Oregon Duck fans did not wake up to the news that they were hoping for on Thursday, with a report from CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that former All-Conference center N’Faly Dante’s hardship waiver for another year of eligibility had been denied.
Dante played only 12 games during the 2019-20 season after having his eligibility approval delayed before suffering a knee injury then only played in six games in the following 2020-21 season after tearing his ACL. The medical hardship that Oregon filed was in relation to those two seasons.
The NCAA denied the waiver, and now they are finding themselves subject to criticism from one of the most well-known figures in college basketball — ESPN’s Jay Bilas.
The NCAA’s treatment of Oregon’s N’Faly Dante is simply outrageous. This young man is EVERYTHING the NCAA claims it wants in an athlete. Dante has been injured throughout his career, and has played two full seasons less than players like Armando Bacot, yet he’s denied an… pic.twitter.com/m5sEFRyWFc
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) May 30, 2024
Bilas was in favor of Dante getting another year of eligibility, claiming that he is “everything the NCAA claims it wants in an athlete.”
“Dante is a model athlete and person, wants to come back to play and advance his education, and has never asked his school for anything,” Bilas wrote on Twitter. “When the NCAA says ‘athlete welfare,’ it rings hollow. The NCAA needs to do the right thing…allow Dante his additional year.”
According to Rothstein, Oregon will appeal the ruling and continue to push for an additional year for the big man, but it appears to be an uphill battle at this point.
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