LJ Figueroa Transfers from St. John's to Oregon; Averaged 14.5 PPG Last Season
Jun 20, 2020
NEW YORK , NY - MARCH 11: LJ Figueroa #30 of the St. John's Red Storm looks on during the Big East Conference Men's Basketball Tournament First Round game against the Georgetown Hoyas at Madison Square Garden on March 11, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Former St. John's guard LJ Figueroa announced Saturday he's transferring to Oregon.
Figueroa averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Red Storm in 2019-20. He shot 37.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Players typically have to sit out a season after changing schools. However, the New York Post's Zach Braziller reported in May that Figueroa might receive a waiver allowing him immediate eligibility in 2020-21:
Schools have been in LJ Figueroa's ear that he would be able to get a waiver if he transferred based on the coronavirus's impact in NYC. Huge news that he's in the portal obviously. #sjubb
Figueroa averaged fewer minutes as a sophomore (28.3) compared to his freshman year (32.0) but assumed a larger role for St. John's in his second season to compensate for the departures of Shamorie Ponds and Marvin Clark.
His usage rate climbed from 21.4 percent in 2018-19 to 26.8 percent in 2019-20, according toSports Reference. That might explain why his efficiency plummeted after he hit 51.3 percent of his field goals as a freshman.
LJ Figueroa’s first season at St Johns — when he was a role player — was far better then his second, when he was The Guy. He’ll likely be back to being a role player at Oregon. #sjubb
Oregon has to replace Payton Pritchard, the 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Year, but will have Chris Duarte and Will Richardson back. The Ducks also have a commitment from Jalen Terry, the No. 15 point guard and No. 71 overall player in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports'composite rankings.
Assuming he can contribute right away, Figueroa will slot into the backcourt nicely alongside Duarte and Richardson. Oregon could be dangerous if the quartet of Chandler Lawson, C.J. Walker, Addison Patterson and N'Faly Dante can improve in their sophomore campaigns.
Amauri Hardy Commits to Oregon as Graduate Transfer After 3 Years at UNLV
Apr 12, 2020
UNLV's Amauri Hardy (3) plays against Utah State during an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The Oregon Ducks have a new piece in their backcourt.
On Sunday, UNLV graduate transfer Amauri Hardy committed to the Pac-12 program over Arkansas after Northern Kentucky transfer Jalen Tate chose the Razorbacks on Friday, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.
"I have a level of respect for the Oregon program," Hardy said. "It has a known tradition for winning and competing for championships. The amount of resources and connections I will have at my expense will not only allow me to be successful on the court, but off the court after my year spent there."
Hardy arrived at UNLV as a 3-star recruit in the class of 2017, per247Sports'composite rankings, after deciding against attending Oklahoma State when Brad Underwood left for Illinois.
He was a secondary contributor during his first season but averaged 13.1 points and 3.5 assists a night in his second, which set him up to be one of the Rebels' leaders in 2019-20. He delivered by averaging 14.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.3 rebounds a night behind 40.9 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent shooting from three-point range.
The guard was the team's second-leading scorer behind Bryce Hamilton and turned heads in a number of notable games, including when he poured in 27 points in anonconferenceshowdown with the Big 12's Kansas State and 17 points in an upset win over San Diego State in February.
It was part of a stretch when he scored in double figures in each of his final nine games of the season.
Oregon can use the help in the backcourt considering All-American guard PaytonPritchardfinished his impressive collegiate career following the 2019-20 campaign.
The Ducks made the Sweet 16 in 2019 and were well positioned for another deep March run this year at 24-7 before the NCAA tournament was canceled. They will need Hardy to deliver as a reliable scoring threat in the backcourt if they are going to build on their recent successes in 2020-21.
Sabrina Ionescu Reflects on Oregon Career in Heartfelt Instagram Post
Mar 16, 2020
Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu (20) reacts after her team scored against Stanford during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the Pac-12 women's tournament Sunday, March 8, 2020, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Sabrina Ionescu penned an open letter for the Players' Tribune last April and captioned it "Unfinished Business" on Twitter, announcing her decision to return to the Oregon Ducks for her senior season with the intention of winning a national title.
