11/29/21 Emerald Media - Duck Season | Basketball

The Emerald Media Group Presents

November 2021

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE A vocal presence since he entered the program, Franck Kepnang’s play is starting to do the talking.

Contents PLUMBING Eugene’s locally owned HOUSEWARES ELECTRICAL hardware store PLUMBING HARDWARE Eugene’s locally owned HOUSEWARES LAWN & GARDEN ELECTRICAL hardware store TOOLS HARDWARE PAINT LAWN & GARDEN TOOLS PAINT

Lawn & Garden Plumbing Lawn & Garden Housewares 2825 Willamette • Eugene, Oregon • 541-342-5191 Plumbing Electrical Housewares 2825 Willamette • Eugene, Oregon • 541-342-5191 Hardware Electrical Tools Hardware PLUMBING Paint Tools HOUSEWARES ELECTRICAL Paint PLUMBING

HARDWARE HOUSEWARES LAWN & GARDEN ELECTRICAL HARDWARE TOOLS PAINT LAWN & GARDEN TOOLS PAINT

2825 Willamette • Eugene, Oregon • 541-342-5191

2825 Willamette • Eugene, Oregon • 541-342-5191 2

|

Duck Season 2021

4 6

MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER PREVIEW

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER PREVIEW

8 12

FRANCK KEPNANG AIMS HIGH

SEDONA PRINCE CHALLENGES THE NCAA

15

TRANSFERS TO ALTMAN’S ROSTER

Duck Season 2021

DuckSeason, the Emerald’s quarterly sports magazine, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

WRITERS: DANIEL VIGIL, AARON HEISEN,

ADVERTISING

S H A N E H O F F M A N N , C H A R L I E F O L K E S TA D ,

STUDENT SALES MANAGER

ERIC BERNIKER

PAT R I C K M c C U M B E R

COPY CHIEF:AMANDA LAUREY

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES:

PHOTO EDITOR: IAN ENGER

A M Y M E N E N D E Z , K E AT O N R O B E R T S ,

PHOTOGRAPHERS: SEREI HENDRIE, WILL

M E L A N I E L O P E Z , R I L E Y VA L L E , J E N

G E S C H K E , M A D D I E S T E L L I N G W E R F,

C A P L A N , K E V I N S U L L I VA N

MADDIE KNIGHT

EMERALD MEDIA GROUP 1 2 2 2 E . 1 3 T H AV E . , # 3 0 0 ,

DESIGN EDITOR: KIRA CHAN

ON THE COVER DUCKS CENTER FRANCK KEPNANG

EU G EN E, O R 974 0 3, 5 41.3 4 6.55 1 1,

BUSINESS

D A I LY E M E R A L D . C O M

PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER:

T E A M M AT E S . T H E O R E G O N D U C K S M E N ’ S

BILL KUNERTH X317

B A S KE T B A L L T E A M FAC E S T H E T E X A S

V I C E P R E S I D E N T, O P E R AT I O N S :

SOUTHERN TIGERS IN THEIR FIRST

EDITOR IN CHIEF: SARAH-MAE McCULLOUGH

K AT H Y C A R B O N E X 3 0 2

G A M E O F T H E S E A S O N O N N O V. 9 , 2 0 2 1 ,

M A N A G I N G E D I T O R : J A E L C A L L L O WAY

C R E AT I V E & T E C H N I C A L D I R E C T O R :

AT M AT T H E W K N I G H T A R E N A . (S E R E I

SPORTS EDITOR: SHANE HOFFMANN

SAM RUDKIN X327

H EN D R I E /E MER ALD)

NEWSROOM

(2 2) S I G N A L S FO R A PA S S F R O M H I S

PA G G EE 11 4 4 || EE M M EE R RA A LL D D G GA AM M EE D D AY AY || TT H HU U RR SS D D AY, AY, N NO OV V EE M M BB EE RR 141,, 22002211 PA

WED E SR D B EB RE R2 41 8, ,2 2002 21 1 | | E EMME ER RAAL LDDG GAAMME EDD AY G GE E1 57 TN HU S AY, D AY,N O NV O EVM EM AY | | PA PA

Duck Season 2021 |

3

OREGON MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER PREVIEW Duck basketball returns with another veteran roster.

