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Contents

4 WHAT COULD’VE BEEN, AND WHAT CAN STILL BE FOR OREGON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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6 14

OREGON MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER PREVIEW

CHRIS DUARTE PREPARES TO COMPLETE OREGON CHAPTER IN WINDING BASKETBALL PATH

TAYLOR CHAVEZ IS READY TO SLIP INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE THIS SEASON

Duck Season 2020

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WHAT COULD’VE BEEN, AND WHAT CAN STILL BE FOR OREGON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BY CHARLES GEARING • TWITTER @GEARINGCHARLIE

The Ducks huddle before the game. Oregon Ducks women’s basketball takes on the Oregon State Beavers at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Jan. 24, 2020.

(DL Young/Emerald)

As head coach Kelly Graves and his team awoke on March 12, everything the players had worked so hard for, all of what the sold-out Matthew Knight crowds had cheered for, had been stripped away.

Just four days before, the Ducks defeated the No.7 Stanford team for a Pac-12 Championship victory: muchneeded revenge from the prior year, when the Ducks fell short to the Cardinal in the conference title matchup.

The Ducks, led by record-shattering guard Sabrina Ionescu and now-WNBA superstar Ruthy Hebard hoped to continue their winning ways all the way through Madness to a national 4

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title.

Ranked in the nation’s top four in every single weekly ranking throughout the 2019-20 season, the Ducks’ dreams of shiny rings and confetti seemed feasible. But these dreams would have to wait.

Fast forward eight months: The goal for Oregon women’s basketball is the same. The team may again have a chance, but it will have to do without Ionescu, Hebard, and former forward Satou Sabally, a consistent double-digit point-scorer in the seasons before.

But as stars from the Ducks’ roster pivoted into professional basketball, it didn’t mark the end of an era, but sim-

ply a change in personnel.

Graves and the Ducks will return to play in late November with a plethora of young talent accompanied by five upperclassmen poised for leadership roles.

Oregon will add five five-stars to the roster, all of which were ranked in the nation’s top 35 players coming out of high school.

Guard Sydney Parish, ranked No. 10 overall by ESPN, will add strength on offense through sound shooting ability and range unmatched by many in her class. Graves spoke highly of her all-important versatility.

“In my opinion, Sydney is the best

In my opinion, Sydney is the best pure shooter in the country, but she’s more than that – she can score in multiple ways.”

KELLY GRAVES Oregon Women’s Basketball Head Coach

Oregon Ducks women’s basketball takes on Utah State at the Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 13, 2019. (Maddie Knight/Emerald)

pure shooter in the country, but she’s more than that – she can score in multiple ways,” Graves said in an interview with 247Sports.

In the departure of Hebard, adding strength at the forward position was high on Graves’ wishlist. 6-foot-4 five-star forward Kylee Watson will complement this role.

Even in an Oregon team filled with an historic level of rookie talent, returners still make up the meat of the roster, and will play a massive role moving forward.

At guard, the

Ducks have two legitimate returners in Taylor Chavez and Jaz Shelley.

Chavez, a junior, accelerated last season, averaging over 19 minutes per game and scoring in the double digits on six different occasions.

Shelley, a Moe, Australia native, is due for a breakout season. The thentrue freshman guard appeared in all 33 of the Ducks’ 2019-20 season games.

Her season high came against UC

Riverside, scoring 32 points and knocking down 10 shots from beyond the arc.

Senior forward Erin Boley sticks out as well. The Hodgenville, Kentucky, native is one of only two seniors on the roster, but her value goes far beyond the locker room leadership, and well onto the court. Starting in all 33 games of her junior season, Boley averaged 9.2 points and 2 rebounds per game while shooting a highly-respectable 44% from three-point range.

Oregon women’s basketball will return to play with a very different identity than before, but its vision, its goals and its determination for a trophy come late March have remained the same.