She couldn't have imagined the men's and women's NCAA basketball tournaments would be canceled due to the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The 22-year-old star guard addressed the abrupt end to her collegiate career in an Instagram post on Monday, calling this "the toughest year of her life":
Sabrina Ionescu gives her farewell to Oregon after an abrupt ending to her senior season 🙏 pic.twitter.com/WmDkbHPN0J
Ionescu was one of several speakers at the Staples Center memorial for Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who had been her mentor, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, on Feb. 24. The two died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 alongside seven others.
The list of records Ionescu broke while at Oregon is lengthy. She averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds across 33 games for the 31-2 Ducks this season.
Ionescu is nearly a lock to go No. 1 in the WNBA draft.
Payton Pritchard, No. 17 Oregon Surge Past No. 16 Colorado with Late Run
Feb 13, 2020
Oregon's Payton Pritchard, right, celebrates after making a 3-point shot against Colorado during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Eugene, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Chris Pietsch)
No. 17 Oregon regained a share of first place in the Pac-12 with a 68-60 win over No. 16 Colorado on Thursday.
Coming off two straight losses, the Ducks bounced back at home in Matthew Knight Arena as Payton Pritchard earned his second double-double of the season. Oregon (19-6, 8-4 in conference) improved to 13-0 at home while adding another impressive win to the resume.
The Buffaloes led by nine at halftime and were up five with six minutes remaining, but a 12-0 run in the closing minutes helped the Ducks take over. Will Richardson scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as part of the come-from-behind win.
Colorado (19-6, 8-4) had been one of the hottest teams in the Pac-12 but couldn't extend its conference lead despite 14 points from D'Shawn Schwartz.
Will Richardson, G, Oregon: 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals
D'Shawn Schwartz, G, Colorado: 14 points, 3-of-5 from 3
Evan Battey, F, Colorado: 14 points, 11 rebounds
Will Richardson Takes Over for Oregon Late
Payton Pritchard is the star for Oregon, but he wasn't getting it done early with just seven points and zero assists in the first half.
Colorado pulled ahead with a 20-0 run that lasted nearly eight minutes. After extended droughts killed the team in recent losses to Oregon State and Stanford, it seemed like more of the same story in this one.
However, Pritchard began facilitating more in the second half and ended up with six assists after halftime.
Richardson took advantage, making huge plays both under the basket and from the perimeter to nearly single-handedly get Oregon back in the game:
The Ducks played faster in the second half, putting pressure on the Buffaloes with a press and ending up with 12 steals. There was also more space on the offensive end thanks to the smaller lineup:
Oregon may have finally just found its lineup.
Ducks went to a four-guard set in the second half to come back and beat Colorado.
May be time to rip the band aid off in Eugene and go small.
Pritchard made his clutch shots late to help Oregon pull away, combining with Richardson for 25 in the second half after they had just 11 in the first.
It wasn't a perfect performance, but this backcourt could be scary in March.
Top Scorers Disappear for Colorado
There are few teams deeper than Colorado, which plays 10 men regularly and can get a big game from a variety of players.
Several contributed early, keeping the team in front with three-point shooting:
Just a couple huge shots for #CUBuffs right there. Oregon had cut lead to three points, but Parquet finds Schwartz for a 3, then Wright finds Siewert for a 3. Lead back to 49-49 with 12:06 left
Schwartz only took eight shots but made a huge impact with 14 points and three assists.
Still, the Buffaloes need their best players to come through in big moments if they want to make a run in March.
McKinley Wright IV ended with just eight points on 3-of-8 shooting, while Tyler Bey was nearly invisible with four points and three turnovers. Since January, these two had combined for just one game of single digits, but somehow they both failed to reach 10 points in the loss.
The disappearance was obvious when Oregon began its comeback and Colorado had no one step up with an answer.
Elite teams need players to rely on when needed most, and that's what the Buffaloes lacked Thursday.
What's Next?