BY ERIC BERNIKER Head coach Dana Altman opens his 11th season at the University of Oregon ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12.

The departure of sharpshooter Chris Duarte to the NBA left an offensive hole for the Ducks before Altman once again utilized the transfer portal and JUCO system to build one of the more experienced squads in college basketball. Here is an early look at the 2021 Oregon men’s basketball team.

Guards

Eric Williams Jr. (50) leaps into the air to take a shot.

The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

4

|

Duck Season 2021

A preseason Bob Cousey award watch list candidate, Will Richardson took the reins of the Oregon offense last year and showed tremendous scoring ability, shooting over 40% from three in the last two seasons. He can also get into the lane, where he uses his size to facilitate the team’s attack and create looks for himself. With the addition of Harmon and Young, expect Richardson to play more off ball in hopes of getting more three-point looks.

“We’ve got three guys who are very capable of running the show.” Altman said. “We don’t necessarily have a point guard.”

Joining Richardson in the back-court is Oklahoma transfer guard De’Vion Harmon. Harmon, a lefty, is expected to help run the offense as well as play lockdown defense. Last season Harmon averaged 12.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals.

“It’s been great,” Harmon said. “We have been building a great foundation, day in and day out. I think what I bring to the team is leadership and competitiveness for sure.”

One of the most interesting players to watch this season is Rutgers transfer Jacob Young. The brother of Oregon basketball legend Joe Young, Jacob brings a similar scoring prowess. Averaging 11.2 points per game last season with the Scarlet Knights, Young will be relied on to handle the ball for the Ducks. The team will also count on him to play defense, where his 1.7 steals per game will lend itself to Oregon’s full court press.

“I like playing with De’Vion and Jacob,” Richardson said. “They are a little faster than me so they can control the pace… it should be pretty exciting.”

Also joining the Oregon backcourt is 6-foot-6 shooting guard Rivaldo Soares. The 2020 Western Junior College Athletic Conference player of the year averaged 15.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game on 45.5% field goal shooting. Expect offensive production out of Soares, a shot creator looking to make a name for himself at the next level.

Forwards A 6-foot-7 do-it-all athlete, Eric Williams Jr. is the lone returning forward for Oregon after the departures of Duarte, LJ Figueroa and Eugene Omoruyi. After transferring from Duquesne, Williams Jr. found himself in a starting role for the Ducks last season. He thrived, averaging 10 points and six rebounds per game. Early in the 2021 season, he’s up his efficiency and scoring numbers.

Transfer Quincy Guerrier will have a chance to do something special at Oregon. A 6-foot-8, All-ACC player at Syracuse, Guerrier averaged 13.7 points per game last season.

This year, surrounded by talent and an equally as successful zone defensive scheme, Guerrier is on the preseason watchlist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.

Lök Wur, in his redshirt sophomore season, will have an opportunity to find some rotation minutes. At 6-foot-9, 205 lbs, Wur is agile for his size. He posted two blocks last season against Oregon State, showing his ability to guard all positions.

Center This year’s Oregon center corps is huge and deep. With so much talent, there is much to be excited about and little certainty on who will end up as the starters and finishers come March.

Franck Kepnang joined the Ducks last season at the end of fall term. A top-50 four-star prospect out of Cameroon by way of the Westtown School in Pennsylvania, Kepnang burst onto the scene last season, grabbing big minutes in the absence of the injured N’Faly Dante. This season, in minutes off the bench, “Big Franck” has shown the same intensity and motor

De’vion Harmon (5) moves towards the paint to start the play.

The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

that has drawn the praise of many Duck fans and Altman.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence that last year gave him… it’s a work in progress, but man he works,” Altman said. “His teammates love him because he plays with tremendous energy.”