The Ducks huddle after the win. Oregon Ducks women’s basketball takes on Stanford at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Jan. 16, 2020. (DL Young/ Emerald)

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OREGON MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER PREVIEW

BY CHRIS BROUILETTE

For Oregon men’s basketball, despite winning three conference titles in the last five years, continuity has been rare.

Once again, head coach Dana Altman has lost a chunk of his roster from last year. Payton Pritchard, Shakur Juiston and Anthony Mathis graduated, while C.J. Walker, Addison Patterson and Francis Okoro entered the transfer portal, leaving a lot to make up for.

To counteract this, Altman used the transfer portal to his own advantage, looking to bring pieces together to form a contender. Thus, the Ducks feature more unfamiliar faces in 202021. Here’s a look at Oregon’s rotation.

Guards Replacing a Bob Cousy Award winner and consensus allamerican in Pritchard is an impossible task.

Luckily for the Ducks, they return their second leading scorer and re-

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bounder from last year in senior Chris Pac-12 and All-Defensive selection as Duarte. The Dominican Republic naa junior. tive, who was named to the preseason Joining him in the backcourt is felPac-12 all-conference team, averlow preseason All-Pac-12 selection and aged 12.9 points, 5.6 the third leading scorer from last year, rebounds and 1.7 Will Richardson. Last seasteals per game son, Richardson averaged Oregon players cheer on their teammates after the last basket last season, good 11 points, 3.7 rebounds is scored. Oregon Ducks men’s for fourth in and 2.3 assists while basketball takes on Hawaii the conference. shooting 47% Rainbow Warriors at the He was also from three Matthew Knight Arena on Dec. 7, an honorable last season, 2019. (Maddie Knight/Emerald) mention Alla mark that led the Pac12. He is ex-

Oregon Ducks men’s basketball takes on Arizona at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Jan. 9, 2020. (DL Young/Emerald

pected to take over the majority of the ball handling duties for Oregon.

Amauri Hardy, a former four-star recruit and a graduate transfer from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will provide crucial support to Richardson and Duarte in the backcourt.

Hardy was third-team all-Mountain West last season and scored in double figures in 26 of his 32 appearances.

LJ Figueroa, a transfer from St. John’s University, is still awaiting a waiver from the NCAA that grants him eligibility during the 2020-21 season. If available, he could play both guard and forward, providing the Ducks more depth on both sides of the ball. As a junior at St. John’s, Figueroa was 12th in the Big East in scoring with 14.5 points per game and he led the conference in steals with 1.9 per game.

The only true freshman on this year’s squad is Jalen Terry, a four-star recruit from Flint, Michigan. With the Ducks’ lack of point guard depth, there is no doubt Terry will be in the rotation to begin the season.

Forwards Arguably the most important addition for the Ducks this season is Eu-

gene Omoruyi. As a junior at Rutgers during the 2018-19 season, he was awarded honorable mention All-Big Ten while leading the Scarlet Knights in scoring and rebounding. Although he didn’t play last year, Omoruyi was with the team and practicing, meaning he has a year of experience in Altman’s system and will hit the ground running this season.

Sophomore Chandler Lawson returns after starting in the final 12 games of last season. Lawson came into his own towards the end of the year and showed flashes of brilliance on the glass and defending the rim while averaging 4.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. With an improved role, Lawson has the potential for a breakout sophomore campaign.

Eric Williams Jr. comes to Eugene from Duquesne University and is yet another key transfer that will be getting substantial minutes for the Ducks.

Williams Jr. sat out with Omoruyi last season and offers scoring, rebounding, three-point shooting and defense for the Ducks. He averaged 14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds in two seasons at Duquesne.

Lok Wur could make his way into the Ducks rotation after redshirting as

a freshman last year. He averaged 20.8 points and 10 rebounds in his final season of high school. Wur’s incredible length and athleticism will help him to create plays on both sides of the ball.

