In terms of Oregon Men’s Basketball, 2025 looks like it will be a thrilling year with a wealth of talent from their conference title team returning with the Ducks joining the Big Ten.
However, Oregon decided to ask for an extra season of eligibility for center N’Faly Dante, their most well-known player, because they want more.
Regretfully, the NCAA turned down the proposal, and Oregon is anticipated to file an appeal. Dante, who strengthened his case for himself to play professionally in 2024, has until June 16th to make up his mind about remaining in the NBA Draft.
After a drawn-out application process, Dante was able to join the Ducks for the 2020 campaign. But due to injuries, he only made 12 appearances. The waiver in question pertains to the 2020–21 season, when Dante’s ACL injury limited his playing time to just six games for Dana Altman.
Curiously, because to pandemic-related problems, he was originally awarded an additional year of eligibility during the 2021 season. Taking advantage of his eligibility, Dante returned for the 2023–24 campaign, where he built a name for himself as one of the country’s best centers, helping Oregon make a late-season push that saw them advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the Pac-12 Tournament.
In addition to being controversial among Duck supporters, the NCAA’s decision infuriated ESPN’s Jay Bilas.
Bilas called the decision “ludicrous” on Twitter, pointing out that Dante has actually only played two complete seasons while having been a part of the program for a long time. Bilas continued, calling Dante “a model athlete and person” and asserting that “the NCAA’s claim of “athlete welfare” is hollow.”
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