Dante returns for his junior season after being sidelined for much of his sophomore campaign with injuries. Listed at 6-foot-11, Dante possesses great post presence and scoring ability, notably hitting 10-of-10 field goal attempts last season on Dec. 9 versus Florida A&M, part of a career-best 22 points. This year, should he stay healthy, look for Dante to make an impact in the paint at both ends of the floor.

Nathan Bittle is the highest-rated Oregon freshman this season. An Oregon native from Crater High School in Central Point, Bittle played his senior year of high school basketball at Prolific Prep in Napa, California to prepare for the competition at the Division I level. A stretch-five, Bittle can hurt teams from range just as well as he can use his 7-foot frame to manufacture shots down low and affect shooters on the defensive end. He will play behind Dante and Kepnang, but look for Bittle to improve and become an integral part of the Oregon basketball team by March.

Oregon’s fourth center is 7-footer Isaac Johnson. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who served on a mission, Johnson has not played competitive basketball in two years.

“I figure that if you haven’t played competitive basketball in two years, and you don’t get to the gym often it’s difficult, ‘’ Altman said. “I think he’ll be great; I think it’s going to take time.”

With other proven centers on the roster it will be interesting to see how Altman uses Johnson given his immense size and potential.

Rivaldo Soares (11) attempts to keep the ball away from Emmanuel Bandoumel’s (5) defense. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Duck Season 2021 |

5

NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES RETURN

Ducks guard Maddie Scherr (23) searches for a pass while running down court.

Ducks Women’s Basketball take on Dixie State Trailblazers at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Nov. 14, 2021. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Oregon women’s basketball continues the 2021-2022 season with a mix of coaching staff returning to Oregon, veteran star athletes and several new players.

BY DANIEL VIGIL • TWITTER @DANNYVIGIL “I’m reminded of that Subway commercial — eat fresh, refresh,” Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said when talking about the new coaching staff he brought into the program this offseason and the refreshing feel it brings to the team.

The women’s basketball program saw significant change within their roster and coaches. Too much turnover can change the team dynamic, bring in many unknowns and leave an impact on the athletes especially. But this is not the case for Oregon.

6

|

Duck Season 2021

Before the 2021-22 season, Oregon had two vacancies open up inside the basketball program. Former assistant coach Mark Campbell was named head coach at Sacramento State and brought along assistant coach Xavier Lopez, who both had been a part of Graves’ staff for the past seven years and helped mold Oregon into the national recruiting powerhouse that it is today.

Graves’ coaching staff hires are not new to the University of Oregon.

Former Oregon basketball player Mike Moser joined Graves as an assistant coach for the 2021 season. The last time he was in Eugene, he played for the 2013-14 season as a graduate transfer and helped lead Oregon to the second round of the NCAA tournament under head coach Dana Altman.

Graves added another familiar face to the coaching staff with the hiring of Jackie Nared Hairston as the other assistant coach.

For the 2017-18 season, she was Oregon’s director of creativity and video. She spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Arizona Wildcats, where she helped lead the team to the 2021 National Championship game.

“It’s been wonderful. They’ve stepped in and things have moved forward and upward,” Graves said.

Graves seemed in very high spirits when speaking to the media about the new faces he has brought aboard the program.

“The atmosphere around the office has been better; they’re people people,” Graves said. “They have Oregon’s best interest at heart because they’re from Portland, and I think that helps; that means something.”

With 398 points scored in their first five games of the season, the Ducks haven’t skipped a beat despite the offseason coaching changes.

The Ducks brought back many of their star athletes from the 2020 season, including Nyara Sabally, who was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder last year. Sedona Prince, Kylee Watson, Sydney Parrish and Te-Hina Paopao also came back for the 2021 season.

While the majority of veterans came back to Oregon, as with many college teams, there was huge turnover, with seven players moving on from the team. During the busy offseason, notable players Taylor Chavez and Jaz Shelley both entered the transfer portal. Erin Boley and Lydia Giomi graduated from the university.

