Oregon Basketball: Why TJ Bamba is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

After missing the NCAA Tournament two years in a row, Oregon bounced back nicely last season, getting their way into the Big Dance by winning the final Pac-12 Tournament. The Ducks would upset South Carolina and take a strong Creighton team to double overtime. Now Dana Altman’s program has a nice challenge ahead as one of the new members of the Big Ten.

They’ll take on that challenge without a few familiar faces as their two top scorers from last season are both gone. Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante both excelled during their time with the Ducks, but the cupboard isn’t bare in Eugene. Jackson Shelstad played exceptionally as a freshman and figures to be a vital piece this season. Fellow freshman Kwame Evans is back as well as are several pieces further down the roster, including Keeshawn Barthelemy, a former standout at Colorado.

As for the new faces in town, Oregon’s coaching staff wasted no time in building a Big Ten roster, adding four pretty solid pieces from the Transfer Portal. They raided Georgetown’s frontcourt for Supreme Cook and lured Ra’Heim Moss from Toledo. The Ducks also added a former conference rival, getting longtime Stanford forward Brandon Angel. These three players will all have critical roles next season, though there’s one more player who could be an even bigger factor.

That player is TJ Bamba, a wing from the Bronx who is actually very familiar with this program. He previously spent three seasons playing at Washington State, seeing a lot of Oregon in the Pac-12. After profound success as a junior, averaging 15.8 points per game, Bamba transferred to Villanova for his senior year. Neither he nor the Wildcats lived up to expectations, as he’d put up just 10.1 points and 3.6 rebounds a game.

Last year’s struggles notwithstanding, Bamba brings immense talent and experience to the Ducks and should slide into a major role in their lineup. He’ll certainly take on a similar role to Cousinard after topping 36% from outside the arc for a third straight season. Though his overall production dipped at Villanova, Bamba has demonstrated athleticism and shot-making ability and won’t be intimidated by the transition into the Big Ten.

While we’re uncertain the type of run that Bamba will get this season, he’ll certainly look to end his collegiate career on a high note. Expect numbers closer to that final year with the Cougars, with Bamba standing out in comparison to the other pieces added from the Transfer Portal. These Ducks were riding high at the end of the season with that conference tournament win and nice showing in March, but how will that correlate with such big changes on this year’s squad?

It’ll be very interesting to see how these new pieces mesh together. Bamba saw firsthand that things didn’t go as planned at Villanova, but perhaps there are better days ahead as a Duck. He can become a backbone of this offense especially with his scoring touch. The biggest question for the Ducks is how they handle this transition into a new and tougher conference. What can we expect from Oregon this upcoming year and how does Bamba change their potential?