Oregon basketball making strong push for Auburn transfer Justin Powell

Justin Powell is going to be one of the best transfers on the market this offseason and Oregon basketball has recently gotten involved.

Oregon is gearing up for a tough matchup with VCU on Saturday night, the last game of the evening, but that hasn’t stopped Dana Altman from working hard off the court to ensure there’s no drop-off next year.

Chris Duarte is moving on and he’s one of the top draft prospects, so replacing him with another talented guard with experience would be key.

One name to watch for in the transfer market would have to be Justin Powell from Auburn. Altman has already reached out to him, getting the Ducks in the running with some of the big names in college basketball.

Powell is being courted by Pitt, Texas Tech, Texas, TCU, Washington State, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Louisville, UCLA and many more. He’s one of the hottest names on the market right now, and why wouldn’t he be?

Although his freshman season was cut short (he hasn’t played since Jan. 2), Powell had one of the most promising starts to 2020-21 of any freshman in the country. He was averaging 11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 44 percent from 3-point range. He’d be quite the replacement for a guy like Duarte who has been the leader of the team.

Altman has made a living landing talented transfers — just look at the roster. LG Figueroa, Duarte, Eugene Omoruyi and Amauri Hardy are prime examples. They helped Oregon get back to the NCAA Tournament and each has had a profound immediate impact.

Powell is the kind of player who could end up as a walking triple-double at any given moment and that’s why there are dozens of top programs drooling over him.

Keep an eye on this as Oregon is usually a big player in the transfer portal and the fit makes sense.