Center The fourth returner and the lone true center for Oregon is sophomore N’Faly Dante. The 6-foot-11 Mali native only played in 12 games last season due to a knee injury, but he impressed in limited minutes. If he can remain healthy, with his NBA-size and potential, Dante will prove as an essential difference-maker for the Ducks.

Oregon men’s basketball is coming off a 24-7 record and a Pac-12 regular season championship in a shortened 2019-20 season. Ranked No. 20 heading into this year, Altman and his squad aim to continue their tradition of success.

The Ducks are deep, and expect to field a rotation of no less than 10 men on any given night. With some key returners, complemented by talented additions, Oregon will once again compete for the Pac-12 crown.

The season returns Nov. 25 as the Ducks will host Eastern Washington at Matthew Knight Arena.

Duck Season 2020

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THE NATION’S TOP RECRUITING CLASS

BY CARLY EBISUYA • TWITTER @CARLYEBISUYA The oregon Duck looking cute durinng a stoppage in play.

Oregon Ducks women’s basketball takes on California at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Jan. 19, 2020. (DL Young/Emerald)

While head coach Kelly Graves has led Oregon to a Final Four appearance, three straight Pac-12 regular-season titles and a plethora of team accolades, he and his staff have also recruited what is arguably the best recruiting class in the nation for 2020.

Yes, the Ducks lost the core of the most historic team in school history — dubbed the Big Three: Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally — but they gained five five-star incoming freshmen this season.

All five freshmen were McDonald’s All-Americans, Jordan Brand Classic Selections, ranked within the top-25 espnW Top 100 and Gatorade State Player of the Years in their respective home states.

The five-star recruits come from all different areas of the nation: Illinois,

Kentucky, California, New Jersey and Indiana. They decided to make the trek to Oregon for one goal only: to win a national title and complete the unfinished business.

Te-Hina Paopao had star potential since fifth grade

Te-Hina Paopao was just 10 years old when people started noticing her rare talent.

She was a fifth grader playing on a 16U team in the Oregon End of the Trail tournament, a nationally showcased viewing tournament for college scouts.

During a team lunch at Red Robin, head coach Terri Bamford set a goal for Paopao: to become a McDonald’s All-American.

Paopao asked, “What’s that?”

On that day, they shook on it, and when she was a senior they can look back at the promise they made six years prior.

Coming out a senior from La Jolla Country Day School in Oceanside, California, the McDonald’s All-American is ready to bring her fire power to Oregon.

“She has the full package,” Bamford said. “She can shoot the three deep, she’s got a mid-range, she’s got a floater, she’s got multiple finishes at the rim, but her IQ for the game is extremely high.”

Compared to her five-star counterparts, Paopao flew under the radar, partly due to her two ACL tears in her first years of high school. Those season-ending injuries, however, didn’t

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stop her from seizing the opportunity to play under Graves.

With the losses in the backcourt of Ionescu and Minyon Moore, Paopao can have the opportunity to play minutes right away to fill either guard positions.

“What separates her from a lot of players is her IQ,” Bamford. said. “She gets offense, she gets defense and she’s able to read and recognize mismatches right away and make the right decisions.”

Guard Maddie Scherr is no stranger to playing at a higher level

As a member of Ryle High School’s varsity squad since she was a seventh grader, Maddie Scherr knows how to rise to the competition.

At a young age, she knew wanted to be Kentucky Miss Basketball and a McDonald’s All-American, both of which she accomplished.

Scherr’s height combined with her ball handling skills makes for a multifaceted approach to the game.

“Her ball handling skills are amaz-

ing,” said Ryle High varsity coach Katie Haitz. “She worked really hard her junior and senior years to become a great shooter. She sees the floor extremely well and works really hard to understand team concepts and what coaches want her to do.”

Scherr will play alongside and learn under another Kentucky native, senior guard Erin Boley.

