Tag: oregon basketball

Washington transfer Koren Johnson strongly considering Oregon Ducks

An incoming transfer guard could be coming south from Washington in the coming weeks.

The Oregon Ducks have reportedly been reaching out to one of their rivals who entered the transfer portal earlier this offseason.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, former Washington Huskies guard Koren Johnson is considering five schools after his move to enter the transfer portal a couple of weeks ago, and the Ducks are among the finalists for his commitment. Tipton reports that Johnson is looking at Oregon, Indiana, Florida, UCLA, and a potential return to Washington.

In 2023, Johnson played in 31 games, averaging 11.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He played for two full seasons at Washington, where he was an elite scorer with four games of 20-plus points this past year.

Koren Johnson Info

Size: 6-foot-2, 175-pounds

Recruiting Profile: 4-star, No. 128 player in 2022 class

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Report: Ducks targeting Belmont SF Cade Tyson in transfer portal

The Oregon Ducks have reportedly reached out to former Belmont small forward Cade Tyson in the transfer portal.

Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are turning toward the offseason now that their magical March Madness run came to an end on Saturday night, and there are a few players who they are starting to look at in the transfer portal.

One of those players, according to Relentless Hoops’ Trent Markwith, is former Belmont small forward Cade Tyson, a 6-foot-7 player who is rated by 247Sports as the 11th-best available player in the transfer portal this offseason.

Tyson is going to be a junior in 2024-25, having spent two years at Belmont where he started 59 of his 61 career games, averaging 30 minutes per game. On the floor, Tyson put up an average of 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist, while shooting 46.5% from beyond the arc.

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That last number is what makes Tyson such an intriguing player for the Ducks to go after, with their three-point shooting needing to improve going forward. We will see if Oregon is able to get him to Eugene on a visit this spring and potentially add him to the roster.

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Jackson Shelstad announces return to Oregon in the fall

Oregon Ducks freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad announces he’ll return to Oregon in the fall.

Jackson Shelstad, the Oregon Ducks star freshman point guard, has announced that he will return to Oregon in the fall for his sophomore season.

In his freshman season, Shelstad averaged 12.8 points per game, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. There was some inconsistency from Shelstad this season, but that’s to be expected from freshmen. What’s important to focus on are the flashes of greatness.

Shelstad had plenty of flashes. His game-winner against Michigan way back in December — helping to heal Ducks fans less than 24 hours after Oregon football’s loss to Washington — stands out. The 18-year-old also scored 20+ points in a game five times this season, including his 21-point performance against Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament.

Shelstad isn’t the only Duck who intends to run it back in 2025. Brennan Rigsby and Jadrian Tracey have said they’d like to return next season, and KJ Evans is “undecided” according to reports from James Crepea in the Oregonian.

With N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard on their way out, Shelstad seems to be the next man up. Those two guys leave big shoes to fill, but Shelstad might be more talented than both of them. The key will be finding consistency and improving the weaker facets of his game.

Oregon loses as Pac-12 finally takes a few hits in NCAA Tournament

N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard were spectacular, but no one else from Oregon showed up against Creighton.

The Oregon Ducks were this close to making the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament: They led the Creighton Bluejays by four points in the final minute of regulation. Yet, they couldn’t close the deal and lost to the Jays in double overtime on Saturday night in Pittsburgh.

Ducks Wire had more on the story:

“Oregon’s magical run got unceremoniously cut short on Saturday night after what was quite possibly their most impressive game of the year. If you didn’t stay up until 1 a.m. on the East Coast, you’ll see a box score that reads 86-73, Creighton, in double-overtime. If you did stay up, though, then you witnessed two of the best performances from Oregon players in program history.

“N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard were special, combining for 60 of the team’s 73 points, and all but two of the Ducks’ points from halftime to the final whistle.

“The rest of the team? Different story.”

Injuries played a huge part in limiting Oregon this season. Coach Dana Altman did well to get this team as far as he did, but attrition ultimately limited what this talented team was capable of. It’s a bitter loss for the Pac-12, which just missed putting a second team in the Sweet 16. Colorado gives the Pac one more chance to make the second weekend of March Madness on Sunday. The Buffs face Marquette.

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NCAA Tournament: Betting line drops slightly in favor of Ducks vs. Creighton

The Oregon Ducks are still underdogs against the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament, though the line dropped slightly.

