Tag: jerry adams

Dante is Ducks’ first center in 37 years on All-Pac-12 First Team

N’Faly Dante is on the All-Conference First Team, the first Oregon center since 1986 to receive the honor.

Senior center N’Faly Dante has been named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, the conference announced today.

The Oregon 7-foot center averaged team highs in points (13.5), rebounds (8.2), blocks (1.4), and field goal percentage (.642) this season, along with 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He ranked second in the conference in field goal percentage and his career average of over 64 percent is the best in school history.

Dante’s points, rebounds, and blocks averages were all career-bests, improving his points per game by more than five points and his rebounds by two.

In 2022-23, the Bamako, Mali native recorded nine double-doubles, including four in the last five games where the Ducks went 3-2 and winning their final three games of the regular season. Dante grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds on the road against Oregon State, most by a Ducks player since Chris Boucher had 19 in 2016. In the regular season finale, Dante had a career-high-tying five blocks against Stanford, two of which were in the final two minutes of the game to help seal the win.

Dante is the first Oregon player to be named to the first team since Chris Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi in 2019, and is the first true center to earn the distinction since Jerry Adams in 1986. Teammate Will Richardson was named all-conference honorable mention with 12.5 points, 5.2 assists (second in the conference), and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.

ALL-PAC-12 TEAM

FIRST TEAM

  • Oumar Ballo, Arizona, C, R-Jr., Koulikoro, Mali
  • Tyger Campbell***, UCLA, G, R-Jr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • Branden Carlson, Utah, C, Sr., South Jordan, Utah
  • N’Faly Dante, Oregon, C, Sr., Bamako, Mali
  • Tristan da Silva, Colorado, F, Jr., Munich, Germany
  • Boogie Ellis, USC, G, Sr., San Diego, Calif.
  • Mouhamed Gueye, Washington State, F, So., Dakar, Senegal
  • Jaime Jaquez Jr.**, UCLA, G/F, Sr., Camarillo, Calif.
  • Drew Peterson**, USC, G, 5th, Libertyville, Ill.
  • Ąžuolas Tubelis**, Arizona, F, Jr., Vilnius, Lithuania

SECOND TEAM

  • Keion Brooks Jr., Washington, F, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.
  • Desmond Cambridge Jr., Arizona State, G, 5th, Nashville, Tenn.
  • Jaylen Clark, UCLA, G, Jr., Riverside, Calif.
  • Spencer Jones, Stanford, F, Sr., Roeland Park, Kan.
  • KJ Simpson, Colorado, G, So., West Hills, Calif.

HONORABLE MENTION (receiving at least three votes):

  • TJ Bamba, WSU
  • Adem Bona, UCLA
  • Courtney Ramey, ARIZ
  • Will Richardson, OR

* denotes number of All-Pac-12 First Team honors

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