The No. 19-ranked recruit has left her mark in Kentucky, receiving Gatorade Player of the Year twice at Ryle High, an all-time leader in scoring, rebounds and assists and led her high school to its first ever state championship title.

As one of the best two-way guards in the country, Scherr is ready to bring her work ethic to the Ducks.

Versatile guard Sydney Parrish workhorse mentality won’t go unnoticed

About two hours north of Scherr in Kentucky is Sydney Parrish in Fishers, Indiana.

Parrish and Scherr have gone

head-to-head in AAU since they were 12 years old. The same accolades that surrounded Scherr were also talked about with Parrish in neighboring Indiana.

Since middle school, the two fivestars would often see one another at elite camps where they started to build a relationship. The two guards finally have a chance to wear the same uniform and possibly become the best incoming backcourt duo in the nation.

The two players share similar skills on the court as well.

Parrish, who was Oregon’s topranked 2020 recruit at No. 8 in the espnW top-100 rankings, burst into the spotlight early in her high school career averaging 16.2 points per game as a freshman at Hamilton Southeastern High.

She is a pure sharpshooter who can shoot lights out, but also has the ability to score in multiple ways by putting the ball on the floor. Aside from her playing talents, Parrish’s hard work ethic and grit will put her in a position to see the floor this season.

“What people don’t see are the text

SHE SEES THE FLOOR EXTREMELY WELL AND WORKS REALLY HARD TO UNDERSTAND TEAM CONCEPTS AND WHAT HER COACHES WANT HER TO DO. KATIE HAITZ Ryle High School varsity coach

(Courtesy of Te-Hina Paopao)

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Duck Season 2020

messages at six in the morning saying, ‘Coach, can I get your keys to shoot?’

And she’s spent many mornings in the gym before the sun even came up to workout before anyone else did,” Hamilton Southeastern coach Chris Huppenthal said.

Angela Dugalic’s dedication to her community and to the game

In Normal, Illinois, Maine West High School head coach Kim de Marigny shuffled her team onto the bus for the state championship game at Redbird Arena.

Waiting outside the bus was a young girl accompanied by her mother.

“Mom, do you think we can get a picture with Angela?” the girl asked.

Dugalic kindly put down all her bags and food, stopped to take a picture with the girl.

“That’s Angela for you,” de Marigny said. “That’s just the kind of person she is. She’s always willing to help someone, and she’s never been about Angela, she’s always been about the team and everyone else.”

(Courtesy of Kylee Watson)

Dugalic has been a role model for young athletes since middle school, but the pressure to perform hasn’t fazed her.

At 6-foot-4, Dugalic has athleticism in her blood. Both of her parents are from Serbia, and Dugalic was surrounded by sports at a young age.

Her mom was a professional handball player in Europe, her dad was involved in both soccer and martial arts and brother, Milos, is a junior forward at Illinois Tech.

Playing under de Marigny, Dugalic led her team to an undefeated 35-0 record and the 2019 Illinois 4-A State Championship.

The versatile forward can run the floor like a point guard, attack the paint and finish at the rim and has a solid mid-range pull up. Oregon will look to use Dugalic to replace Satou Sabally, who possesses similar player traits to the freshman.

Kylee Watson’s 3,000 mile journey to Eugene

thest away from Eugene, Oregon, but she has made both places her home.

Her mother, Courtney Watson, always wanted her to stay within a three-hour radius from their home in Linwood, New Jersey, but she lost that battle when Kylee decided she wanted to play out west.

The freshman’s cousin, Ashley Jamison, is a junior on Oregon’s Acrobatics and Tumbling team, and having a piece of New Jersey and family eased Kylee’s parents in sending their daughter across the country.

“I really felt comfortable sending my daughter to a place like that,” her mother said. “The facilities are gorgeous, the coaching staff is awesome, it just felt right.”

The No. 17-ranked recruit and one of the nation’s elite forwards at 6-foot4. Watson can stretch the floor as a forward, has stellar passing abilities and can easily scoop up double-digit rebounds, as she did for Maine West High School averaging 10.1 rebounds per game.

