Oregon Basketball: N’Faly Dante Joins Already High-Powered Ducks

Oregon Basketball made a historic statement last Saturday morning in Ann Arbor when they knocked off 5th-ranked Michigan in overtime, and they were just getting started.

Dana Altman has the 10th-ranked Ducks playing some of their best November/December basketball in the history of his tenure, and in the entire history of the Oregon basketball program, too.

It’s not even 2020 yet, and the Ducks have already toppled four teams ranked in the Top 40 by KenPom (#18 Michigan, #23 Seton Hall, #29 Memphis, and #38 Houston). With quality wins like that, their tournament resume is beginning to take shape.

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The only two blemishes on the Ducks’ record came in the Bahamas in tournament-caliber games with a 71-70 loss against AP #2 Gonzaga in overtime, and another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of a once-good UNC team (they had Cole Anthony at the time, we swear).

Make no mistake, this Oregon basketball team is primed to make a run at the Sweet Sixteen tomorrow, if they had to.

And this isn’t even their final form.

More on that in a second.

This hot start is a new thing for Dana Altman. He usually can’t get his team to buy into his philosophy until later on in the year. They traditionally suffer through some growing pains, eventually coming on late with Ehab Amin-like reckless abandon.

The trademark “second wind” has been a recipe for success for Altman in the past, but he must’ve spent all summer in the Bon Appetit test kitchen because the recipe done changed.

Last season, the Ducks started off slow—even when they had their generational big man, Bol Bol. As Dana Altman-lead squads usually do, that team didn’t hit their stride until March when they went on a magical run to the Sweet Sixteen.

This year, Altman has managed to return only three players from the 2018-19 group, and has added a melting pot of transfers and freshmen on his way to an already historic non-conference schedule.

The Ducks have done it, in part, thanks to Payton Pritchard. The unquestioned leader of Oregon basketball has been improving since starting as a freshman on the 2017 Final Four team, but his exponential points of growth came last year when he galvanized the Ducks on their aforementioned dream winning-streak.

The Pritch Army Knife has become so multi-dimensional in his Senior campaign that it is scary. Against Michigan, he scored 15 of the Ducks last 17 points and did it mostly by relentlessly driving on the Wolverines’ Zavier Simpson (2019 Big Ten All-Defensive Team).

The 9 AM PT game at Michigan felt like a March basketball game in a lot of ways. The CBS scoreboard, the long reviews, the back-and-forth basketball, etc.. But the biggest reason that made Saturday morning feel so consequential was because Payton Pritchard made it that way.

He came back for a reason, and it’s the same reason that he dunked on Washington last year, it’s because he’s the man. And he wants to make sure everyone knows it.

The rest of the country has taken note, Payton.

Pritch is also clearly happy to have his West Linn brother, Anthony Mathis, around to rattle in shots from deep early and often.

The 2018-19 Oregon Men’s Basketball team really lacked a “shooter” that you could trust to hit a shot when you absolutely needed it. Mathis is that guy.

Pritchard and Mathis are clearly the dynamic duo, and the Ducks are looking to help them out by improving down low.

The cavalry is coming, and thy name is N’Faly Dante.

The much-hyped 6-foot-11 freshman center will help anchor the Oregon frontcourt alongside developing youngsters, CJ Walker and Chandler Lawson; the injured, Shakur Juiston; and the hit-by-a-car-within-the-last-month, Francis Okoro.

Dante will make his debut tonight at 8 PM PT when the Montana Griz (4-5) visit Matthew Knight Arena, and even though he has been out of practice with some enrollment complications, I think it is safe to say that Altman and Pritchard are going to use him early and often.

Pritchard put the conference and the country on notice with his guard play in Ann Arbor.

And even though it’s just Montana, I think it’s safe to say that the much-anticipated big man has the opportunity to announce that the Ducks have some size to go with their West Linn skill.

Can you imagine what this team might look like when they hit their late-season stride?

Go Ducks.