To fill these spaces, the 2021-22 roster has several new faces.

Five of the seven new players are incoming transfers. Notable transfer and former coveted USC guard Endiya Rogers – who led the Trojans in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game – unfortunately is out with a broken hand. She has yet to play in the regular season after soaring in an exhibition game against Saint Martin’s.

Oregon still awaits Taylor Hosendove’s eligibility waiver from the NCAA. The two-time transfer will be at her third school in her college career after spending time at Clemson and Georgia State.

“The NCAA goes at their own pace, and it’s the pace they want unfortunately,” Graves said.

The team has been shorthanded thus far, riddled with injuries, resulting in back-to-back losses to South Carolina and South Florida. With players Sabally and Pao-Pao out for consecutive games, joined by newly unavailable players Taylor Bigby and Rogers, Graves had only eight players suit up for the last two games.

“I have to do a better job of coaching the players that we actually have playing in the games, and I didn’t do a good enough job,” Graves said.

Despite these losses and the injuries in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, Graves is confident in his team.

“So we’re going to learn from it and get better from it.”

Graves said. “This has been nothing but a positive..”

Ducks players dance and sing to “Shout” before the fourth quarter begins.

Ducks Women’s Basketball take on Dixie State Trailblazers at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Nov. 14, 2021. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Ducks forward Chanaya Pinto (10) smiles between free throw attempts. Ducks Women’s Basketball take on Dixie State Trailblazers at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Nov. 14, 2021. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Duck Season 2021 |

7

HE’S A BIG, BIG DOSE OF VITAMIN C. HE MAKES THE TEAM REAL HEALTHY WITH HIS ATTITUDE.” JONATHAN GUARENTE, Kepnang’s high school shooting coach

FRANCK KEPNANG’S OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD DREAMS OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD START ON THE BASKETBALL COURT

8

|

Duck Season 2021

BY SHANE HOFFMANN TWITTER @SHANE_HOFFMANN

Sweat drips from the face of Franck Kepnang (22) during an Oregon timeout. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

s

Oregon’s 6-foot-11 center wants to go to space. First, he’s working his way into Dana Altman’s rotation.

This piece originally appeared on The I-5 Corridor.

Shortly before landing to start his new life, 14-yearold Franck Kepnang peered out his airplane window and marveled at New York City. He was traveling from Yaounde, Cameroon, and he viewed the city beneath him not with open-mouthed wonderment, but rather a sense of belonging.

Kepnang has always had big dreams. He often thinks of humanity’s future off Earth. And in The Big Apple, he saw big opportunities.

“It felt like it was where I needed to be in that moment,” the Oregon men’s basketball sophomore said five years later.

In those years, Kepnang refined his English and learned American slang from reggae, jazz, country and rap music. He’s enrolled in college and has thrown himself into the nuances of Python coding, hoping to one day undertake a career with NASA or SpaceX. He’s got a mind that seeks perfection and an imagination which rivals his interstellar ambitions. He’s also got a 6-foot-11 and 250-pound frame that could play a key role in launching this Oregon team into March Madness.

Dana Altman made a mistake.

You could see it on the Oregon coach’s pained face even before admitting it at the podium after the Ducks’ Sweet 16 loss to USC in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

After playing one minute in the first half, Kepnang ignited a late 11-0 run that brought the Ducks within striking distance. Eight minutes from the center wasn’t enough to push them over the edge in an 82-68 defeat.

“I’ve got to take my share of their responsibility,” Altman said, lamenting his decision to play Kepnang sparingly. “It’s March, hell, I should know my personnel.”

It was a brutally honest peek behind the curtains, a vulnerable moment for a coach who’s found repeated success by adapting to a revolving door of roster changes.

