N'Faly Dante looks to lead Oregon past Georgia

Oregon used to be an NCAA Tournament regular under coach Dana Altman.

But the Ducks have missed out on March Madness in two straight seasons and four of the past six. Their quest to return to the Big Dance begins Monday when they face Georgia in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.

Oregon went 21-15 last season and reached the NIT quarterfinals. That made Altman 13-for-13 in 20-win campaigns with the Pac-12 school, but the season wasn't satisfying.

The Ducks' top player, center N'Faly Dante, remembers the feeling when Oregon reached the Sweet 16 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

Dante didn't participate due to tearing the ACL in left knee three months earlier but the 7-footer from Mali is hungry for that type of success.

"I want to win more games," Dante told reporters. "When I first came here, we were a good team. So I gotta bring that back. I will do anything to get it back."

Dante led the Ducks in scoring (13.4 points per game), rebounding (8.4) and field-goal percentage (61.4) last season. He was second in blocked shots (43) and steals (33).

Dante has been dealing with knee soreness leading into the opener.

Guard Jermaine Couisnard recently sustained a concussion and remains in the protocol. He averaged 12.8 points and 3.1 rebounds last season but was limited to 19 games due to knee and shoulder injuries.

Highly touted freshman swingman Mookie Cook recently underwent ankle surgery, and Altman expects him to be healthy in mid-December.

Georgia (16-16) hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2015 but second-year coach Mike White has upgraded the roster.

Georgia added five freshmen and six transfers to a mix that includes guard Justin Hill, the team's leading returning scorer at 8.6 per game.

"We're definitely further ahead of where we were at this point last year," White told reporters. "I think that we're a better team."

Guard Silas Demary Jr. is a key freshman, and he started and had 12 points in last Monday's 99-82 exhibition victory over Eastern Kentucky.

Guard RJ Melendez, a transfer from Illinois, had 21 points and nine rebounds and is a key cog. Guard Noah Thomasson (Niagara) likely will start, while centers Russel Tchewa (South Florida) and Frank Anselem-Ibe (Syracuse) will contribute.

Forward Jalen DeLoach (VCU) and guard RJ Sunahara (Division II Nova Southeastern) are battling injuries. DeLoach (leg) missed the exhibition game, while Sunahara (knee) was hurt against Eastern Kentucky.