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Oregon's N'Faly Dante named to Pac-12 preseason all-conference team

Jarrid Denneyby: Jarrid Denney10/10/23jarrid_denney
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(Soobum Im / Getty Images)

Oregon senior center N’Faly Dante has been selected to the Pac-12 preseason all-conference first team ahead of Wednesday’s conference media day in Las Vegas.

Dante is coming off a breakout 2022-23 campaign during which he 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.

The 6-foot-11 Bamako, Mali native likely could have turned pro at the end of last season, but opted to return to Eugene for one more year with the Ducks.

“I think Dante came back for a purpose,” Ducks head coach Dana Altman said last week. “The guys respect Dante. They like him. He’s someone that guys will follow.”

Oregon freshman forward Kwame Evans Jr. was an honorable mention selection. A 4-star signee who was tabbed by On3 as the No. 16 overall prospect in the 2023 signing class, Evans is expected to play a large for the Ducks during his first collegiate season.

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.

First Team

Oumar Ballo, C, Arizona

Adem Bona, F, UCLA

Keion Brooks Jr., F, Washington

Branden Carlson, C, Utah

Isaiah Collier, G, USC

N’Faly Dante, C, Oregon

Tristan da Silva, F, Colorado

Boogie Ellis, G, USC

Spencer Jones, F, Stanford

KJ Simpson, G, Colorado

Second Team

Fardaws Aimaq, F, California

Kylan Boswell, G, Arizona

Kobe Johnson, G, USC

Caleb Love, G, Arizona

Jordan Pope, G, Oregon State

Honorable Mention

Kwame Evans, F, Oregon

Pelle Larsson, Arizona; Aday Mara, UCLA; Cody Williams, Colorado.

More on Ducks’ 2023-24 roster, outlook

The Ducks are coming off a disappointing 20-15 finish last season after missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season.

In his final press conference of the season, head coach Dana Altman vowed that he and his staff would make wholesale roster changes in order to get the program back on track.

“We’re gonna evaluate all the guys individually,” Altman said in March. “We’ve gotta have guys who wanna be here. We’ve gotta make some changes. We’re not good enough. Either we’re not coaching good enough or the players aren’t good enough. We’re just not good enough. We’ve gotta get better. If that means changing personnel, if that means getting in the gym more. … We’re just not good enough.

“So, I’ve gotta start with me. I’m not good enough. Then we go right down the list. But, 21-15, that’s not good enough. So, we’re gonna get better. I’ve gotta do a better job. We’re gonna get after players. If they’re gonna stay here, they’re gonna work their ass off. If they don’t, then we’ve gotta find somebody who will.”

In the months that followed, Oregon added four transfer portal additions — as well as a 2023 signing class that features 5-star forward Kwame Evans, 5-star forward Mookie Cook, and 4-star guard Jackson Shelstad.

Former Florida Southwestern State guard Jadrian Tracey, former Georgia guard Kario Oquendo, former Central Michigan guard Jesse Zarzuela, and former Stetson center Mahamadou Diawara have all joined Altman’s squad via the portal.

Oregon also returns guards Keeshawn Barthelemy, Jermaine Couisnard, and Brennan Rigsby, and centers Nate Bittle and N’Faly Dante.

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