Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman is very used to this.
He has used the transfer portal long before it was fashionable and Altman’s relationship with the portal continues to be a good one as the Ducks have signed former Elon guard TK Simpkins.
The 6-foot-4 junior, who will be a senior next season, had a career year in 2024-25 as Simpkins averaged 16.4 points per game and was named a second-team All-Colonial Athletic Conference performer. He also shot 42 percent from the field, including a 37 percent clip from three-point range.
Simpkins is expected to compete for a starting job and be a reliable shooting guard next to Jackson Shelstad in the backcourt. He’s likely to take Keeshawn Barthelemy’s spot on the roster with him out of eligibility. But former Texas guard and current Duck Devon Pryor could also challenge for that spot as well.
Altman is now likely looking for a TJ Bamba-like player in the portal, someone who is 6-6 or 6-7 and can readily get to the basket on the bounce. Those kinds of players don’t exactly grow on trees, but if he’s out there, Altman will most likely find him and convince him to be a Duck.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
