Oregon basketball roster outlook: Where Ducks stand going into 2025 offseason

Oregon basketball roster outlook: Where Ducks stand going into 2025 offseason

The Oregon Ducks saw their 2024-25 season come to a close on Sunday night with a frustrating loss to the Arizona Wildcats in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It was an incredibly winnable game for the Ducks, who had their worst free-throw shooting night of the season, making just 12-of-22 from the charity stripe. That ended up being the difference in an 87-83 loss, stopping the season short of a trip to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year.

Now, Dana Altman and his staff are focusing on the offseason. In this new era of college athletics, the transfer portal is already turning at a high rate, and the Ducks need to focus not only on retaining their top players but also on bringing in some talent from the portal and making up next year's roster.

At this early point in the offseason, let's look at some names of departing players who we think have a good chance to come back for another year and who the Ducks will be bringing in next year before discussing some transfer portal needs and an overall outlook for the program.

This article will be updated as players announce their decisions on returning or departing from Eugene.

Departing Players

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) fouls as Oregon Ducks guard TJ Bamba (5) drives to the basket in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

TJ Bamba

Stats: 10.5 ppg, 3.4 reb, 3.0 ast

Analysis: The Ducks will miss Bamba next year for his defensive tenacity and his aggression on the offensive side of the ball. while he struggled with his shooting a bit this season, he made the Big Ten All-Conference Defensive First Team, and was a leader of the squad throughout the year into March.

Keeshawn Barthelemy

Stats: 10.0 ppg, 2.3 reb, 2.5 ast

Analysis: Barthelemy had a great career in Eugene after transferring from Colorado, and while he dealt with injuries at times, his solid play on the perimeter and ability to knock down shots at big points in the game was something that the Ducks relied on a lot over the past three years.

Brandon Angel

Stats: 8.3 ppg, 3.8 reb, 1.1 ast

Analysis: In his one season with the Ducks, Angel provided a great boot to the team in the front court, working to come and help replace what was lost with the departure of N'Faly Dante. Angel was overshadowed a bit by the career year from Nate Bittle, but he was still a very important player on the roster.

Ra'Heim Moss

Stats: 1.5 ppg, 1.6 reb, 0.5 ast

Analysis: Ra'Heim Moss struggled to crack the rotation at Oregon in his final year of eligibility, playing just an average of 10 minutes per game.

Supreme Cook

Stats: 4.7 ppg, 2.6 reb, 0.2 ast

Analysis: Supreme Cook was a late addition to the Ducks after it became clear that N'Faly Dante was not returning, and he was a solid presence in the paint, but was certainly overshadowed by Bittle's big year.

Expected/Potential Returning Players

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) dribbles the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) in the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Nate Bittle

Stats: 14.2 ppg, 7.6 reb, 1.9 ast

Analysis: Nate Bittle played the best basketball of his career in 2025, and he could come back for one more season, thanks to an eligibility waiver from his injury last season. Bittle last publicly said that he hadn't decided whether or not he would return, but it wouldn't come as a major surprise to see the Central Point star return to Eugene for one more ride with Dana Altman.

Jackson Shelstad

Stats: 13.7 ppg, 2.9 reb, 2.7 ast

Analysis: Jackson Shelstad started to come into his own a bit this year as a sophomore and was undoubtedly the leader of the team. There is still room to improve, so it would be surprising to see Shelstad try and test the NBA waters this offseason. The biggest question is whether or not he wants to come back to Oregon or try his mettle elsewhere. With a Portland kid, though, mentored by Oregon legend Payton Pritchard, I find it hard to believe he would want to go elsewhere.

Kwame Evans

Stats: 6.1 ppg, 4.6 reb, 0.7 ast

Analysis: It has felt all season long as if Kwame Evans is close to reaching his full potential but hasn't quite gotten there yet. I believe that with another season, he can turn into a really strong player for the Ducks and really boost his NBA draft stock. At this point, it's about whether or not he wishes to do that in Eugene or somewhere else.

Jadrian Tracey

Stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.8 reb, 1.7 ast

Analysis: Jadrian Tracey has already stated that he plans to come back for one more year with the Ducks where he will once again be a valuable role player off the bench, offering some 3-and-D abilities.

Mookie Cook

Stats: 1.1 ppg, 0.5 reb, 0.1 ast

Analysis: Mookie Cook was a highly-rated recruit, but injuries derailed his freshman season. As a sophomore, he started to work his way into the rotation and showed some flashes of great play, but he needs at least another year or two to reach his potential.

Dezdrick Lindsay

Stats: None

Analysis: Lindsay came to Oregon in the transfer portal this year but did not see any minutes.

Jamari Phillips

Stats: 1.4 ppg, 0.8 reb, 0.2 ast

Analysis: Phillips got some limited run this year and looked solid at times, but needs more room to develop and be a solid player for the Ducks.

Oleksandr Kobzystyi

Stats: None

Analysis: Kobzystyi has a high ceiling, but he needs more room to develop and be a contributor with the Ducks.

Incoming Players

Feb 9, 2020; Eugene, Oregon, USA; A general view of the sneakers worn by Oregon Ducks guard Jaz Shelley (4) during the first half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

JJ Frakes

247Sports Recruiting Rating: 3-star (0.8538) No. 290 in the nation, No. 52 SG

Transfer Portal Needs

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman reacts from the sideline against the Arizona Wildcats in the second half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Assuming that Dana Altman can get the core three (Bittle, Shelstad, and Evans) back for another year, there are a few needs to fill via the transfer portal, considering that the Ducks did not recruit much this past class. However, Oregon is also in a position where you can take talent at any position if it is available. WIth that being said, here are my biggest areas of need for next year's roster.

A Microwave Shooter: It's been several years now since Oregon had a guard who can spot up beyond the arc and do nothing but knock shots down. When he's feeling it, Shelstad is a great shooter, but he has far too many responsibilities running the offense to just hang around the perimeter. If Oregon can find someone in the portal who shoots north of 38-40% from deep, they need to jump on it in a hurry.

A Dirty-Work Big Man: While the Ducks have some great post skill with Nate Bittle, both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, I think they need another center who can come in and spell with some quality minutes, crashing the boards and wreaking havoc in the post. Ideally, you get a couple of centers since the Ducks are losing both Cook and Angel this year, but Oregon undoubtedly has to add at least one big man to the mix.

An Attacking Offensive Weapon: TJ Bamba filled this role well in 2024, but ideally you find someone like Dylan Ennis, or even a young Dillon Brooks to add this year. Obviously, it's a high bar to clear to find someone like Brooks in the portal, but I just mean that as a prototype. Whether it's a guard or a small forward, the Ducks' need another scoring option outside of Shelstad and Bittle. A wing who can drive and kick would be ideal for Oregon.

Overall Roster Outlook

Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; The Oregon Ducks mascot performs during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 season will be an interesting one for the Ducks. Assuming that Altman can get his core three players back for another season, Oregon will be set up well to succeed, but there is a lot of work to do on the perimeters of the roster to fill things around them. For whatever reason, the Ducks have done very little recruiting in the high school ranks over the past couple of years, instead relying on the transfer portal to fill out the roster. Altman has been good at this, finding solid contributors year after year, so fans have to trust that he can do it again.

At this point, there is no reason to believe that the Ducks won't have just as high of a ceiling next year, assuming that Shelstad, Bittle, and Evans stick around. If any of those players choose to leave, though, it could be a different outlook.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks basketball 2025 offseason roster outlook