Duarte Reportedly Commits to Western Kentucky
Rumors began to swirl on Tuesday morning that Redemption Christian's Chris Duarte had committed to Western Kentucky.
While neither his high school or EYBL coach were able to confirm those reports, additional reports continued to come in throughout the day that Duarte had finalized his decision.
The pledge is mildly surprising given that Duarte was one of the best available guards and three-point shooters left on the board and being pursued by the likes of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Seton Hall among others.
A native of the Dominican Republic, Duarte arrived at Redemption Christian in the fall of 2015 and made a big impact over the course of the last two years. He played with the New York Lightning on last year's EYBL circuit but was never fully healthy and forced to play with a face-mask for most of the season.
Because that national exposure came at less than his best, Duarte flew under the radar for several months afterward. The high-major schools began to come back around this winter as he continued to show his perimeter size, length, and consequent positional versatility, along with the skill set to handle the ball and establish himself as one of the top three-point shooters in New England.
Duarte would be the 7th player to commit to Western Kentucky in the class of 2017.
Chris Duarte