Ducks Sign NJCAA All-American Rivaldo Soares

May 10, 2021

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon men's basketball team has bolstered its 2021-22 roster with the signing of NJCAA all-American Rivaldo Soares, head coach Dana Altman announced on Monday.

A 6-foot-6 guard, Soares has spent the last two seasons at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He was named an NJCAA first-team all-American and the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) player of the year as a sophomore in 2020-21.

"We are excited to add Rivaldo to our program," said Altman. "He's a young talent who we feel can develop and continue to get better. He's a versatile player who will be able to play multiple positions and do a lot for us on both ends of the court."

Soares averaged 15.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from three-point range in 2020-21, leading South Plains to a share of the WJCAC title and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NJCAA Men's Basketball National Tournament.

A dynamic scorer, Soares finished in double figures 17 times as a sophomore – including five games with 20-plus points – while recording four double-doubles. He enjoyed a career outing on March 11 vs. Western Texas, scoring a career-high 28 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

A native of Boston, Mass., Soares averaged 15.4 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2019-20. He scored in double figures in six straight games to open his career, and 25 of 30 throughout his debut season. In his career, Soares owns 42 double-figure scoring performances and 12 games with 20 points or more.