Oregon’s Hoop Hunt: Altman’s Transfer Treasures
The NCAA transfer portal opens April 7 and runs through April 21, and Oregon coach Dana Altman has already seen key losses—junior guard Jackson Shelstad, forward Kwame Evans Jr., and Dezdrick Lindsay—leave the Ducks. Center Nate Bittle is also off to prepare for the 2026 NBA Draft. Altman’s 2026 recruits include four-star wing Tajh Ariza and dual-sport athlete Kendre Harrison. Top transfer targets range from Grand Canyon’s 7-2 center Dennis Evans for rim protection to high-volume scorers like Santa Clara’s Christian Hammond and Furman’s Alex Wilkins. Altman also eyes elite names such as ‘Baby Luka’ Neoklis Avdalas and mid-major standouts Daniel Freitag, Chance Gladden, RJ Johnson, Jalen Cox, and Christian Bliss. All moves are weighed against Oregon’s NIL budget, with Altman navigating the portal without a general manager.
In a twist that feels part recruitment, part bizarre yard sale, Dana Altman has embarked on a national scavenger hunt for basketball parts like a coach-turned-trenchcoat detective hawking “genuine, never-before-seen” big men and combo guards. Jackson Shelstad? Gone. Kwame Evans Jr.? Out. Nate Bittle? Draft dreams activated. Altman’s left standing in the dust, waving a budget sheet that looks like Monopoly money, while juggling NIL deals and AIMing senior highlights into the void. Grand Canyon’s Dennis Evans is basically “will work for soup,” and Neoklis Avdalas is rumored to be charging $1.5M for likes on his Instagram dunk videos. Meanwhile, Christian Hammond and Alex Wilkins are eagerly awaiting a DM that might land them next to Wei Lin in Eugene. It’s like Tinder for basketball players: swipe right for rim protection, left for more three-point shooters, and if your heart truly desires, match with a general manager who never existed.
Ducks Fly Higher: Streets Boosts Oregon’s Recruiting
The Oregon Ducks secured a commitment from four-star edge rusher Rashad Streets, a 6-4, 230-pound standout from Millbrook High in Raleigh, North Carolina, who chose Oregon over powerhouse programs like Alabama, Ohio State, and Florida State on The Pat McAfee Show. Ranked No. 11 nationally among edge rushers and No. 4 overall in North Carolina by 247Sports, Streets brings speed and pass-rush potential to join Dan Lanning’s defense in 2027 alongside coordinator Chris Hampton. His addition vaulted Oregon’s 2027 recruiting class to No. 9 nationally per On3, trailing only Ohio State and USC among Power Five teams. Streets is the Ducks’ sixth commit, joining other four-star prospects like Zane Rowe, Cameron Pritchett, and CaDarius McMiller, plus three-star linemen Avery Michael and Sam Ngata. Lanning’s blend of portal moves and strong classes has Oregon riding consecutive College Football Playoff berths and eyeing their first national title with Dante Moore at QB.
Behold, the Oregon Ducks’ latest recruiting bonanza: they’ve snagged Rashad Streets like it was Black Friday, turning their class ranking from “meh” to “maybe we’ll win it all.” Streets, a human cheat-code at edge rusher, apparently fell for Eugene’s scenic rain and the promise of free Nike gear. Now Oregon’s 2027 class sits pretty at No. 9, sandwiched between Ohio State and USC in the premium recruiting club. Meanwhile, Dan Lanning is out there high-fiving every five-star and portal transfer like he’s finalizing an Apple launch event—“One more commit, and here comes the fireworks!” If Ducks fans squint, they can almost see a crystal football trophy glimmering in the distance; if they don’t squint, they’ll just splash back in puddles wondering why it keeps raining in January.
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