks, the eventual national champions.

After the damage the transfer portal has done to Oregon’s roster, Kelly is coming to a team in a desperate search for a best player, and with her college experience, Kelly leading the Ducks’ backcourt seems like a natural role for her to fill.

When she gets the ball in her hands, Kelly is always looking for ways to score, whether it’s with a drive to the rim or a jump shot she creates for herself. Her 16.3 points per game in 2023-24 is an impressive number, but she didn’t score with efficiency, shooting 34.6% from the field in 2023-24, which is, hopefully, something she can improve for her final season at Oregon.

Kelly isn’t the only transfer Graves has brought in this offseason, and she will fill the 15th and final roster spot on next year’s team. Another exciting transfer addition for Oregon is Alexis Whitfield, a 6’2″ forward who averaged 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game at Santa Barbara last season, and she is a potential pick-and-roll partner for Kelly.

Oregon center N’Faly Dante receives invite to 2024 NBA Combine

N’Faly Dante has received an invite to the 2024 NBA Combine.

The future remains unclear for Oregon Ducks’ all-conference center N’Faly Dante, but he certainly has his options open ahead of him.

In April, The Oregonian’s James Crepea reported that Dante and the Ducks are seeking a waiver from the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility for center N’Faly Dante stemming from his ACL injury during the 2020-21 season. This means that there is a possibility that Dante returns to Eugene for one more season to lead what is turning into a talented Oregon team in 2024-25.

However, Dante also has been invited to the 2024 NBA Combine, where he can work out in front of NBA general managers, coaches, and scouts, in hopes of upping his draft stock and potentially being selected in the 2024 NBA Draft at the end of June.

Currently, Dante has been projected as a second-round pick in the draft, but there is a chance that he could improve that with a solid workout and performance at the combine.

While we wait to hear what the NCAA’s decision is on Dante’s waiver, we will see if he participates in the combine, which takes place from May 12-19.

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