After a long offseason full of roster moves, the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team has finally taken final shape and is ready to start preparing for the new season in 2023-24.
A second-straight frustrating season in 2022-23 has understandably left the roster looking much different than it did a year ago. A handful of players — Kel’el Ware, Rivaldo Soares, Quincy Guerrier, among others — entered the portal and left Eugene, while a group of others — Kario Oquendo, Devan Cambridge, Jadrian Tracey, and Jesse Zarzuela — opted to join Dana Altman and transfer to Oregon. The Ducks also have the No. 9 ranked recruiting class coming in, bringing 5-star Kwame Evans, 5-star Jackson Shelstad, and 4-star Mookie Cook to town.
So with the roster finalized and 12 scholarship players now set in stone, how will things play out on the court? It’s too early to know the type of rotations that Altman may choose to deploy, but here is my best estimation on who the starters and role players will be to start the season:
Starter: G Jermaine Couisnard
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 92 Games | 11.8 PPG, 2,8 REB, 3.0 AST
Analysis
After missing the start of the 2022-23 season with a knee injury, Couisnard was one of the first player to announce his return for one more year with the Ducks. He was one of the primary scorers for Oregon last year with 12.8 PPG, and that should continue this season.
Starter: G Keeshawn Barthelemy
Career Stats: 87 Games | 8.1 PPG, 1.7 REB, 2.0 AST
Analysis
Barthelemy was one of the best deep shooters for the Ducks last season, shooting over 35% from beyond the arc. The team could use that again going forward, and he will likely bring it along with his veteran experience in the backcourt. While I expect Barthelemy to have a starting job early in the season, there is a lot of depth and competition behind him, so keeping it will take a lot of effort.
Starter: G Kario Oquendo
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Georgia Bulldogs
2021-22: 31 Games | 15.2 PPG, 4.3 REB, 0.8 AST
2022-23: 29 Games | 12.7 PPG, 2.6 REB, 0.6 AST
Analysis
Kario Oquendo is a proven scorer in the SEC, where he averaged almost 14 points per game over two seasons with the Bulldogs. He brings some nice size at the guard spot and will be a high-energy player who can help alleviate some of the pressure in the backcourt.
Starter: F Nate Bittle
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Career Stats: 51 Games | 4.8 PPG, 3.7 REB, 0.5 AST
Analysis
Bittle’s career statistics at Oregon aren’t all that impressive, but the promise that he showed over the final half of the 2023 season is certainly notable, especially in the NIT with fellow big-man N’Faly Dante sidelined with injury. Once Bittle got free reign to operate as the lone starting center, he flourished, turning in career-highs in back-to-back games and establishing himself as one of the emotional leaders of the team. It seems that the future is bright for Bittle in Eugene, and the fans have taken to him quickly. He will definitely be among the starters in 2023 -24.
Starter: C N'Faly Dante
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Career Stats: 81 Games | 9.8 PPG, 6.6 REB, 0.8 AST
Analysis
Dante comes into the 2023-24 season as hands down the best player on Oregon’s roster, looking for one more standout season before making a hopeful leap to the NBA. He had a breakout season in 2023, averaging 13.4 PPG and 8.4 REB, leading the Ducks in scoring and proving that he can be a dominant force in the paint. His NBA prospects may not be high at the moment, but with another year with the same production in Eugene, and that will likely change.
Rotation Player: F Kwame Evans
247Sports Rating: 5-star (97)
National Ranking: No. 15 overall (No. 4 PF)
Analysis
It’s sometimes hard to project whether or not a true freshman will be able to come to the collegiate level and have an instant impact, but KJ Evans projects as someone who can help the Ducks right away next year, with the potential to be a one-and-done, making the leap to the NBA in the 2024 draft. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see Evans find his way into the starting lineup for Oregon before next season is over.
Rotation Player: F Devan Cambridge
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Career Stats: 127 Games | 7.8 PPG, 3.8 REB, 0.6 AST
Analysis
Devan Cambridge is another in-conference transfer that Dana Altman was able to get, following the lead of Keeshawn Barthelemy a year ago. Cambridge had his best season last year with the Sun Devils, where he averaged just under 10 points per game and 5 rebounds per game. He can be a nice scorer for the Ducks in 2023. I think he will start by coming off of the bench, but it wouldn’t shock me to see a few starting lineups with him included down the road.
Rotation Player: G Jackson Shelstad
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247Sports Rating: 5-star (0.9906)
National Ranking: No. 24 overall (No. 6 PG)
Analysis
If there is any member of the true freshman clas that is going to claw out a starting role this year, it might be Jackson Shelstad. As Oregon’s Gatorade Player of the Year for the second-straight time, he has been on an absolute tear up at West Linn, following in the footsteps of Oregon legend Payton Pritchard by dominating with the Lions before coming to Eugene. Whether or not Shelstand can establish himself as a viable point guard as a true freshman remains to be seen, but Duck fans are clearly ready to embrace and love Shelstad as they did several years ago with Pritchard.
Rotation Player: G Jadrian Tracey
Career Stats: 29 Games | 14.4 PPG, 5.7 REB, 4.5 AST
Analysis
When the news came out that Jadrian Tracey was going to transfer to Oregon, the first thing that I did was go to his stats and check his three-point shooting percentage: 43%. That will work. The Ducks need sharp-shooters who can spot up and knock them down. If Tracey can do that, then he will fit in Eugene. I could easily see him as a six- or seven-man coming off of the bench when the team needs a spark.
Rotation Player: G Mookie Cook
(AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
247Sports Composite Rating: 4-star (0.9892)
National Ranking: No. 27 overall (No. 6 SF)
Analysis
Again, it’s hard to go out on a limb and say that Mookie Cook is going to be one of the best players on Oregon’s roster next season, but based on what we’ve seen from him at the high school level, he should have no trouble providing a spark for the Ducks at the very least.
Rotation Player: G Jesse Zarzuela
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Career Stats: 37 Games | 15.4 points, 2.9 REB, 3.0 AST
Analysis
Zarzuella has had an eventful college career, making his sixth stop in six years now in Eugene. He’s proven before that he can be a solid scorer, but it feels like he will need to prove it at the Power 5 level before securing a big role in Oregon’s rotation.
Rotation Player: G Brennan Rigsby
(Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
Career Stats: 21 Games | 4.2 PPG, 2.3 REB, 0.8 AST
Analysis
After beginning the year injured, Brennan Rigsby started 8 games for the Ducks but was eventually moved to a role off of the bench before ultimately suffering a season-ending injury. He was a nice role player but notably saw his minutes decrease as the season went on. He showed some flashes and should feel confident that Dana Altman at least wants to use him if he produces.
