Chris Duarte took home the AP Pac-12 Player of the Year, on Tuesday. He and teammate Eugene Omoruyi were also named to the All-Pac-12 first team. Duarte was also named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive team. The two seniors were recognized for their elite play that led the Ducks to a regular-season Pac-12 title for the second straight season.
The Ducks finished off their season winning 10 out of their last 11 games, grabbing pole position in their conference, and earning themselves a spot in the march madness tournament. Over that 11 game stretch, Duarte averaged 16.3 points per game on 52% shooting from the field. While Omoruyi averaged 16.7 points per game on 48% shooting.
Duarte and Omoruyi led the Ducks throughout the season, dominating on both sides of the ball. Duarte averaged 17.3 points per game on 53% shooting from the field and 44% from three. He also led the conference in steals with 1.9 per game. Omoruyi benefitted from an aggressive playstyle, averaging 16.9 points per game on 47-percent shooting. He added 1.3 steals per game.
This is the second year in a row that a Duck has won the AP Pac-12 Player of the Year award after Duarte’s former teammate and current Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard won it last season.
Duarte and Omoruyi also join their former teammate Pritchard who was the only Duck named to the all-Pac-12 first team last season. Duarte joins Kenny Wooten, who was the last Duck named to the all-Pac-12 Defensive team in 2019.
The all-Pac-12 first team also includes James Akinjo (Arizona), Timmy Allen (Utah), Tyger Campbell (UCLA), Oscar da Silva (Stanford), Remy Martin (Arizona State), Evan Mobley (USC), Ethan Thompson (Oregon State), McKinley Wright IV (Colorado).
The all-Pac-12 defensive team is comprised of da Silva, Mobley, Eli Parquet (Colorado), and Jaime Jacquez Jr. (UCLA).