Thursday morning, The Field of 68 co-founder Jeff Goodman reported that Villanova transfer TJ Bamba had committed to play for Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks.
Heading into his fifth season of college basketball, Bamba has averaged 38 percent from beyond the arc, shooting a career-high 60 percent from three-point range for the Washington State Cougars in 2020-21.
Bamba is exactly what the Ducks have been in search of since Jermaine Couisnard’s collegiate career came to an end.
The former Cougar and Wildcat stands at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, adding some much-needed size and experience to the Ducks’ backcourt.
Bamba, who only played one year at Villanova after playing for three at Washington State, has averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game throughout his career.
His strength and size are a perfect fit to replace Couisnard’s stature and leadership on the court.
Couisnard, who garnered national recognition as Oregon took control of the last-ever Pac-12 Tournament and made a run to the Round of 32 in March Madness, was a huge loss for the Ducks at the end of the season.
Oregon has landed Villanova transfer TJ Bamba, source told @TheFieldOf68.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 2, 2024
If the reports on Bamba committing to Oregon are accurate, Altman would have once again aligned Rubik’s Cubes to make his Ducks roster as good as can be.
Bamba would be joining Jackson Shelstad in the Ducks’ backcourt. Shelstad, an Oregon native, was the team’s starting point guard last season as a freshman.
The combination of Bamba’s size experience with Shelstad’s speed and court vision will make for a dynamic duo as the Ducks head to the Big Ten.