The New Jersey native is the far-

(Courtesy of Kylee Watson)

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WHAT THE 2020-21 COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON WILL LOOK LIKE

Oregon Ducks men’s basketball takes on Arizona at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Jan. 9, 2020. (DL Young/ Emerald

BY MOJO HILL • TWITTER @MOJOHILL22 A collective sigh of disappointment echoed across the country as both the men’s and women’s 2020 March Madness tournaments were abruptly canceled due to COVID-19. But on Sept.

16, the NCAA announced that men’s college basketball would return Nov. 25, reigniting excitement in players and fans alike. This season will be unlike any other, with COVID-19 restrictions in place for the safety of everyone involved.

Each team must play a minimum of 13 games to be eligible for this year’s tournament (as opposed to 25 in a normal year), but can play no more than 27. The NCAA announced on Monday that March Madness will take place in one spot, likely Indianapolis.

The NCAA DI Council also recommended a minimum of four nonconference games, though that is not a requirement. While the Ducks are set to open the season on Nov. 25 against Eastern Washington, they are still in the process of finalizing their schedule.

“We’re trying to get all those contracts signed and get all the wording right on the testing protocol, which Lane County is different from other counties, the Pac-12 is different from other leagues,” Oregon men’s head coach Dana Altman said. “We’re trying to figure out equal or fair amounts so teams can travel and still make some money with it.”

Oregon will be participating in an event called Bubbleville, where they will play two games at the Mohegan 12

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Duck Season 2020

Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

This includes a game against Missouri on Dec. 2 or 3, and an unannounced opponent on the other day. The event will include 40 teams playing 45 games between Nov. 25 and Dec. 5.

The Ducks are also trying to plan a multi-team event, but additional details have not been revealed yet.

On the women’s side, they are also waiting to finalize a 25-game schedule featuring 22 Pac-12 games. Unlike the men’s team, they will not be attending any multi-team events.

“I can’t announce that until I get the contracts back, but I think we’re going to stay local,” Oregon women’s head coach Kelly Graves said. “Some of the MTEs, there’s been some question about testing protocols, etc. We decided to stay local.”

The ongoing pandemic will present a constant hurdle throughout the season. As has been the case with college football so far, there will likely be a host of cancellations and disruptions.

“As we’ve seen already with college football, those who test positive are quarantined, contact tracing is conducted, and a lengthy process is enacted to ensure outbreaks are kept to a minimum,” Kyle Boone of CBS Sports said. “And because it is on a much smaller scale, college hoops has a chance to be far more successful, I’d argue, than college football.”

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports predicted that the average men’s team will end up playing 21 or 22 games this sea-

son. He also set an over/under at 1,000 non-conference games total, whereas in a typical season there would be 2,000.

The consensus among writers and analysts seems to be that there will be a college basketball season as well as an NCAA tournament, but it’s more than likely to be a bumpy road on the way there.

While athletes and fans can be assured that the proper measures are being taken, the health risks associated with playing through a pandemic cannot be trivialized. A study by Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, the director of athletic medicine at Penn State, showed that four out of 26 college athletes who had recovered from COVID-19 had signs of a heart condition called myocarditis, which in rare cases can cause sudden death from cardiac arrest.

“What this study shows is that myocarditis can also occur after less severe and even asymptomatic cases,” sports medicine physician Dr. Brett Toresdahl said. “Therefore, an athlete’s risk of myocarditis may not be related to the severity of their symptoms.”

There is a lot to watch out for as the new season begins. The Ivy League already canceled all of their winter sports, including basketball, opting not to take any risks.

It’s going to be an unusual season as the Ducks will have to mostly play it by ear. But after a long delay, fans can take solace in the fact that college basketball is finally going to be back in some capacity.

