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    Oregon 5-Star C N'Faly Dante Ruled Ineligible, Will Reenroll in December

    Mike Chiari@mikechiariFeatured ColumnistOctober 15, 2019

    Sunrise Christian's N'Faly Dante #12 is seen against IMG Academy in a Boys Quarterfinal game at the Geico High School Basketball Nationals in the Queens borough of New York on Thursday, April 4, 2019. IMG Academy won the game. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
    Gregory Payan/Associated Press

    Oregon center N'Faly Dante has been ruled ineligible to start the 2019-20 season due to the NCAA missing his clearance date.

    According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Dante said he plans to reenroll at Oregon on Dec. 14:

    Shams Charania @ShamsCharania

    Oregon projected NBA lottery pick N'Faly Dante has been informed he will be ineligible to start season because the NCAA missed his clearance date, @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium has learned. Dante, a 6’11 big man out of Mali, says he will now reenroll at Oregon on Dec. 14. https://t.co/a05nocBXdZ

    The 6'11" Dante is rated as a 5-star prospect by 247Sports, and he ranks as the No. 14 overall player and No. 4 center in the 2020 recruiting class.

    The 17-year-old Dante is a Mali native who later moved to the United States and played his high school basketball at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. After averaging 16.5 points per game and shooting 85.2 percent from the field en route to being named Nike EYBL MVP over the summer, Dante reclassified from the 2020 class to 2019.

    In August, Dante announced his decision to reclassify and commit to Oregon in a letter for The Players' Tribune despite offers from other top schools such as Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State.

    Dante was viewed as the top candidate to replace Bol Bol, who entered the NBA draft after appearing in just nine games during his one season with the Ducks. Bol was selected in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft by the Miami Heat and then traded to the Denver Nuggets.

    Per 247Sports, Dante is part of an Oregon recruiting class that ranks fourth in the nation. Along with Dante, the Ducks landed 5-star forward C.J. Walker and a trio of 4-star prospects in Addison Patterson, Chandler Lawson and Isaac Johnson.

    Oregon 5-Star C N'Faly Dante Ruled Ineligible, Will Reenroll in December
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    After reaching the Sweet 16 last season, the Ducks have a chance to make another deep NCAA tournament run this season if their young players live up to their potential.

    If Dante is granted eligibility Dec. 14, he will only miss the first seven games of the season and will be available to head coach Dana Altman for a key non-conference road game against the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 14.

    Until Dante gains clearance, look for Walker, Lawson and returnees Miles Norris and Francis Okoro to receive the bulk of the playing time in the frontcourt.