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Oregon

Dana Altman provides injury updates on N'Faly Dante, Mookie Cook ahead of 2023-24 season

Jarrid Denneyby: Jarrid Denney10/06/23jarrid_denney
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(Soobum Im / Getty Images)

For the second year in a row, several key Oregon men’s basketball players are dealing with injuries during the preseason.

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Ducks’ head coach Dana Altman said all-conference center N’Faly Dante, freshman forward Mookie Cook, and freshman forward Kwame Evans Jr. have been sidelined during recent practices. However, Cook is the only one who is expected to miss a significant portion of time.

“We’ve had some guys in and out of workouts but for the most part started practice last Thursday, so we’ve had four practices,” Altman said. “Get back at it today — hopefully we keep making progress.”

Cook, the No. 33 overall prospect in the 2023 signing class, is working his way back from a sprained ankle that he suffered at the Iverson Classic All-Star game on April 29.

“He’s going to be back here in a while but he hasn’t practiced yet,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “Mookie (probably will return) sometime in November.”

Altman said Dante will return to practice “sometime in the next week or so.”

Dante, who earned first-team all-conference honors last season, averaged team highs in points (13.5), rebounds (8.2), blocks (1.4), and field goal percentage (.642). He is expected to be the focal point for an Oregon team that spent the offseason overhauling its roster.

Evans, the No. 16 overall prospect in the 2023 signing class, has been “in and out” of practice.

“It’s just been some nagging things, nothing serious,” Altman said of Evans’ injuries.

Altman said that senior guard Jermaine Couisnard is fully healthy and has had a “good offseason.” The same is true for junior guard Brennan Rigsby, who was hindered by ankle injuries last season.

“(Rigsby) hadn’t had any problems with his ankles here for a while. He’s done a good job and he’s had a good September, October,” Altman said. “Hopefully, we can keep him healthy because we were really kind of counting on him a year ago and got hurt in Canada and then our first scrimmage game he got hurt, got back in December, got hurt again. We couldn’t get him healthy and keep him healthy.”

Last season, Oregon went 21-15 and was severely limited by injuries during the early portion of its season.

Dante, Couisnard, Rigsby, Ethan Butler, Lok Wur, Rivaldo Soares, and Nate Bittle missed time due to injuries in November and December.

The Ducks will kick off their season on Nov. 6 when they face Georgia as part of the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas on Nov. 6 at 1:30 p.m. PT.

“Once we get everybody healthy, and moving in the same direction, I think our depth will be pretty good,” Altman said on Thursday. “I like the guys — I like working with them. We’ve just got a lot of work ahead of us.”

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