Dana Altman provides injury updates on Oregon center N'Faly Dante, forward Mookie Cook
The Oregon men’s basketball team has endured some brutal injury luck during the months of November and December.
But help could be on the way soon.
On Tuesday, head coach Dana Altman said all-conference center N’Faly Dante and blue-chip freshman forward Mookie Cook could both be available to play in games in early January.
The final 20 minutes of Tuesday’s practice were open to reporters, and Cook was seen practicing for the first time this season. He underwent ankle surgery in October to address an injury that he suffered during a high school all-star game last spring.
“I don’t know if it will be right after Christmas, but sometime in January,” Altman said when asked when Cook will be available to play. “I’m hoping that first or second week of January he’ll be ready to go. Getting closer.”
Cook’s return would be significant for the Ducks. During last Sunday’s loss to Syracuse, they had just seven healthy scholarship players available, five of whom are guards.
A 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward, Cook was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American and the No. 33 prospect in the nation for the 2023 signing class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Along with Kwame Evans Jr. and Jackson Shelstad, Cook was part of an Oregon 2023 signing class that was tabbed as the second-best in the nation by On3.
Altman said Dante is also expected to return to the court in early January. The Ducks’ all-conference big man played in the season-opening win over Georgia and racked up 16 points and a career-high 21 rebounds.
But he has not played since then, and underwent knee surgery on Nov. 24. At the time, UO announced that he would be reevaluated in four weeks.
“Dante is coming back a little bit — maybe here in two or three weeks,” Altman said.
Dante suffered a torn ACL just six games into the 2020-21 season. He bounced back the following year and averaged 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Last season, he was Oregon’s most impactful player on both ends of the floor and averaged 13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks to earn all-Pac-12 honors.
The Ducks are also without starting forward Nate Bittle, who underwent wrist surgery in late November. UO announced at the time that Bittle would be reevaluated in eight weeks.
Senior guard Keeshawn Barthelemy missed Sunday’s loss to Syracuse with an ankle injury. Altman said he will be out for “awhile.”
Starting guard Jesse Zarzuela is going to undergo ankle surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