Known to relentlessly tinker with lineups until things click in the home stretch, Altman made a shrewd decision after center N’Faly Dante tore his ACL six games into the 2020 season. Altman rolled out a small-ball lineup, recognizing the strength of his roster lay in its quartet of twoway wings Chris Duarte, Eugene Omoruyi, LJ Figueroa and Eric Williams Jr. Oregon won 13 of its final 16 games and led the conference in made threes and steals per game.

But the Ducks were always smaller, and upsizing came at the expense of perimeter shooting. Against the Trojans’ 7-foot front line, the lineup that unlocked Oregon’s offense became its undoing.

It’s early, but the 2021 Ducks again tilt small. Led by a trio of double-digit scoring guards — Will Richardson, De’Vion Harmon and Jacob Young — Oregon continues to start a small-ball lineup predicated on generating a high volume of three-point shots.

Altman knows his team still needs a reliable post presence. A glass-eater down low. A rim protector. A lob threat off the pick-and-roll. Even if that player comes off the bench.

Enter Kepnang.

Kepnang loves taking things apart. He relishes any opportunity to scoop below the top layer of information to find out how something works. The intricacies captivate him.

His mother Hortense Tchuisseu — who remained in Cameroon when he left to pursue his basketball career in the U.S. — gave him a small remote control car for his ninth birthday and, with it, unintentionally ignited his love for discovery.

He played with the car for a day and dismantled it the next. He toyed with the wires and figured out how to alter the controls. Soon enough he had the car driving backwards when he hit the button for forwards.

“Your creativity is the only limit you have,” he said.

His 10th grade intro to programming class at the Westtown School in Pennsylvania (where he finished his high school years after beginning at the MacDuffie School in Massachusetts) took his ambitions up a notch. His teacher, a member of the IT department, introduced Kepnang to the world of coding and soon brought him on as an assistant.

By his junior year, anytime a student had an issue with a school computer, they’d bring it his way.

Once he gets his hands on something, he can’t let it go.

It’s a character trait his high school shooting coach Jonathan Guarente experienced first hand during early morning sessions. He’d often receive late night texts from Kepnang detailing the things he wanted to work on the next morning. He’d push Guarente out of bed and into the gym at 5 a.m.

“He’s just maniacal,” Guarente said. “He’s insane.”

He added: “What might take some kids three months, Franck gets in two weeks, because he’s just going to be purposeful and relentless and practice it until he can’t get it wrong.”

Guarente saw a similar drive out of both Mo Bamba and Cam Reddish — who attended Westtown before beginning NBA careers — and, like many around Kepnang, sees a professional career in his future. But it’s those who’ve Duck Season 2021 |

9

worked with him closely that know well basketball is a means to an end.

“I tell him all the time, he doesn’t have to choose,” Westtown School head coach Seth Berger said. “He can play in the NBA; he can be an entrepreneur; he can even be a U.S. senator.”

It only took Berger one afternoon of the Kepnang experience at the PSA Cardinals EYBL coaches’ combine to know he’d found something special.

One of the final members left in the combine’s gym, Berger got his first glimpse of the player who would later become the heart of his program. The college coaches had all dispersed, but Berger remained and watched as the ninth-grade Kepnang dove for loose balls, made hustle plays on defense and enveloped the gym with his vocal presence.

“That’s when I knew he was a culture kid,” Berger said. “He was doing it there when nobody was watching. He didn’t do it for show.”

Nursing a high ankle sprain, Kepnang was ruled out for the state championship his senior year. Berger caught him crying shortly after, not for himself, but for his team. Westtown went on to win even without their hulking center. Kepnang helped the team in the only way he could: from the sidelines.

“He was so loud,” Berger said. “He wasn’t just a cheerleader; he was telling kids what to do.”

Kepnang has been gone for nearly a year now, but Berger still notices the impact of his former player’s leadership.

“He’s the best culture guy you could ask for,” Berger said. “Kids started to see what he was doing. It wore off on them.”

Often, it’s the players with larger roles on the court which inherit those responsibilities. A star player. An upperclassman. A cerebral point guard.

