Dana Altman unsure if Oregon center Nate Bittle will return this season

Oregon could potentially be without starting center Nate Bittle for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Bittle, a 7-foot junior who was expected to be one of the Ducks’ top players this season, suffered a broken wrist during Oregon’s Nov. 17 win over Tennessee State. He underwent surgery the following week, and UO announced as the time that he would be reevaluated in eight weeks.

While speaking with reporters following Thursday’s win over Kent State, though, Oregon head coach Dana Altman said he isn’t sure if Bittle will be able to play for the Ducks again this season.

“The bone he broke is going to take a long time to heal,” Altman said. “I think he’s going back in (for an evaluation) so hopefully we’ll get some good news there, but we’re not going to take any chances, make sure it’s completely healed. From what the doctors tell me it’s kind of a slow process.

“Unless Nate’s drinking a lot of milk and getting things done I don’t know what the scenario is going to be for him.”

In three games this season, Bittle averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds on 47% shooting. He started all three games he played and was expected to take on a big role on both ends of the floor as all-conference center N’Faly Dante is also sidelined with an injury.

Last season, Bittle averaged 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 28 games, including 22 starts. He produced his best two performances of the season during Oregon’s NIT wins over UC Irvine (17 points) and UCF (21 points, 13 rebounds) during which he served as a focal point of the Ducks’ offense.

A former 5-star signee, Bittle was the No. 24 overall player and No. 2 center in the nation for the 2021 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

During Thursday’s win over the Golden Flashes, the Ducks had just seven scholarship players available.

Starting guard Jesse Zarzuela will miss the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury, Altman announced earlier this week.

Dante, who led the Ducks in points and rebounds last season, has played in just one game this season and underwent knee surgery in late November. Four-star freshman forward Mookie Cook has yet to play this season due to an ankle injury, and senior guard Keeshawn Barthelemy is also currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

Altman said Barthelemy could potentially be available to play during Oregon’s Pac-12-opener against USC on Dec. 29.

“I think (Barthelemy) is going to be ready, from what (athletic trainer Clay Jamieson) thought. There’s a possibility he could be ready,” Altman said. “I don’t think Mookie or Dante will be ready yet. I think Kee will. Then sometime time the next couple of weeks I’m hoping those other two guys are ready.”

Cook, who underwent ankle surgery in October for an injury he suffered in a high school all-star game last spring, practiced this week for the first time all season.

“He’s starting to move,” Altman said of Cook. “He did a lot at practice. We had a shootaround today and he was really active there. But he’s been out eight months. He hurt that the last day of April. … Eight months, that’s hard to come back from right away. We can’t expect too much too quick. He is a good player. He’s athletic and he loves to play.

“I know he’s wanting to get back as quick as possible. But out eight months, it’s tough to bounce back from that.”