Oregon Basketball: N'Faly Dante Pre-Draft Workout with Warriors

The NCAA may have denied Oregon men's basketball star N’Faly Dante's request for an additional year of eligibility but an opportunity in the NBA lies ahead.

Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks center N'Faly Dante (1) dunks the ball against Creighton Bluejays guard Baylor Scheierman (55) during the second half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon basketball's N'Faly Dante is focused on what's next.

Dante was in the Bay Area Tuesday for a workout with the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs have the 52nd pick in the NBA Draft that they received via the Milwaukee Bucks. The first round of the draft will be televised on June 26 at 5 p.m. PDT while the second round is the following day at 1 p.m. PDT on ESPN.

"(The workout) was great," Dante told Warriors Radio. "That's new for me, shooting 3s. But it was great."

Dante reportedly had workouts previously with the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets. He attended the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago back in May where general managers and scouts from every franchise were in attendance.

Dante's appeal of the NCAA for another year of eligibility was recently denied. He suffered an ACL injury during the 2020-2021 season and appeared in only six games. Dante's time at Oregon may have ended on a sour note but he will be entering the draft as one of the most underrated big men.

"I think it's time for me to go be great."

- Dante to Oregon SI's Olivia Cleary

Mar 23, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks center N'Faly Dante (1) dunks the ball against Creighton Bluejays guard Baylor Scheierman (55) during the second half in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at PPG Paints Arena. / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

A two-time member of the All-Pac-12 First Team, Dante averaged 17.0 points per game on 69.5% shooting, 9.2 rebounds per game and 1.9 blocks per game in 21 games this past season. He led the Ducks to an improbable run to the Pac-12 championship and was named MVP of the tournament.

In the NCAA Tournament, Dante helped No. 11 seed Oregon upset No. 6 seed South Carolina in the opening round.

The 6-10 center is an excellent defender and does most of his damage offensively on put-backs and lobs. He cleans the glass very well and is a strong rim protector. Many scouts are skeptical about him with trying to stretch out the floor and his struggles at the free throw line. Successful big men in today's game need to be able to shoot from anywhere on the floor. Most mock drafts have him as a late second round pick or a two-way player going undrafted.

"(Chasing the NBA dream) is something I've been looking forward to for a really long time," Dante said. "I'm glad I get a chance to do this."

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