Oregon Ducks Basketball Programs Hit Hard Before Transfer Portal Opens

The Ducks men's and women's teams have multiple key players entering the NCAA transfer portal.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 2:35pm by Ben Kaplan

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented, overlapping shapes and planes in shades of green, blue, and orange, representing the chaotic nature of a college basketball game and the challenges facing the Oregon Ducks programs.The Oregon Ducks basketball programs face an uphill battle to rebuild their rosters after a wave of player departures through the NCAA transfer portal.Eugene Today

The Oregon Ducks basketball programs, both men's and women's, have been hit hard by players entering the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the upcoming window opening. The men's team is losing five players, including two just days before the portal opened, while the women's team is losing four contributors from last season's roster.

Why it matters

The loss of these key players is a significant blow to the Oregon Ducks' basketball programs as they look to reload and compete at a high level next season. The transfer portal has become an increasingly important part of the college basketball landscape, and the Ducks will need to work quickly to find replacements and rebuild their rosters.

The details

On the men's side, the Ducks are losing redshirt freshman guard JJ Frakes, senior forward Devon Pryor, senior guard Jackson Shelstad, senior forward Kwame Evans Jr., and redshirt senior forward Dezdrick Lindsay. Pryor, a former four-star recruit, averaged just 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season before a groin injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. For the women's team, the Ducks are losing sophomore guard Janiyah Williams, senior forward Sarah Rambus, redshirt senior wing Sammie Wagner, and senior guard Elisa Mavius, who had her season end just two games in due to a knee injury.

  • The NCAA transfer portal opened at midnight on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
  • The transfer portal will close on April 21, 2026 after a 15-day window.

The players

JJ Frakes

A redshirt freshman guard for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team.

Devon Pryor

A senior forward for the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team, a former four-star recruit who began his career at Texas.

Janiyah Williams

A sophomore guard for the Oregon Ducks women's basketball team.

Sarah Rambus

A senior forward for the Oregon Ducks women's basketball team.

Elisa Mavius

A senior guard and team captain for the Oregon Ducks women's basketball team, whose season ended after just two games due to a knee injury.

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What’s next

Oregon will need to quickly work to find replacements for the departing players through the transfer portal and recruiting in order to field competitive teams next season.

The takeaway

The mass exodus of players from both the Oregon men's and women's basketball programs is a significant setback as they look to build on recent success. The Ducks will need to be aggressive in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail to reload their rosters and remain competitive in the 2026-27 season.