Which transfer portal players could replace N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard for Oregon?

The most veteran players carried the load for Oregon during the 2024 postseason. Including an incredible Pac-12 Tournament title and a surprising run to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, N’Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard were beasts for the Ducks.

Sadly, both Couisnard and Dante have reached the end of their collegiate careers, and head coach Dana Altman will need to figure out players who can fill their, rather large, shoes.

While there is a lot of young talent on the Ducks’ roster – point guard Jackson Shelstad alongside forwards Kwame Evans Jr. and Mookie Cook – Altman needs to find more experienced players for Oregon.

How exactly will Altman do this? The answer is simple. 

The transfer portal.

Before getting into who should, and reasonably could, replace Dante and Couisnard, take a look at the two Ducks’ stats from this past year:

• 16.6 points per game
• 4.6 rebounds per game
• 3.3 assists per game

Couisnard was a leader on and off the court for the Ducks during the 2023-24 season. On a team riddled with injuries across the board, Couisnard brought skill and experience to an extremely young starting five.

In every sense of the word, Couisnard is a ballhawk. He averaged 1.6 steals and 3.4 defensive rebounds per game. He was also the Ducks’ leading scorer while Dante was sidelined due to injury.

Couisnard was a fifth-year player this past season and transferred to Oregon after starting his collegiate career at South Carolina.

In Oregon’s two games in the NCAA Tournament, Cousinard amassed 72 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists.

• 17.0 pounds per game
• 9.2 rebounds per game
• 1.6 assists per game
• 69.5 field goal percentage

Dante was one of the most productive players in the country last season. Despite being sidelined for two months with a knee injury and subsequent surgery, Dante led the Ducks with 17 points per game, including 51 points in the NCAA Tournament.

The Mali-born center played all five of his collegiate years with Oregon but was continuously benched because of injuries.

When Dante could remain healthy, he was an unstoppable force on offense and a formidable wall on defense. 

In his final year with the Ducks, Dante averaged 1.9 blocks, 1.7 steals, and 6.4 defensive rebounds per game.

His nearly 70 percent shooting rate is one of the best in the nation and is a large part of why he was able to score 374 points in just 22 games last season.

Who could replace Jermaine Couisnard?

Altman is going to need to be on the lookout for a shooting guard that can match up to Couisnard’s size and capabilities. Currently, in the transfer portal, there are quite a few options that Altman could, and should, pursue.

• Ilane Fibleuil – Four-star – UCLA
• Johnell Davis – Four-star – FAU
• Chris Johnson – Four-star – Texas
• Kerr Kriisa – Four-star – WVU
• Elijah Fisher – Three-star – DePaul
• Jordan Pope – Three-star – Oregon State

All six of these transfers would bring experience and talent to the Ducks’ backcourt. 

Fibleuil and Pope have the Pac-12 cultural experience that Altman may be looking for while Davis, Johnson, and Kriisa have playing time against some of the top teams in the nation that would be beneficial for the Ducks.

Who could replace N’Faly Dante?

The pool of centers in the transfer portal isn’t quite as big as it is for guards. The best fit for the Ducks would be someone with a lot of length since the Oregon backcourt is relatively small.

• Vladislav Goldin – Four-star – FAU
• Emmanuel Okorafor – Three-star – Louisville
• Viktor Lakhin – Three-star– Cincinnati
• Joe Hulburt – Three-star – Colorado

Okorafor is on the short side of what the Ducks would need at 6-foot-9 but has impressive ball-handling capabilities. Goldin on the other hand is 7-foot-1 and 220 pounds. He has an impressive shooting range and is rated as a four-star, 93 transfer player.

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