N'Faly Dante Named All-Pac-12 First Team
Via Oregon Communications
EUGENE, Ore. – Senior center N’Faly Dante has been named to the All-Pac-12 First Team, it was announced today.
Dante 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.
The Bamako, Mali native recorded nine double-doubles this season, including four in the last five games. He notched two games with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds, the first Ducks player with two such games in a season since at least 1996-97. 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. He closed the regular season with 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, ORE.