The Oregon Ducks are going to be underdogs entering the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Creighton Bluejays, but as we get closer to tip-off, the betting line is moving in their favor.

Once the matchup was set on Thursday afternoon, the betting line opened up at 5.5 points in favor of the 3-seed Bluejays, but it has since dropped a point in favor of the 11-seed Ducks, who are now a 4.5-point underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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While Oregon rode a 40-point game from Jermaine Couisnard in the opening game against the South Carolina Gamecocks earlier in the week, there will need to be a stellar performance from N’Faly Dante in this one if the Ducks want to advance to the Sweet 16. Dante will be matched up with Creighton’s center Ryan Kalkbrenner, one of the better big men in the nation.

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Though the Ducks aren’t favored to win, I don’t think anyone who has watched Dana Altman’s squad play over the last few weeks would be surprised to see them keep this magical run alive and live for another week.

Tip is set for 6:40 p.m. PT, on TBS.

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Report: Ducks eyeing intriguing pair of players in basketball portal

The Oregon Ducks have reportedly reached out to a pair of intriguing players in the transfer portal so far.

While Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are focused on the NCAA Tournament and their second-round game against the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday, there are members of the staff who have kept a close eye on the transfer portal, which opened earlier this week.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, the Ducks have been in contact with a pair of players in the portal so far — Michigan’s Tarris Reed and St. Louis’s Sincere Parker.

Reed is a 6-foot-10 forward who has played for two years in Anne Arbor. As a former 4-star recruit who was rated as the No. 35 player in the 2022 class, Reed now ranks as the No. 17 available player in the transfer portal, per 247Sports.

He averaged 9 points and 7 rebounds in 2023 with the Wolverines.

Sincere Parker is a former Community College player who has spent two years at St. Louis, averaging 16 points and 4 rebounds in 2023. Parker did not have a ranking as a recruit coming out of high school, but 247Sports sees him as the No. 32 available player in the portal this offseason.

While the focus is on March Madness for the time being, it will be interesting to see what moves the Ducks make this offseason. Players like N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard are leaving after the end of the season, so replacing some production at the center and guard spots will be crucial.

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‘I still love that school;’ Oregon’s Dana Altman prepares for bittersweet battle vs. Creighton

Oregon Ducks coach Dana Altman knows Saturday’s NCAA Tournament matchup will be bittersweet against his former Creighton Bluejays.

The 11-seed Oregon Ducks surprised some people on Thursday afternoon when they rode a 40-point game from guard Jermaine Couisnard to “upset” 6-seed South Carolina, 87-73 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Those who follow the Ducks closely know this wasn’t really an upset, though. For starters, Oregon was favored by 2.5 points to win the game, and on top of that, head coach Dana Altman entered the game with a 7-0 record in the first round of the March Madness tournament.

If you know Altman, you had a pretty good sense that the Ducks would win on Thursday. Of course, if you know Altman, then you also know how meaningful this upcoming round of 32 game will be for the long-time coach.

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Oregon will tip off against the 3-seed Creighton Bluejays on Saturday night at 6:40 p.m. PT. This matchup will pit the Oregon coach of 14 years up against his old team, where Altman spent 16 years coaching before he came to Eugene.

It’s not just an entertaining storyline that has been drummed up over the past week, but something that holds real meaning for Altman, the winningest coach in both Oregon and Creighton history.

“Oh, you know, you spend 16 years at a place…” Altman trailed off on Thursday after being asked about the matchup on Saturday. “I’ve got great feelings about Creighton. As I said yesterday, you can leave a place, but that doesn’t mean you still don’t love the place.”

Altman coached in Omaha from 1995-2010, where he took Creighton to a total of seven NCAA Tournaments, having won six Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles, and three conference championships. Currently, Altman is the winningest coach in Creighton men’s basketball history, though he could lose that title this month if the Bluejays are to make a deep tournament run. Greg McDermott is only three wins off of his pace.

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Seeing a new name on top of that list is likely something that would please Altman, though.

“I’m so happy for Greg and Creighton and all their fans and the people that I know there,” Altman said. “Greg’s done a tremendous job. They’ve got a tremendous program. I’m so happy for him.”

On the court, Saturday’s matchup is going to be grueling for both teams. The Bluejays are currently favored, and many have them as a real contender to make a deep run and potentially get into the Final Four later this month. However, anyone who has watched the Ducks over the past few weeks, and saw their game against South Carolina in the first round knows that Altman’s team is far from an easy out.