Colorado will remain on the road for a matchup against Oregon State on Saturday. Oregon will have another home game Sunday against Utah.
Sabrina Ionescu Leads Oregon to Historic Upset over Team USA in Exhibition
Nov 9, 2019
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 05: Sabrina Ionescu #20 of the Oregon Ducks drives to the basket against the Baylor Lady Bears during the first half in the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 05, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The senior point guard led the No. 1 Oregon Ducks to a 93-86 victory over Team USA in their exhibition Saturday night at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. Ionescu led all scorers with 30 points, 20 of which came in the third quarter.
It marked the first time a collegiate team had beaten Team USA in 20 years.
The matchup's significance wasn't lost on Ionescu, who told OregonLive.com's James Crepea ahead of the game: "I'm 100 percent going to be starstruck especially when Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi come out on the floor. I'm going to be excited that I can share the same floor with them."
If Ionescu was intimidated, it didn't show:
Sabrina Ionescu putting on a show against Team USA 🦆
Ionescu has already drawn heady comparisons. "She reminds me a lot of Sue Bird," WNBA 2014 No. 1 overall pick Chiney Ogwumike told Bleacher Report's Mirin Fader earlier this year. "Excellent feel for the game, plays her own tempo, and as a passer she has the That's So Raven ability to see the future."
Ionescu has been part of USA Basketball in the past. But before she tries to become a true staple both in the WNBA and internationally, she has intentions of leading the Ducks to the program's first national title.
The top team in the country officially tips off its 2019-20 campaign Monday against Northeastern.
Oregon 5-Star C N'Faly Dante Ruled Ineligible, Will Reenroll in December
Oct 15, 2019
Sunrise Christian's N'Faly Dante #12 is seen against IMG Academy in a Boys Quarterfinal game at the Geico High School Basketball Nationals in the Queens borough of New York on Thursday, April 4, 2019. IMG Academy won the game. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Oregon center N'Faly Dante has been ruled ineligible to start the 2019-20 season due to the NCAA missing his clearance date.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Dante said he plans to reenroll at Oregon on Dec. 14:
Oregon projected NBA lottery pick N'Faly Dante has been informed he will be ineligible to start season because the NCAA missed his clearance date, @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium has learned.
Dante, a 6’11 big man out of Mali, says he will now reenroll at Oregon on Dec. 14. pic.twitter.com/a05nocBXdZ
The 6'11" Dante is rated as a 5-star prospect by 247Sports, and he ranks as the No. 14 overall player and No. 4 center in the 2020 recruiting class.
The 17-year-old Dante is a Mali native who later moved to the United States and played his high school basketball at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. After averaging 16.5 points per game and shooting 85.2 percent from the field en route to being named Nike EYBL MVP over the summer, Dante reclassified from the 2020 class to 2019.
In August, Dante announced his decision to reclassify and commit to Oregon in a letter forThe Players' Tribunedespite offers from other top schools such as Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State.
Dante was viewed as the top candidate to replace Bol Bol, who entered the NBA draft after appearing in just nine games during his one season with the Ducks. Bol was selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Miami Heat and then traded to the Denver Nuggets.
Per247Sports, Dante is part of an Oregon recruiting class that ranks fourth in the nation. Along with Dante, the Ducks landed 5-star forward C.J. Walker and a trio of 4-star prospects in Addison Patterson, Chandler Lawson and Isaac Johnson.
After reaching the Sweet 16 last season, the Ducks have a chance to make another deep NCAA tournament run this season if their young players live up to their potential.
If Dante is granted eligibility Dec. 14, he will only miss the first seven games of the season and will be available to head coach Dana Altman for a key non-conference road game against the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 14.
Until Dante gains clearance, look for Walker, Lawson and returnees Miles Norris and Francis Okoro to receive the bulk of the playing time in the frontcourt.
5-Star Center N'Faly Dante Commits to Oregon, Reclassifies for 2019 Class
Aug 13, 2019
Sunrise Christian's N'Faly Dante #12 is seen against IMG Academy in a Boys Quarterfinal game at the Geico High School Basketball Nationals in the Queens borough of New York on Thursday, April 4, 2019. IMG Academy won the game. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
The Oregon Ducks added a significant presence to their future frontcourt Tuesday when center N'Faly Dante joined their 2019 recruiting class.
