Oregon Basketball Makes History With Addition of Exciting Chinese Star

Chinese basketball star Wei Lin has officially committed to the Oregon Ducks, per his agency Elite Legends Sport. The pure shooting guard recruit will suit up with the No. 23 for coach Dana Altman in the 2025-26 season, serving as a rotational piece in the backcourt with already oodles of experience and versatility.

At 22 years old, Lin has been one of the most dominant scorers in the Chinese Basketball Association since 2022. He checked out the campus in the Pacific Northwest, landing in the United States on Sept. 18, and immediately fell in love with what the program had to offer him. Lin was spotted hanging out with the rest of the team multiple times during his visit.

Feb 19, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman talks with guard Ra'Heim Moss (0) during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Lin made history as the first Chinese men’s pro to join the NCAA. Also, Oregon is the highest-ranked program a Chinese player has ever joined.

At 6-3 and 175 pounds, he averaged 21.6 points (No. 15 most in the CBA), 5.3 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 37 percent on three-pointers and 88 percent from the charity stripe in 36 games played for the Nanjing Tongxi Monkey Kings in 2024-25. He played against former NBA players like Tacko Fall, Damyean Dotson, and T.J. Leaf during his time overseas.

Lin competes with a killer instinct to go along with his deep sniping abilities and smooth handle of the rock coming off his quick first step.

He won't be the only talent from China in the state of Oregon. The Portland Trail Blazers drafted 7-2 center Yang Hansen from the Qingdao Guoxin Haitan Eagles in the CBA with the first round's 16th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft.

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The rest of the 2025 recruiting class

He joins three-star shooting guard JJ Frakes and a pair of Turkish big men in the 2025 recruiting class. 6-10 forward Efe Vatan and 6-11 center Ege Demir each having three years of college basketball eligibility.

Vatan averaged 16.5 points on a 53.6 field goal percentage and 34.0 three-point percentage in Turkey's U-19 league with Galatasaray this past season. He added 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game as well.

Playing at the power forward position the majority of the time, Vatan brings solid size tied to his ability to protect the rim. While he can extend out beyond the arc and handle the ball, cutting down on turnovers and improving his shot selection are a must as he makes the transition from Europe to the United States.

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) dribbles the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) in the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

As for Demir, he looks to immediately be jumping into senior Nate Bittle's backup role at the center position. In his third season in the Turkish Basketball Super League, the 20-year-old averaged 5.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 15.3 minutes per game with Darussafaka Lassa Istanbul.

Demir was originally committed to coach Mick Cronin and the UCLA Bruins back in 2022, but wasn't admitted to the university after not passing the 'English as a Foreign Language' test. Three years later, the physical specimen force near the basket has finally made his way stateside.

Oregon's incoming transfer portal class

Oregon's haul from the transfer portal during the offseason is an intriguing bunch, coming from the mid-major level all the way up to Power Five conferences:

Nov 4, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Elon Phoenix guard TK Simpkins (3) shoots a free throw in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Senior guard TK Simpkins (Elon Phoenix, All-Coastal Athletic Association Second Team)

Junior wing Devon Pryor (Texas Longhorns)

Junior forward Sean Stewart (Ohio State Buckeyes, 2023 McDonald's All-American)

Redshirt senior forward Miles Stewart (Howard Bison)

Simpkins should jump right into the starting shooting guard role alongside junior point guard Jackson Shelstad in the backcourt. That duo could end up being one of the most talented in the Big Ten Conference, as is evident given the two's history in the college game and in Simpkin's conversation with the Oregon Ducks on SI.

"It's been good (with Shelstad), for real. Just having two guards able to play on and off the ball, being able to find others, look for each other. Both guards that are able to shoot it, like to get downhill, attract other defenders, and make plays for other people."
TK Simpkins on Jackson Shelstad

The Ducks are now preparing for two exhibitions at the end of this month against former Pac-12 Conference opponents, the Utah Utes on Friday, Oct. 24, in Eugene, Oregon, and the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday, Oct. 30, in Palo Alto, California.