Ohio State transfer forward Sean Stewart has committed to Oregon after spending one season with the Buckeyes. Stewart, who transferred to Ohio State from Duke, played 30 games in the 2024 season, averaging 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game. He shot 54.2% from the field, showing improvement over his freshman year at Duke, where he averaged just 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. Stewart is a four-star recruit from Montverde Academy in Orlando and was ranked as the No. 17 overall player and No. 3 power forward in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Stewart’s commitment to Oregon provides him with two years of eligibility, and he will be joining a Ducks program looking to strengthen its roster. His departure from Ohio State is part of a larger trend, as the Buckeyes lost several players to the transfer portal, with Stewart being the only regular starter to leave. Despite this, Ohio State has been active in replenishing its roster, ranking No. 29 in On3’s Transfer Portal Team Rankings. The Buckeyes are coming off a 17-15 record under first-year coach Jake Diebler and have now missed the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive years. The loss of Stewart presents another challenge for Ohio State as they work to turn things around.
The growing influence of the transfer portal on college basketball is clear, as players continue to switch teams for a variety of reasons. In the 2024-25 season, over half of the points scored in college basketball were from transfer portal players, highlighting its growing importance. The NCAA has found that most players enter the portal within the first four weeks of its opening, with 82% of men’s basketball players in 2024 choosing to transfer during this period.
As Stewart joins Oregon, his decision reflects the larger shift in college basketball where transfers play a significant role in team compositions. The Ducks will look to integrate him into their lineup, and Stewart will aim to continue improving as he enters the next chapter of his college career.