Dante, a native of Mali, announced his decision in a first-person essay addressed to his mother for the Players' Tribune.
"Oregon has a program that reflects a lot of the values you taught me when I was growing up," he wrote.
Dante checks in at 6'11" and 230 pounds and is a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He was the No. 12 overall player, No. 3 center and No. 1 player from the state of Kansas in the class of 2020.
Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Dealer noted in April that the big man—who measured in with a 7'5½" wingspan and 9'5" standing reach during the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon—was considering reclassifying to the 2019 class during his recruitment.
According to 247Sports' Matt Prehm, Dante will indeed reclassify, joining Oregon in 2019 rather than 2020.
Dante's length immediately stands out, and he uses that wingspan to protect the rim on the defensive side and control the boards on both ends. Even if he still needs to develop some as an offensive threat, he has the potential to be an elite rim protector and conference Defensive Player of the Year candidate as soon as his freshman season.
Jerry Meyer of 247Sports noted he has to add strength to battle with some of the bigs he will eventually face in the NBA, but at least one year in a high-level college program will help him do just that while expanding his offensive arsenal.
He should be able to finish at the rim over many collegiate defenders with his size alone, and adding touch will help him project to the next level.
If he develops into a complete player and maximizes his ability as a defensive force, Dante can help Oregon compete for a conference title and potential deep tournament run even as a freshman.
This is an important recruiting victory for head coach Dana Altman, who continues rolling in the Pacific Northwest. He led the Ducks to the Sweet 16 in 2013 and 2019, Elite Eight in 2016 and Final Four in 2017 and gets an elite big man to work with after Bol Bol missed much of his only collegiate season with injury.
Dante is talented enough to maintain the Ducks' recent success and perhaps even build on it, even if he just stays for one season.
Mystery Man: NBA Draft Prospect Bol Bol Has Scouts, Execs Split on His Potential
Jun 12, 2019
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MARCH 28: Bol Bol #1 of the Oregon Ducks looks on from the bench against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at the KFC YUM! Center on March 28, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
When he saw the 7-footer sink a turnaround three, Barret Peery had to pause the film. It was early November, and Peery and his Portland State staff were preparing for their season opener against Oregon. The Vikings had almost beaten the Ducks the prior year in Eugene, and the staff felt familiar with most of their opponent's best players.
But there was one big exception: 7'2" freshman center Bol Bol.
Peery watched the skinny big man bounce up and down the court, handling the ball like he was born to be a guard, shooting it like he grew up a Steph Curry fan and blocking shots like he was becoming his father's son. But the turnaround three off the baseline set play? That was too much for Peery. He stood up, looked at his staff and said, "We can try any defense we want, but there's nothing anyone can do to stop a guy his size fading away from three."
Bol would put up 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots against Portland State. Remarkably, that would be perhaps his worst performance of the season.
Through nine games in November and December, Bol looked even better than his billing as a top-10 recruit and his family tree would have suggested. He scored in double figures during every outing. He grabbed at least nine rebounds in seven games. He blocked at least three shots in six. He hit 57.0 percent of his field goals, 75.7 percent of his free throws and 52.0 percent of his threes. No opponent seemed capable of slowing a player with his size and his surprising range of skills.
Then, just days into January, Bol's brief college season came to a close. He was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot.
During Bol's first game at the end of the bench, an Oregon staffer caught him crying and had to console him. Soon after, he underwent surgery on the foot and began rehabbing in preparation for the NBA draft. Had he remained healthy and stretched those statistics into a full college season, Bol would almost certainly be a top-10 pick next week. But he only played nine games. And now, where he will be selected is one of the draft's biggest mysteries.
"Be careful. Everybody is lying about Bol Bol," one team executive says. "Every team thinks they have him figured out. The ones who like him a lot are spreading negative rumors about him, and the ones who don't want to draft him are propping him up."
