Dana Altman and the Oregon Duck men’s basketball team have secured the commitment of Villanova transfer guard TJ Bamba. Bamba will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Earlier this month, the Ducks signed Stanford forward Brandon Angel and Toledo guard Ra’Heim Moss from the transfer portal, but Bamba’s addition is even more exciting. After losing senior guard Jermaine Couisnard this offseason, the Ducks have two true guards to play in the backcourt with sophomore point guard Jackson Shelstad.
In his four-year career, Bamba averaged 9.8 points per game, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Bamba has increased his scoring ability over the past two years, averaging 12.86 points per game on 42.8% shooting since the fall of 2022.
Bamba is no stranger to playing in the West, spending three seasons at Washington State before transferring to Villanova for the 2023-24 season. In March 2022 – the last time he played against Oregon – Bamba scored 19 points as the Cougars lost to the Ducks in the Pac-12 Championship.
Playing for Shelstad, Bamba will have to take on a less ball-dominant role than in the past, but playing without the ball is one of the areas where he shines. At 6’5″, Bamba shoots well from three (38% career) and is even better on open catches. With Shelstad’s ability to carry the ball and assist on defense, Bamba could be a dangerous shooting threat from the wing.
