Oregon Ducks vs. Washington Huskies
Coach Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks get ready to face the Washington Huskies in men's basketball at Matthew Knight Arena on Feb. 4, 2015 in Eugene. Thomas Boyd/Staff
(Thomas Boyd)
247Sports four-star prospect and NJCAA national player of the year Chris Boucher committed to the Oregon Ducks basketball program Friday evening during a visit to Eugene, according to Boucher's mentor and high school coach Ibrahim Appiah.
"He was there with the whole staff (Friday) and I think he just said, 'I think this is the place for me,' " Appiah said.
JucoRecruiting.com's Brad Winton was first to report the news via Twitter:
Boucher, a 6-foot-10, 200-pound forward with two years of eligibility remaining, told Appiah that the feel of the program was a fit for not only his skill-set, but his personality.
"When I spoke to him, he likes the place. He got to hang out with the players and he said he really got along with them. They really liked him," Appiah said. "He really likes their style of play. He felt it would be a good place for him, but he wanted to see the place before making any decision. After seeing the place, he felt like it was definitely the right fit for him."
That's huge news for Oregon basketball, as Boucher was the premier junior college player in the country last season at Northwest College (Wyoming), averaging 22.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and shooting 58.0 percent for the field and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
"As far as combination of athleticism and how mobile he is for a kid his size, he's definitely something you don't see often," Appiah said. "He's a very good help-side defender and shot blocker. On the offensive side, he shoots the three-point shot very well."
Those sentiments were shared by Northwest College coach Brian Erickson.
"He's 6-foot-10, real skinny, but a versatile guy that can really run the floor well. He can step out and shoot from the perimeter," he said. "Defensively, he's got to be one of the best I've seen timing shots. He averaged about five blocked shots per game, but the amount of shots that he's changed, there's no stat for that. He can change a game on both ends because of what he does."
Boucher has yet to sign a National Letter of Intent, but Appiah said he expects to sign next week.
"He is waiting to come home and they will send the papers Monday," he explained. "I think he will go through the process after that."
For Oregon coach Dana Altman, Boucher represents his 23rd transfer into the program since he arrived in 2010.
Oregon's recruiting class is ranked No. 15 in the nation by Rivals and consists of five-star shooting guard Tyler Dorsey, four-star power forward Trevor Manuel and four-star point guard Kendall Small. Adding Boucher to the mix should immediately catapult that group near the top 10, and that doesn't take into account the addition of impact Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis.
With that injection of talent, the Ducks will be considered among the top contenders for the Pac-12 championship, as the recruiting class should fuse well with the current nucleus of Dillon Brooks, Dwayne Benjamin, Jordan Bell and Elgin Cook.
-- Andrew Nemec
anemec@oregonian.com
@AndrewNemec