Bol Bol, the son of the late and legendary 7'7" NBA center Manute Bol, was two years old when his family fled Sudan for the United States as political refugees. They settled in Connecticut, where Bol first began playing basketball at the age of four. Eventually, when Bol was seven, they relocated to a Sudanese community in Kansas. Throughout his early childhood, the younger Bol trained with his father until Manute died in 2010. After that, his mother, Ajok, became his primary mentor.
By the age of 14, Bol had sprouted to 6'10" and collected a handful of Division I scholarship offers. He started high school at Blue Valley Northwest in Overland Park, Kansas, but he didn't live in the district, so he had to transfer to Bishop Miege in neighboring Roeland Park. As a sophomore, he helped Bishop Miege win the Kansas Class 4A Division I state title. For his junior year, he transferred to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. And for his senior year, he switched schools again, landing at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada.
Anytime a highly touted high school prospect switches schools—especially multiple times—coaches and scouts start speculating about the player's character. Part of it is practical: College coaches don't want to spend time recruiting a player with commitment issues. And part of it is punitive: Spurned coaches love to spread rumors.
By the end of his high school career, Bol's reputation among NBA observers was that of a uniquely talented prospect who too often seemed to coast on his superior size and skills. More than anything, scouts worried about whether Bol was fully committed to the game—and if his slight frame could withstand the rigors of it.
In nine games with Oregon as a freshman, Bol Bol averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and shot 52 percent from the three-point arc.
"His resting demeanor makes him look aloof, like he might rather be sitting on the couch," says one NBA scout. "I don't really think that's his fault. He's not that different from most guys his age. He's not a vocal leader, but he's also not a bad egg. More than most, it'll depend on what kind of team drafts him. If they have a great culture, I think he'll really excel."
At Oregon, Bol did excel on the court, and opposing coaches consistently came away with the impression that they'd just faced a future top-five pick.
"We thought we could get physical with him. We thought we could body him," Eastern Washington coach Shantay Legans says. "We thought he'd be low energy, but he played with fire. We thought he'd be soft because he was a freshman. He was tough. If you try to stop him with someone smaller, he'll go right over top of them. If you try to stop him with someone his size—assuming you even have someone like that—he'll easily go around."
Bol finished that game against Eastern Washington with 23 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.
He seems ideally suited for the next level as a floor-stretching force on offense and a rim-protecting titan on defense. Combine his three-point percentage on the EYBL circuit and his nine games at Oregon, and you have a 7'2" center who shoots better than 46 percent from three (albeit in a limited sample size). Mix that with the 3.9 blocked shots he averaged in the EYBL and the 2.7 swats per game he notched in college, and you have the makings of a modern NBA center.
On the court, his most glaring weakness is a lack of lateral mobility.
"I don't think he's a lost cause guarding in space," the scout says. "He'll be fine in a pinch, but he's not going to be able to switch a ton of positions. He's light on his feet and nimble on offense, but he's not as agile as you need him to be on defense."
For many teams, Bol's basketball weaknesses and potential character concerns are quite easy to overlook—or dismiss entirely. Instead, they weigh the potential risks and rewards of drafting a guy who has a 7'7" wingspan and a 9'7½" standing reach, but who also weighs just 208 pounds and is coming off a complicated injury. Also, there's the fact Bol was only fully cleared to play on the last day of May, and his June 12 Pro Day will be the only opportunity for most teams to watch him play in live action in 2019.
"He has top-five talent, no question," one league source says. "But when you throw the injury in the mix, where he goes is anyone's guess. I wouldn't be surprised if he went in the top seven, and I wouldn't be surprised if he went 19th."
PORTLAND, OR - 1986: Manute Bol #10 of the Washington Bullets defends against the Portland Trail Blazers during a game played circa 1986 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by d
Based on discussions with a handful of league sources, no one is lukewarm in their evaluation; he is either a potential top-five talent who can be stolen in the back half of the first round or a risky prospect destined to disappoint even in an underwhelming draft.
