For a few months there, it seemed that Oregon Ducks former All-Conference center could be coming back to Eugene for one more season under Dana Altman, but those dreams seem far less likely now.
On Thursday morning, it was reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that N’Faly Dante’s hardship waiver to the NCAA for one more year of eligibility has been denied.
Rothstein reports that Dante and the Ducks will appeal the decision and continue to push for one more year of eligibility for Dante.
In April, Oregon submitted a hardship waiver request to the NCAA, stemming from Dante’s ACL tear in the 2020-21 season that forced him to miss most of the year.
Source: Oregon's N'Faly Dante has been denied an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA.
Dante only played six games during the 20-21 season due to a knee injury.
Also only played 12 games in 19-20 when NCAA Tournament was cancelled.
The Ducks will appeal the decision.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 30, 2024
While Dante had a long and very successful career at Oregon, he has missed a lot of time due to injuries. The big man played only 12 games during the 2019-20 season after having his eligibility approval delayed, and then suffering a knee injury. In 2020-21, Dante played in only six games before suffering a season-ending torn ACL. The medical hardship that Oregon filed was in relation to those two seasons.
In 2023, Dante was the Ducks’ best player on the court, averaging 17 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game, carrying the team to a remarkable tournament run in March alongside Jermaine Couisnard, helping the team win the last ever Pac-12 Tournament.
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