Oregon Basketball: Breaking down the 2019 recruiting class

Chris Duarte – Northwest Florida State College

SG | 6-foot-5 | 175 lbs | No. 1 overall JUCO

As the top-rated JUCO player in the country, many expect that Chris Duarte will be an immediately impactful player for the Ducks. A versatile scorer with a pristine jump shot, Duarte verbally committed to Oregon prior to this past season and showed exactly why during the campaign. Throughout the 2018-19 season, Duarte filled up the basket from inside and out while showcasing some solid defensive acumen.

As a result of his high-level of play, Duarte was named the NJCAA Player of the Year for his efforts. He averaged 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for Northwest Florida State College and knocked home 40.0% of his trifectas. It is clear that, at the very least, he will be a threat from beyond the arc in Eugene. As already mentioned, though, he can score in a variety of ways and does a great job moving without the ball.

Having already played two years at the JUCO level, Duarte will have two years of eligibility remaining with Oregon. Many expect that he will fight for a starting position right away with the team, especially now that Louis King elected to take his talents to the NBA. Oregon has had success with JUCO products in the past and it seems likely that Duarte will follow in line. The Ducks were an elite defensive team during the second half of last season and he should add more scoring punch to the rotation.