Last season, Kepnang was none of those, yet after reclassifying and joining the team in late December, the freshman became the voice of a Ducks team with multiple future NBA players and a wealth of upperclassmen. By the way he acts on the bench, you’d think he’s the most dominant player on the court.

“Positive energy and bringing it everyday is a skill as much as shooting the ball or rebounding the ball,” Guarente said. “He’s a big, big dose of Vitamin C. He makes the team real healthy with his attitude.”

“If I can show that I’m all in,” Kepnang added, “ultimately [my teammates] will have to be all in with me too.”

The yells of both excitement and anguish — often so loud they could be heard on television. The empathic chest-beating celebrations. The displays of intimidation, often occurring at midcourt during his teammates’ free throws, where knelt with his arms outstretched on either side of him, Kepnang glares down the court at his opposition while swaying back 10

|

Duck Season 2021

and forth.

“He’s not afraid to be himself and go all out,” Berger said.

His Oregon teammates use a single word to encompass the charismatic Kepnang: aura.

“It’s just in him,” guard De’Vion Harmon said.

“You just want to be around him,” Richardson, a senior, added.

Kepnang’s becoming the Ducks’ outlet down low.

He’s refining his touch and adding a repertoire of post moves. His physicality as a screen setter and roll man compliment the Ducks’ trio of veteran guards.

“The biggest thing I’ve seen him do is just slow down,” Richardson said.

Oregon Ducks center Franck Kepnang (22) lays on the floor reaching towards the ball. The Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Feb. 6, 2021.

(Maddie Knight/Emerald)

“Not being in such a rush when he catches it.

When he slows down he will shoot 60% from the block. It should be pretty fun watching him.”

He’s more comfortable in the system, knows what shots to take and what shots he shouldn’t. He hauls in offensive rebounds, delivers emphatic putbacks and covers up for miscues on the perimeter defensively with his shot blocking prowess.

“He’s playing with a lot of confidence that last year gave him,” Altman said. “He’s a work in progress, but man, he works.”

Kepnang is tinkering. He’s getting under the hood and figuring it out. The Ducks see potential in him, similar to all those years ago when Kepnang looked down from that airplane window.

He’s not going to be intimidated by the process of getting there. He welcomes it.

BELOW: Franck Kepnang (22) waits for the inbound pass.

The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on November 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

ABOVE: Franck Kepnang (22) looks towards the flag during the national anthem. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Duck Season 2021 |

11

‘POSTER-CHILD OF THE NIL’

CHALLENGES THE NCAA

Ducks forward Sedona Prince (32) attempts a shot over Trailblazers guard Breaunna Gillen (20). Ducks Women’s Basketball take on Dixie State Trailblazers at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on Nov. 14, 2021 (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Get your masters.

Between walks. graduate.wou.edu

Graduate Programs For more information, contact Amber Deets: deetsa@wou.edu or 503-838-8492

12

|

Duck Season 2021

Oregon center Sedona Prince brought awareness to student-athlete pay and gender inequities through her outspokenness against the NCAA.

BY AARON HEISEN TWITTER @AARON_HEISEN

A cheer rippled through the Oregon football student section, catching Kelly Graves’ attention.

As the Ducks’ football team continued trouncing the Arizona Wildcats, Graves, the Oregon women’s basketball coach, turned his attention toward the fans. The applause was so significant he expected to see his favorite singer, Bruce Springsteen, or former Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota making their way through Autzen Stadium — instead, it was his starting center, Sedona Prince.

In an overcrowded student section, Prince stood out – not only because of her 6-foot-7 stature.

Prince earned that effusive cheer from the student body because she has dedicated her time to representing thousands of studentathletes, her teammates and fellow students in a dispute against the NCAA.

Seventy-three days after Prince and the Oregon Ducks’ season ended in a Sweet-16 loss to the Louisville Cardinals, she was sitting in a courtroom arguing for monetary alterations for all student-athletes and systematic changes to the organization they play for – such as marketing the women’s tournament with the term “March Madness” and other forms of equal treatment of women student-athletes.