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TAYLOR CHAVEZ IS READY TO SLIP INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE THIS SEASON

TAYLOR CHAVEZ IS READY TO SLIP INTO A LEADERSHIP ROLE THIS SEASON

BY CARLY EBISUYA • TWITTER @TWEETS

Ducks guard Taylor Chavez (3) dribbles baseline. Oregon Ducks women’s basketball takes on the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Feb 9, 2020. (DL Young/Emerald)

BY CARLY EBISUYA • TWITTER @CARLYEBISUYA

In early January the Chavez family flew up to Oregon from their hometown in Surprise, Arizona, to see their daughter, Taylor, play at Matthew Knight Arena.

Taylor’s mother, Kim, was waiting anxiously for the game to start when she spotted a sign in the arena that read “Go Taylor #3!”

It was the first sign she had seen made for her daughter.

Holding the sign was a little girl, not over the age of 8. During halftime, Chavez walked over to the little girl and her family and introduced herself as Taylor’s mom.

“The girl’s mother said that her daughter talks about Taylor all the

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Duck Season 2020

time, and she wants to be just like her, and that was really neat,” Kim said.

She told the family to walk down to the courtside with her after the game to meet Taylor. The little girl’s eyes lit up in awe.

“As a mom, I got emotional in that moment because I remember when she was that age,” Chavez said of her daughter. “It’s so surreal sometimes, and it definitely touched me when I saw that.”

On and off the court, Chavez isn’t a stranger to the spotlight.

She has always been a pillar in her community back in her hometown and is someone that many young athletes look up to, but her road to stardom has

not always been easy.

Two years ago, she was the lone freshman on the team, and a foot injury prevented her from playing the entire postseason. One year later, COVID-19 shut down the entirety of the NCAA postseason.

For two years in a row, Chavez was not able to experience the grand excitement and pressure that postseason play brings. This year, it is still to be seen whether she’ll have the chance.

She is in a unique position this season navigating post-Ionescu era while also leading a talented freshmen backcourt class.

But this is comfortable territory for Chavez.

As a freshman at Valley Vista High School, Chavez accepted her position early on as a role player and learned what poor leadership looked like at the time.

By the time she was a junior, she was the sole leader that her teammates looked toward. She wanted to create a culture that she did not have her first two years of high school.

“In the middle of her junior year I pulled her aside and I said: ‘Taylor, you need to take the reins. And until you do, we are going to struggle. They’re looking for a leader. You are the leader and you need to do it,’’’ Valley Vista’s head coach Rachel Makatas said.

That is exactly what Chavez will need to do this year at Oregon.

Last season, she was first off the bench for head coach Kelly Graves, and known for her tremendous perimeter shooting and tenacious defense. This season, she will be looking to slip into more of a point guard role, as well as the two and three spots.

ESPN dubbed Chavez as the Pac-12’s “emerging player” after she led the conference last year with 47.4% three-point shooting and ranks second among returning players. Along with sophomore Jaz Shelley, Chavez will be the primary floor general and will lead the team with her invaluable veteran leadership.

“Taylor is the type of teammate who, if she sees a teammate having a crappy practice, she’s the type to call her up on the phone and ask, ‘Hey, let’s go get coffee or something and talk about this,’ because she knows how it feels to be on the other side of that,” Makatas said. “She doesn’t want anyone else to feel like that, she wants everyone to be part of the team and included.”

The Pac-12 Sixth Player of the Year grew to be a more vocal leader after her freshman year, and learned playing behind Ionescu that she will have to take the reins this season.

“On the court, she’s gained so much more confidence,” said one of Chavez’s roommates, Josie Williamson. “I know she has the confidence to make big plays, so I think we’re going to see a lot of good stuff from Taylor this year.”

Whether she is taking the lead on the court or learning from the sidelines, Chavez will always set an example for her teammates, her fans and the athletes that surround her.

I know she has the confidence to make big plays, so I think we’re going to see a lot of good stuff from Taylor this year.”

