A 6-10 forward from Istanbul, Turkey, Efe Vatan committed to the Ducks Thursday as Dana Altman added another big body for the 2025-26 roster.
He joins Ege Demir, the Nigerian/Turkish low block stud who signed with the team in July. Demir is 6-10, 250 with a 7'3" wingspan, so senior center Nate Bittle will have support and power on the front line. Opponents will find points in the paint hard to come by when Dana Altman goes to the bench.
Playing for Galatasaray in the Turkish U19 Basketball Champions League, Vatan averaged 16.9 points a game last season while hitting 61.3 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from 3-point range (57-169).
He's got good touch around the basket and he's active, able to run the floor, protect the rim and rebound, versatile and a decent foul shooter for a young big man (21 years old) at 62 percent.
Size and depth off the bench is vital in the Big Ten, and the Ducks have a lot of it now with Bittle and 6-9 Kwame Evans returning, plus 6-7 Devon Pryor from Texas and 6-9 former McDonald's All-American Sean Stewart from Ohio State.
With all this length in the front court, Dana Altman can work his magic, particularly with Jackson Shelstad and Elon transfer Takai Simpkins bringing the basketball up court and loosening up the defense with the long-range game.
It's a good mix with plenty of physicality, built to survive the rigors of a 35-game season. On Wednesday the Ducks scheduled a neutral site game on December 21st against West region powerhouse Gonzaga.
Coming in the second month of the season a couple of weeks before the opening of Big Ten play, it'll be a good test of their progress. Altman has a challenge in assembling a cohesive attack out of such diverse and multicultural elements, but he's legendary for aligning Rubik's Cubes.
The critical part is how it meshes, and that's where an experienced floor leader like Shelstad is so important. He'll distribute the ball and get them working together on the floor.
🇹🇷 Galatasaray's Efe Vatan has committed to Oregon.
— Can Peker Pekcan (@canpekerpekcan) August 14, 2025
2004-born 6'9" forward has the tools to be a solid PF. Good positional size, solid athleticism, shooting threat, can handle the ball and protects the rim. Needs to keep improving his 3PT consistency — showed good progress this… pic.twitter.com/S4mqhrycq8