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Dana Altman provides injury updates on Oregon centers Nate Bittle, N'Faly Dante

Jarrid Denneyby:Jarrid Denney•11/18/23•

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© Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Oregon notched a blowout win over Tennesee State in Eugene on Friday but may have lost a key player to injury in the process.

The Ducks’ starting center, Nate Bittle, left midway through the first half after falling to the ground and suffering an injury to his left wrist. He later returned to the game with his wrist taped up and provided some crucial offensive contributions.

But Bittle was not with the team when the second half began. He eventually emerged from the Oregon locker room with a brace on his wrist and was sidelined for the remainder of the game.

“He’s over getting checked out now,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said when asked about the nature of Bittle’s injury. “So, we don’t know. But we’ll probably have an evaluation tonight. He’s with the doctor and they’re getting him all checked out right now.”

Through the first three games of the season, Bittle, a 7-foot junior, has been Oregon’s most consistent offensive threat. He is averaging 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on 46% shooting. His presence has been crucial for the Ducks with all-conference center N’Faly Dante sidelined.

In Oregon’s season-opener against Georgia in Las Vegas, Dante scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds. But he was sidelined during last week’s win over Montana and was unavailable once again on Friday due to a knee/hamstring injury.

Earlier this week, Altman said Dante has been dealing with “soreness and swelling” and was scheduled for an appointment on Tuesday.

Following Friday’s win, Altman said Dante will fly to Chicago to see a specialist next Monday.

“Just to see where the problem is, or what the problem is,” Altman said. “So, he won’t be at the game on Monday. But hopefully, we’ll get a good word there.”

Altman didn’t specify which specialist Dante will see, but noted that it is “somebody who has worked on some of our other guys.”

A fifth-year senior who earned all-conference honors last season, Dante led the Ducks in both points and rebounds during the 2022-23 campaign and is on the shortlist of Pac-12 Player of the Year candidates.

If he and Bittle are both sidelined for any significant portion of time, Oregon’s frontcourt depth will be tested. Senior Mahamadou Diawara is the program’s only other true center and is just one of two healthy scholarship players who stand taller than 6-foot-5.

Four-star forward Mookie Cook is sidelined with an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out until mid-December.

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