Oregon basketball: Could Rivaldo Soares be next Chris Duarte?

On Monday, Dana Altman and Oregon basketball received a commitment from JUCO All-American Rivaldo Soares. His team was No. 1 in the nation for most of this past season and some have him listed as the top JUCO talent in the country.

Soares averaged 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists for South Plains.

While the Ducks have lost key players from this last season including Chris Duarte and Eugene Omoruyi, who both had the option to return next year, Altman continues to show he can find players at the JUCO level that will help his program at Oregon continue to grow.

One benefit of Soares, he has three seasons of eligibility to play, rather than just one or two for the most part of JUCO transfers.

Oregon basketball’s next Chris Duarte?

Soares will likely fill the role left by Chris Duarte, who was also a JUCO transfer when he came to Oregon. Duarte is focusing his attention on the upcoming NBA draft where he could find himself following in the footsteps of Payton Pritchard and becoming a first-round pick.

For the Ducks, Soares is the second transfer that Altman has found. The first was De’Vion Harmon who announced last month he was coming to Eugene from Oklahoma to play for the Ducks.

Soares had several offers on the table from DePaul, Oklahoma State, Florida, and St. John’s. It appears the opportunity to contribute immediately with Oregon was likely a deciding factor to join Altman in Eugene.

According to Andrew Nemic, the Ducks’ head coach is not done working on shaping his 2021 roster and one name could be of interest. Jacob Young plays for Rutgers and is the younger brother of former Oregon player Joseph Young.

Altman is at it again and building toward a team that will compete in 2021.