Oregon forward Rivaldo Soares announced his decision to leave the Oregon basketball program and enter his name into the transfer portal, via his personal Twitter account, on Monday, April 10.

Soares averaged 7.2 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 27.9 minutes this season. His stats, however, don’t tell the whole story, as Soares’ energy helped lift the Ducks to victory a multitude of times. In practice, head coach Dana Altman consistently praised Soares for setting an example on both ends and being a coachable player.

It’s a main reason why the junior forward saw his minutes rise from 18 to almost 28 over the last two seasons, despite a downtick in offensive efficiency. 

With the addition of 5-star freshmen forwards Mookie Cook and K.J. Evans, Soares’ role might have come into question next season. Especially as Altman and his coaching staff have made it known their goal is to improve the Ducks’ perimeter shooting numbers. Soares shot 25% from deep on 2.8 attempts per game this season. 

Soares joins Kel’el Ware, Lök Wur and Tyrone Williams as the fourth Duck to enter his name into the transfer portal. He’ll bring defensive energy and experience to his next endeavor.