“It’s bittersweet because only one of us is going to move on. But we’ll battle our tails off,” Altman said. “We’re going to have to play as good as we’ve ever played to get ’em. We’re going to have to be so sharp defensively, on the boards. We’re going to have to shoot it good again.”

If the Ducks find a way to pull off the upset, Altman will continue this magical run in 2024 and strengthen his already robust legacy as one of the best coaches in the history of the sport.

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If Oregon loses, at least the 65-year-old coach can take pride in watching one of his favorite teams battle on into the second weekend of March Madness.

“I’ve had 14 great years at Oregon, and I love this place,” Altman said. “And when I’m done, I’ll feel the same way about Oregon as I do about Creighton.

“Oregon is 1, but I think Creighton is 1A. There’s not much separation. I still love the school.”

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Trash talk from a former teammate inspired Oregon’s Jermaine Couisnard to drop 40 points in a bracket-busting win

Oregon’s Jermaine Couisnard said he used to mentor this player as teammates at South Carolina.

Oregon senior guard Jermaine Couisnard was one of the breakout stars of the first game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Couisnard, a 25-year-old playing for the Ducks in the opening round of March Madness, is currently finishing his senior year in Eugene for the Oregon men’s basketball program.

He had previously played multiple seasons for South Carolina in the SEC before transferring to the Pacific Northwest to play for Oregon head coach Dana Altman.

Yet, in a juicy storyline, Oregon was fatefully matched up against South Carolina to begin March Madness and Couisnard did not disappoint.

The senior led the Ducks in many key statistical categories, including: points, assists, 3-pointers, and steals. He was dominant while playing against South Carolina, finishing with 40 points as the Ducks advanced to the second round to play Creighton in the Midwest region of the bracket.

It was the first time a double-digit seed had scored at least 40 points in a men’s basketball tournament game since Stephen Curry did as much in 2008.

After the game, Couisnard admitted that he was feeling particularly inspired because someone on South Carolina’s roster was hitting him with some “trash talk” after hitting a 3-point against him.

Couisnard said that this is a player that he used to mentor when they were teammates in South Carolina (who he later confirmed was Jacobi Wright), so he was feeling especially motivated after hearing that.

Couisnard described it as “normal” trash talk and nothing egregious.

Either way, the Oregon star played for South Carolina for many years.

So this win to survive and advance had to feel especially good for Couisnard and the Ducks.

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Jermaine Couisnard breaks Oregon record with 40 points in Ducks’ big win

Oregon Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard broke the program NCAA Tournament record with 40 points in an NCAA Tournament win over South Carolina.

The Oregon Ducks needed someone to step up in a major way if they wanted their magical postseason run to continue in March, and veteran guard Jermaine Couisnard answered the call.

On Thursday, in Oregon’s 87-73 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Couisnard poured in 40 points, breaking the Oregon program record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.

The previous record of 33 points was held by Tajaun Porter, set in the 2007 Sweet Sixteen against UNLV.

Couisnard got his 40 points on 14-for-22 shooting, and he added 6 assists and 4 rebounds as well.

The former South Carolina Gamecock was not the only Duck with a massive game, as N’Faly Dante also tacked on 23 points on 7-for-9 shooting with 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.

The Ducks will now face off against the 3-seed Creighton Bluejays on Saturday in the second round of the tournament, leading head coach Dana Altman to meet his former team.

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11-seed Ducks now favored over 6-seed Gamecocks in NCAA Tournament matchup

The 11-seed Oregon Ducks are now favored to beat the 6-seed South Carolina Gamecocks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

If the Oregon Ducks win on Thursday afternoon in their first-round game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, it will be an upset by seeding only. That much is clear after various sports books across the nation have adjusted their lines on the morning of the NCAA Tournament getting underway.

The 11-seed Ducks are no longer underdogs against the 6-seed Gamecocks, now favored in that first-round game by 1.5 points, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Earlier in the week when the matchup was announced, South Carolina was a 1.5-point favorite. The Ducks are also now a -118 money-line favorite as well.

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The shift in odds goes along with what we’ve seen nationally this past week, with a lot of bracket experts picking the Ducks to get past South Carolina and match up with the 3-seed Creighton Bluejays in the second round.

The game tips off at 1 p.m. ET on TNT on Thursday afternoon. For complete coverage, stay tuned in at Ducks Wire and follow along with Zachary Neel on Twitter.

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