Chris Duarte commits to University of Oregon

September 20, 2018

NICEVILLE, FL – Northwest Florida State guard Chris Duarte committed to the University of Oregon on Thursday.

"NWF State helped me grow as a player on and off the court," says Duarte. "I want to thank all of the staff who has helped me become the player I need to be to play at a Division-1 program like Oregon. I'm very excited and thankful for this opportunity."

Originally from the Dominican Republic, the 6'6" guard will join the Ducks for the 2019-20 season and will have two remaining seasons of eligibility left. Last year, the Ducks finished the season with an overall record of 23-13, going 10-8 in Pac-12 play.

During his freshman season for the Raiders, Duarte was named First Team All-Conference, appearing in 32 games. He came off the bench averaging 12.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2 steals per game while helping lead the team to a Panhandle Conference Championship, FCSAA State Championship, and Elite Eight finish in the NJCAA National Tournament.

Duarte enters the 2018-19 season regarded as one of the top junior college players in the nation, recently named a pre-season First Team "Super Sophomore" by Street and Smith's basketball magazine.

"Chris is an outstanding student-athlete who represents Northwest Florida State well," said NWF State Head Coach Steve DeMeo. "The University of Oregon is the best decision for him and I am excited to see what his future holds as he finishes up his career as a Raider and heads to Eugene to play at the next level."