JOSIE WILLIAMSON Taylor Chavez’s Roommate

Ducks guard Taylor Chaves (3) drives to the basket during a fast break. Oregon Ducks women’s basketball takes on the Arizona State Sun Devils at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Feb 9, 2020. (DL Young/Emerald)

Duck Season 2020

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CHRIS DUARTE PREPARES TO COMPLETE OREGON CHAPTER IN WINDING BASKETBALL PATH

BY CLAYTON FRANKE • TWITTER @CLAYFRANKE1

Oregon Ducks guard Chris Duarte (5) searches for an open pass. Oregon Ducks men’s basketball takes on Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at the Matthew Knight Arena on Dec. 7, 2019.

(Maddie Knight/Emerald)

“WHEN I VISITED EUGENE FOR THE FIRST TIME I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. THE COACHES, PLAYERS AND FANS MADE ME FEEL WELCOME.” CHRIS DUARTE Oregon Men’s Basketball Guard

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Duck Season 2020

If a kid from Puerto Plata, a city in the Dominican Republic, wants to play sports, they usually turn to the national sport: baseball. Growing up, Oregon guard Chris Duarte was no different. “[My fastball] is 90-plus miles per hour,” Duarte told the Pac-12 Network.

“I really can throw, I was a good pitcher.”

Despite his talent, he wasn’t satisfied.

Then he noticed his brother had started to play basketball.

“I saw my brother playing basketball, and I was just like, ‘Okay, I’m going to follow your steps,’” Duarte said. “I saw him getting big, and I just followed his steps.”

Lucky for Oregon, Duarte grew quite fond of basketball. He was a significant contributor to Oregon’s Pac-12 championship last season and is a key component to their backcourt this year. It hasn’t always been easy for Duarte, but his non-traditional road to Oregon has paved the way to his success In 2015, his family moved to New York and Duarte began playing high school basketball at Redemption Christian Academy.

Duarte had offers from Division I schools in high school, such as New Mexico State, but he chose to move to Niceville, Florida, to play for Northwest Florida State, a junior college. He wasn’t particularly ecstatic about the choice at the time.

“I was sad at first that I had to go the junior college route,” Duarte told Addicted to Quack. “I was mad that I was giving up two years of my life to go play basketball at a junior college in Florida. My friends and family convinced me it would be the best option for me if I wanted to end up playing the highest level of basketball I could.”

Duarte continued to work on the game that his brother had inspired him to play.

His freshman year he played the role of “sixth man.” He played in 32 games, but only started once. But his second year was

a different story. He averaged 19 points per game while starting 33 times and won the NJCAA player of the year.

This awarded him some leverage in his second round of recruitment. He garnered interest from Kansas, Oklahoma, Houston, VCU and, of course, Oregon.

This time around, he was content with his choice.

“I chose Oregon because of the coaching staff and the school’s history,” Duarte told Addicted to Quack. “When I visited Eugene for the first time, I loved everything about it. The coaches, players and fans made me feel welcome.”

Last season, Duarte found a home in Eugene, and it showed on the court. He was second on the team in both points and rebounds, with 12.9 and 5.6 respectively.

He also recorded 47 steals highlighted by an eight-steal game against USC. For five games, he battled through a broken finger late in the conference schedule while supporting Peyton Pritchard in the backcourt.

Now that Pritchard is gone, the rest of the guards will need to step up behind Duarte.

“We have so many different guys that can get the job done,” Duarte told the Pac-12 Network. “Of course we’re going to miss Peyton, he’s a great player, but we have so many different options. We have Eugene, Will, Eric, LJ — if we can get his waiver — and myself.”

Duarte is preparing for his final season of the Oregon chapter in his winding basketball career. His improvement between each of his first three college years has been exceptional, making the outlook for his senior season quite promising. Not only that, but he’s projected to be picked in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft.

It’s fitting for Duarte, who seems to always be on the move.