Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks Basketball Offers Top Center Recruit, Seven-Foot Ethan Taylor

At 7-0, 230 pounds, four-star recruit Ethan Taylor from Link Academy was getting some individual attention from NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. The elite prospect received an offer from Oregon Ducks coach Dana Altman recently, but can Altman convince Taylor to visit Oregon?

Arden Cravalho

Oregon coach Dana Altman gathers his team together before the start of their game against UC Riverside at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Monday, Nov. 4, 2024.
Oregon coach Dana Altman gathers his team together before the start of their game against UC Riverside at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Oregon Ducks coach Dana Altman and his staff were looking for their future center at the NBPA Top 100 Camp this past weekend. After offering 7-1 four-star recruit Arafan Diane from Iowa United Prep, the program extended another offer to 7-0 four-star recruit Ethan Taylor from Link Academy in Branson, Missouri. Either one would be a fantastic replacement for star Nate Bittle once he wraps up his collegiate career next season.

Taylor is listed as the No. 21 overall recruit and No. 1 for his position in On3's 2026 class rankings. Diane is No. 22 in the country and the No. 2 center.

Oregon's N'Faly Dante, left, talks to head coach Dana Altman during the first half against UC Riverside
Oregon's N'Faly Dante, left, talks to head coach Dana Altman during the first half against UC Riverside Wednesday Dec. 1, 2021. / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Diane has received numerous high-major offers this spring and summer while playing for AAU for MoKan Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit. Those said offers from the Florida State Seminoles, Kansas Jayhawks, Houston Cougars, Texas Longhorns, Baylor Bears, Creighton Bluejays, Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes, and many more.

He's taken unofficial visits with Kansas, Indiana, the Missouri Tigers, and the Oklahoma Sooners. At this point, no official visits are set.

At the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Taylor was getting some individual post-work training from one of the greatest to ever play the game, Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets.

Taylor is already a physical finisher around the rim who takes the contact and is a big man willing to run the floor. He's a smart passer out of the post, which is a skill that not many young players develop at this early part of their career.

On3 recruiting analyst Jaime Shaw spoke with the seven-footer about what his next steps are in his basketball journey.

"When all of this dies down in June, I’ll probably start thinking more about visits and my recruitment. I’ll probably make my final decision towards the fall... I want to play for a coach that I know is going to push me. And in a system that plays through their big a good bit. I want to go into a program that is close-knit and family-oriented. But I want to play for a coach that I trust, and that will stay on me and push me.”

- Ethan Taylor via On3

MORE: Oregon Ducks Legend Kenjon Barner Calls Out USC Trojans Fans

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MORE: Oregon Ducks Commit Tristan Phillips Reveals Recruitment Update

Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) shoots the ball over Liberty Flames forward Owen Aquino (8) during the first half
Mar 21, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) shoots the ball over Liberty Flames forward Owen Aquino (8) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images / Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Another name to monitor in the 2026 recruiting class is four-star combo guard Kohl Rosario from Moravian Prep in Hudson, North Carolina. The No. 27-ranked player in the country (per On3) recently went on an official visit to Oregon and is considering reclassifying to the 2025 recruiting class. Oregon's incoming class just consists of three-star guard JJ Frakes (per 247Sports).

The 2025 Oregon roster currently has 11 of the 15 available scholarship spots filled, led by the return of Bittle, junior guard Jackson Shelstad, and junior forward Kwame Evans Jr..

Dana Altman's 2026 class is currently ranked No. 5 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference (per On3). The lone commit in the class is 6-6, 250-pound three-star Kendre Harrison. The forward is also planning to play tight end for coach Dan Lanning.

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Arden Cravalho
ARDEN CRAVALHO

Arden Cravalho is a reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. He has been writing extensively about college athletics beginning in 2018, specifically as the lead writer and editor for SB Nation's 'The Slipper Still Fits'. Arden is a graduate of Gonzaga University and brings a deep understanding of college sports to his writing. Residing in San Francisco, California, Arden is also a part of the California Golden Bears' athletic department as a Ticket Sales and Service Account Executive. His overall experience and dedication to college athletics are evident in his insightfulness and analysis throughout all of his work.

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