In a press conference, Prince said her first priority will always be basketball, but she has taken on a new responsibility. Graves dubbed his star center “the poster-child of the NIL.” Previously, the NCAA’s controversial rules barred student-athletes from receiving any compensation outside of the organization’s narrow provisions, including profiting off one’s name, image and likeness (NIL)— a right non-athletic-scholar-

“It’s not about the money I make; it’s about learning, helping other student-athletes, being a leader and making an impact on this team.”

SEDONA PRINCE

ship students already have.

This summer shed clarity on the situation as Prince, along with other studentathletes and coaches, testified against the NCAA. In June, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a bill granting studentathletes NIL rights.

In her testimony, Prince said it was unfair that she couldn’t profit off of her social media content. She currently has 2.8 million followers on TikTok and, prior to the ruling, no monetary benefit came from her social media presence.

Prince and her fellow student-athletes believed it was unfair they couldn’t accept earnings from social media or potential advertisement deals due to their amateur athletic status.

In order to maximize every one of her assets, Prince said she had to take individual control of the NCAA and her life.

“I’ve learned that I love business marketing and content creation,” Prince said.

“That has helped me realize that I have to work really hard in basketball, and it’s translated to school.”

Prince led the surge while balancing her own basketball career, maintaining a social media presence and building relationships with her teammates.

“There are a lot of eyeballs on her,” Graves said.

“She’s never let it affect her on the court, and she’s still the same happy-go-lucky Sedona Prince.”

In addition to now profiting off her social media content, Prince has used her platform to bring awareness to gender inequalities entrenched in the NCAA.

“It’s not about the money I make; it’s about learning, helping other student-athletes, being a leader and making an impact on this team,” Prince said.

Prince called out the NCAA for gender inequalities during the postseason tournament, which took place in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, this past spring. She took a video of the women’s weight room, which consisted of one weight rack, compared to the men’s full training facility. Additionally, the women received lesser quality COVID-19 tests and food options.

University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma said the women would be tested for antigens, while the men received rapid PCR tests every day.

Prince’s high school coach Chris Lange said Prince has never been afraid of making a statement. Her outcries have contributed to actionable change as the NCAA will use the term “March Madness” for the upcoming women’s postseason tournament for the first time.

“It has to continue with these action items that continue to help women basketball players be heard, but if there’s not a systematic change then nothing will ever happen,” Prince said.

Scrapping for profits, fighting for women’s rights and leading her basketball team, Prince holds a weight not many 21-year-olds hold.

With that weight comes a presence, epitomized by the love she receives from students — their raucous applause at a football game, their neverending lines to take photos with her and her ever-growing social media following.

Ducks forward Sedona Prince (32) attempts a jump shot. Oregon Ducks Women’s Basketball face Westmont College Warriors for an exhibition game on Nov. 6, 2021, at Matthew Knight Arena. (Maddie Stellingwerf/Emerald)

Duck Season 2021 |

13

4 OFF

$

EUGENE’S ONLY 21+ BOWLING ALLEY

HAPPY H OUR

7 PM

EVERYDAY noon-

SHUFFLEBOARD & PINBALL GREAT BEER, CIDER, AND WINE ON TAP Mention or bring in this coupon to receive offer. Expires 6/30/22 Not valid withGRASS any other offers or promotions.

Valid for walk-in or deliveries.

FED BURGERS ARTISAN BRICK OVEN PIZZAS OPEN AT 4PM DAILY 541-688-9904 / LANE25EUGENE.COM

VOTED #1 BEST PIZZA, BEST OF CAMPUS 1809 Franklin Blvd. | 541-284-8484

FREE DELIVERY! (On Orders Over $10)

online Ordering now available!

115 W. Broadway | Jamesonsbareugene.com

12

14

| Duck Season 2021 CHEWS & BREWS 2021

W W W.T R A C K T O W N P I Z Z A . C O M

ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE

TRANSFER CLASS A quartet of incoming transfers will make a huge difference in Oregon’s team this season.

