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Oregon basketball big man N'Faly Dante has played for the Ducks for five seasons now. He started his career with Oregon back in 2019, and he has been with the Ducks ever since. Dante didn't play a ton during his first two seasons due to injury, but he still put up good numbers when he did play. He has been a big contributor for Oregon ever since he joined the team, and he tried to come back for a sixth season. Unfortunately for Dante, the NCAA denied his waiver.
“Source: Oregon's N'Faly Dante has been denied an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA,” Jon Rothstein said in a tweet. “Dante only played six games during the 20-21 season due to a knee injury. Also only played 12 games in 19-20 when NCAA Tournament was cancelled. The Ducks will appeal the decision.”
This decision has sparked a lot of reactions as the NCAA sometimes seems to be pretty inconsistent with their waiver decisions. As of now, N'Faly Dante won't be able to return to Oregon basketball next year, and Jay Bilas thinks that the decision by the NCAA is wrong.
“The NCAA’s treatment of Oregon’s N’Faly Dante is simply outrageous,” Jay Bilas said in a tweet. “This young man is EVERYTHING the NCAA claims it wants in an athlete. Dante has been injured throughout his career, and has played two full seasons less than players like Armando Bacot, yet he’s denied an additional year due to injury, ending his career. Absurd. Dante is a model atvlete and person, wants to come back to play and advance his education, and has never asked his school for anything. When the NCAA says ‘athlete welfare,' it rings hollow. The NCAA needs to do the right thing…allow Dante his additional year. Immediately. @OregonMBB @MarchMadnessMBB @NCAA.”
Other people have different thoughts on N'Faly Dante and his waiver request
A lot of people have reacted to this news, but not everyone has the same opinion as Jay Bilas. Kevin Sweeney doesn't think that Oregon basketball star N'Faly Dante should be able to play another season.
“There is nothing about either of N’Faly Dante’s shortened seasons that indicate he should get a redshirt,” Kevin Sweeney said in a tweet. “His first season, when he played 12 games, he returned at the end of the season and would have played even more games had the Pac-12/NCAAT not gotten canceled. His second season was the COVID year, which didn’t count towards his clock. He has no case whatsoever.”
For other people, the decision wasn't necessarily wrong, but it was still surprising.
“Tough blow for Oregon,” Brandon Ramsey said in a tweet. “With the way the NCAA seems to hand out waivers for anything and everything I am surprised that N'Faly Dante didn't get one. However, there have to be rules & regulations at some point. It stinks for Dante and Oregon, getting back to the rules is good.”
Oregon is planning to appeal the decision, but it does not look like N'Faly Dante will be back with the Ducks for a sixth season.
