Charlotte, NC – Bound for the University of Oregon after a stellar two-year career at Northwest Florida State, sophomore Chris Duarte has been named the 2019 Spalding® NJCAA Division I Men's Basketball Player of the Year.
Leading the Raiders to its fifth consecutive FCSAA Panhandle Conference championship, Duarte powered Northwest Florida State to 28-5 record on the year. In a season where the sophomore guard eclipsed the career 1000-point threshold, Duarte guided the Raiders to the quarterfinal round of the NJCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship for the second consecutive year. Throughout the 2018-19 campaign, Duarte posted 10 double-doubles and was held to single-digits in the scoring column on just two occasions.
Personal
- Position: Guard
- Height: 6-6
- Class: Sophomore
- Hometown: Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
2018-19 Statistics
- 33 games (33 starts)
- 19.0 PPG
- 54.1 FG%
- 40.0 3PT%
- 80.8 FT%
- 7.1 RPG
- 1.2 SPG
Career Statistics
- 65 games (34 starts)
- 18.5 PPG
- 54.3 FG%
- 6.9 RPG
- 1.6 SPG
2018-19 Accomplishments
- NJCAA First Team All-American
- NJCAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week (11/12)
- FCSAA Pandhandle Conference Player of the Year (Coaches choice)
- FCSAA Pandhandle Conference Player of the Year (Media choice)
Northwest Florida State Head Coach Steve DeMeo on Duarte:
"Chris Duarte is everything a coach wants in a student-athlete. He is a great student, great person, and a very special basketball player. Chris has really set the bar high here at Northwest Florida for all of our future Raiders. I am looking forward to watching him grow and develop at Oregon and after college."
Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman on Duarte:
"We were excited to watch how Chris developed at Northwest Florida. Now we are looking forward to Chris having a major impact at Oregon."
Duarte's Reaction:
"I want to thank God for all my achievements and my family and friends for always supporting me. I want to thank Northwest Florida State College, coaches, and staff for giving me the opportunity to play and learn for the last two years, which have been phenomenal. NWF has taught me a lot on and off the court. They taught me how to be a better person, not only as a player. To my Raider fans, thank you! Thank you to the NJCAA for recognizing me as the player of the year."