Oklahoma Coach Porter Moser Welcomes Oregon Transfer

Rivaldo Soares played two seasons for the Ducks, where he averaged .6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 35 starts as a junior college transfer.

John E. Hoover | May 4, 2023

Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oklahoma Sooners

By OU Media Relations

Oklahoma head men's basketball coach Porter Moser announced the addition of transfer guard Rivaldo Soares to the 2023-24 roster on Thursday.

Soares spent the previous two seasons at Oregon and started his college career at South Plains College.

In his two seasons with the Ducks, he appeared in 71 games and made 35 starts, averaging 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per outing. He shot 40.0 percent (150-375) from the field and 78.6 percent (81-103) from the line.

"At 6-6, Rivaldo gives us a long and competitive athletic wing who has played at the highest level," said Moser. "He is an elite defender who can create offense with his defense. At Oregon, he was always tasked with guarding the other team's best player. His addition to the roster continues to build our length and athleticism as we aim to put together a more athletic and up-tempo team. I am excited for him to join the OU family."

The Boston, MA, product appeared in 36 games and made 33 starts last season, averaging 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest. He tallied nine games with 10-plus points. Soares appeared in 35 games and made two starts in his first season in Eugene, averaging 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists per outing.

As a sophomore at South Plains, he was selected to the NJCAA All-America First Team and was named the Western Junior College Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Soares averaged 15.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He led South Plains to a share of the WJCAC title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Tournament.

Soares appeared in 30 games in 2019-20 and averaged 15.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest. Soares shot 42.0 percent from the floor and tallied 25 double-digit point games.

Prior to his time in Texas, Soares prepped at O'Bryant High School.

Soares joins fellow incoming guards Javian McCollum and Le'Tre Darthard as transfer additions to the roster for next season.

Published May 4, 2023

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.