In the end, perhaps the only greater mystery than where Bol will be drafted is the man himself. He declined to speak with B/R for this story and has given remarkably few interviews for a player of his caliber. For now, he appears content to let his play alone determine his draft status.
"Beneath all the other bulls--t," says a source familiar with Bol, "there is a boy who I believe wants to honor his father. Manute wasn't an All-Star, but he was in the league for a decade. I think, in the right situation, Bol could be better."
Ex-Rutgers F Eugene Omoruyi Transfers to Oregon; Likely to Sit out Next Season
Jun 10, 2019
EugeneOmoruyi is heading to Eugene, Oregon.
The former Rutgers forward announced his decision to transfer to Oregon by posting a photo wearing a No. 1 Ducks uniform to his InstagramMonday night.
Omoruyi also took to Instagram to announce his intention to transfer from Rutgers on May 28 and entered the transfer portal. He then reportedly visited Oregon on Saturday, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
The Ontario, Canada native played three seasons at Rutgers and led the team last season in points per game (13.8) and rebounds (7.2).
Omoruyi is expected to sit out next season, per Stadium's Jeff Goodman:
Oregon has added UNM grad transfer Anthony Mathis and Rutgers transfer Eugene Omoruyi — who will likely sit. If Dana Altman can get UNLV grad transfer Shakur Juiston, should be NCAA tourney team despite getting crushed by NBA early entries.
Last week, NJ.com'sJames Kratchspoke with Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell about Omoruyi.
"Gene was here three years and was great," Pikiell said. "But Gene wants to go to another school. You don't always have to agree, 18-to-22-year-olds have to make decisions. ... I think he thinks another place is better for him and that's his right."
Once Omoruyiis eligible to take the floor, the appeal of finishing his collegiate career at Oregon instead of Rutgers is clear.
Rutgers has not finished above .500 since the 2005-06 campaign, while the Ducks are coming off of a Sweet Sixteen run. Oregon head coach Dana Altman has led the program to nine consecutive winning seasons with NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2017 Final Four.
The 6'7", 240-pound forward played in 93 games in three years for the Scarlet Knights, averaging 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds. While the 2018-19 season saw Omoruyi post career-bests in points, rebounds and assists per game, he had consistently built a reputation as a stout defender throughout his Rutgers tenure.
That characteristic makes for a good fit in Altman's system, as the Ducks' defense propelled them deep into the NCAA tournament last season.
UC Irvine HC Russell Turner Called Oregon's Louis King 'Queen' During Game
Mar 25, 2019
Oregon forward Louis King plays against UC Irvine during a second-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament Sunday, March 24, 2019, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner called Oregon forward Louis King "Queen" in an attempt to rattle him during Sunday's second-round matchup.
"I was saying 'double-team Queen' to try to see if I could irritate him. And I did. And I kept talking to my team about what we wanted to do. We were calling him 'Queen' because I knew it might irritate him, because of how important he is to their team, the queen in chess. It was a play on his name of King.
"And it bothered him, started thinking about me, started thinking about Max [Hazzard]. But he came back and finished the game really strong. And he'd had a thing or two to say to me during the game, and I wanted to let him know that what I'd done was out of respect."
On Monday, Turner would release a statement apologizing for his actions, via James Crepea of OregonLive:
"I recognize my actions were inappropriate and insensitive. I share UC Irvine's belief that inclusivity and diversity are paramount values, and I apologize for not understanding that my actions during the game suggested otherwise.
"I respect Oregon's men's basketball program, its student-athletes, and its coaches. Since the conclusion of the game, I have spoken to Louis, his parents, and to Oregon's head coach Dana Altman. They have graciously accepted my explanation and apology."
King had just three points on 1-of-4 shooting in the first half, along with an assist and a rebound. He finished the game with 16 points and four rebounds, knocking down four threes and playing a pivotal role as Oregon pulled away for a 73-54 win over Irvine.
If King was bothered by the taunting, he did not let on. He made no public comment on the matter, and it was only addressed by Turner.
That said, Turner could wind up reprimanded for what some could perceive as sexist comments.