BY CHARLIE FOLKESTAD • TWITTER @FOLKESTAD3 Quincy Guerrier (13) moves towards the basket as an SMU defender leaps towards him. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)

Whether it was 2014-15 Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young coming in from Houston or Chris Boucher from the JUCO ranks, head coach Dana Altman has had unprecedented success bringing transfer players to Oregon.

After losing 10 players from the 2020-21 men’s basketball team over the offseason, Altman has reloaded once again.

“Basketball has really changed over the last 10 years as far as guys moving around, and I’m one of those guys that believes that’s okay,” Altman said. “You’ve gotta be all-in wherever you’re at. You gotta make it work, and to make it work at this level you have to know you’re at the right place.”

On paper, the 2021-22 transfer class is one of Altman’s most impressive yet. With four incoming transfers,

Altman has now taken in 41 transfers over his 12 offseasons in Eugene.

Guards De’Vion Harmon (Oklahoma), Jacob Young (Rutgers) and Rivaldo Soares (South Plains College) are joined by 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward Quincy Guerrier (Syracuse).

Harmon, Young and Guerrier have made up three-fifths of Oregon’s starting lineups thus far.

“That’s our team, you know? Each Duck Season 2021 |

15

year we get a whole new squad,” senior guard Will Richardson said. “But they all bring something different…

They bring a lot to the table — should be exciting.”

Harmon was rated as one of the nation’s top 10 transfer players. Guerrier was also a hot name coming out of a storied program in Syracuse. Both were named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team alongside Richardson.

Last year, Oregon heavily relied on transfers Chris Duarte (from Northwest Florida State College) and Eugene Omoruyi (from Rutgers). Both players averaged over 17 points per game, good for almost half of the team’s total scoring in the 2020-21 season.

This year, the four Ducks transfers combined for 47 points and 23 rebounds in the 83-66 win over Texas Southern to begin the season.

“Quincy is like a three or four, can play the wing, can play down low, physical, can shoot the ball better than what people think,” Richardson said.

“Quincy has been good,” Altman said. “He can rebound, because he could get eight rebounds a game for Syracuse, so I’d like to see that same type of production here.”

Harmon, who was an All-Big 12 honorable mention last season, averaged 12.9 points per game for the Sooners in 2020-21. His decision to move to Eugene was about more than basketball.

“I felt wanted — and to a certain extent loved — by the whole staff, from Altman all the way down,” Harmon said. “Why not come here from down south?

Come up to the West Coast and grow up a little bit…

That’s what I wanna do. I wanna grow on and off the basketball court.”

Harmon was brought to Oregon in part by new assistant coach Chris Crutchfield, who originally recruited him to Oklahoma.

Harmon said Crutchfield was his biggest reason for coming to Oregon. “He’s become a father figure to me. He was there for me those times at OU when it got rough.”

Jacob Young, the younger brother of the aforementioned Joseph Young, has already graduated from Rutgers. He scored the first 6 points of the game in the 86-63 win over SMU and made five of his first six shots in the season opener.

Oregon fans are hoping Jacob can replicate the success of his older brother.

“Devion and Jacob bring extra ball handlers and both can score off the dribble or play the two and catch and shoot,” Richardson said.

Soares logged 10 points and seven boards in 28 minutes against SMU. “I think I fit in because I consider myself to be a jack of all trades,” Soares said following the 23-point win. “I feel like my game fits in well with what coach Altman wants.”

Right now, Altman is getting the players he wants.

That typically translates to on-court success.

Altman said his new squad has “blended in really quick.”

“We’re always so fortunate when we get guys from really good coaches, really good programs,” he said.

16

|

Duck Season 2021

Jacob Young (42) looks towards the Oregon bench in between plays. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Southern Methodist University Mustangs 86-63 at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 12, 2021. (Will Geschke/Emerald)