Continuing a trend of recent college basketball head coaches leaving the sport weeks before the start of the upcoming season, Dana Altman, the head coach of Oregon Basketball for the last 16 years and taking the program to the Final Four in 2017, has elected to step down early in October.
It’s a big news development in Eugene, with assistant and former DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield now the interim head coach for the 2026-27 campaign. But will all of the players be available for him? Per the new NCAA rules, players will be free to enter the transfer portal for the next 30 days after a coaching change.
That being said, time may be against these players. Deadlines to enroll into classes have already passed at most schools to play in the Fall and roles and money has been allocated throughout. Still, with many players not fully eligible and involved in various lawsuits, there’s a chance roster spots could be open for some of these Ducks.
Here’s a look at the top Oregon Basketball players teams would want to target in the portal.
1. Fred Payne
2025-26 stats (Boston College): 15.8 ppg and 2.7 apg
The 6’2 guard only shot 40% from the field on 14.6 attempts per game but wouldn’t be tasked to be a lead guard elsewhere. He’s a proven high-major rotational piece who can put the ball in the basket and for younger teams who could use another guard in the rotation, Payne would be a good piece to have.
2. Tyrone Riley IV
2025-26 stats (San Francisco): 12.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg
Athletic wings with 3 and D potential (37% 3PT last season) always have interest at any level. Riley started 65 games in two years at the Dons and was a consistent contributor. With three years of eligibility left, teams would have a lot of interest in getting him for a bench role before possibly handing him the keys in the future.
3. Tajh Ariza
The son of former NBA forward Trevor Ariza was, at one point, a five-star freshman prospect. At 6’9, the combo forward has a ton of long-term potential as a two-way player. Tajh is a great athlete with a growing two-way game but he’d had to pick a lower-level high-major player if he wanted playing time as a freshman.
4. Pharaoh Compton
2025-26 stats (San Diego State): 7.5 ppg and 2.8 rpg
Compton is a 6’9 big man who can play and defend both frontcourt positions. He only played 14 mpg in both years with the Aztecs and is also a backup big man. Still, he’s a quality defender with high energy and is a capable rim-runner as well. While his production wouldn’t be a ton, Compton would be a good fit at almost any option to add to the frontcourt depth.
5. Andrew Meadow
2025-26 stats (Boise State): 12.1 ppg and 3.6 rpg
The 6’7 forward started 67 games in the last two years at Boise State, shooting 51% from the field and 39% from three-point range. Meadow is a capable stretch forward who can shoot the ball, giving teams someone that can space the floor, even as a key bench option.
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