Ducks’ Duarte Named Player of the Week

For the third time in his career, Chris Duarte has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week, the Conference announced Monday.

The senior from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, averaged 21.0 points per game on 50 percent shooting (15-of-30), including 47 percent from three-point range (9-of-19) in the Ducks’ weekend sweep of California and Stanford. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

Duarte was at his best in the closing minutes of each game. He scored 14 of his 19 points in the final 5:18 to help the Ducks turn a three-point lead into a 13-point victory over the Golden Bears on Thursday. Saturday versus Stanford, Duarte tallied 11 of team-high 23 points in the final 5:43 to turn a four-point cushion into a 17-point win.

This is Duarte’s third career Pac-12 Player of the Week award and first this season after collecting the honor twice in 2019-20. The three POTW awards trail only Dillon Brooks and Blair Rasmussen (four each) for the most in Oregon program history.

Duarte is the second Duck to win Pac-12 POTW honors this season. Eugene Omoruyi was named Pac-12 Player of the Week after averaging 26.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game against Missouri and Seton Hall during Oregon’s opening week of the season.

No. 17 Oregon plays at Colorado Thursday night at 8 p.m. PT (FS1).