LAS CRUCES, N.M. – On Wednesday afternoon, one of the final men's basketball roster spots was filled with an impressive mix of size, explosiveness and athleticism as Head Coach Jason Hooten announced the addition of Lewis Duarte.
 
Before spending one year within the Overtime Elite player development system, Duarte received 10 NCAA Division I offers and will now bring a refined version of his game to Las Cruces and the Aggie program.
 
Lewis Duarte | Fr. | 6-5 | G | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Overtime Elite | Victory Christian Center School

• Will officially begin his collegiate career in the Fall of 2023 with the Aggies after spending time with Overtime Elite immediately following his high school career.
• Member of the OTE program for one year where he competed daily with some of the top young talents in the nation and developed close relationships with top-tier coaches and training staff members while preserving his collegiate eligibility.
• The Overtime Elite program also produced a pair of NBA lottery draft picks just one week ago as twins Amen and Ausar Thompson were drafted fourth and fifth overall, respectively.
• A three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, Duarte received offers from programs including Creighton, Illinois, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Washington State after wrapping up a stellar year at Victory Christian Center School in 2021-22.
• At Victory Christian, Duarte led his team to a 21-7 overall record and a 3-0 record in conference play. With Duarte serving as a key piece to a title run, the Kings were crowned NCISAA 1A North Carolina State Champions. The native of the Dominican Republic posted 16 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in the state semifinal game before recording a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the state championship game. Duarte also added three assists, four steals and one block as the Kings went on to defeat United Faith Christian Academy 65-51 in the finals.
• During his breakout season with the Kings, Duarte was named the NCISAA 1A North Carolina Boys Basketball Player of the Year and received NCISAA 1A All-State honors.
• He also received mentorship at the prestigious FDM Athletics in Dominican Republic that has created an impressive pipeline of talent including a number of Division I and pro-level athletes.
• Duarte's cousin, Chris Duarte, was selected with the 13^th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers and has appeared in 101 games for the Pacers across the last two seasons.

QUOTABLE | Head Coach Jason Hooten
"We are excited to announce the signing of Lewis to the Aggie family. Lewis comes to us with more experience than your normal amount for a true freshman. He has great guard size, athleticism and the ability to really shoot the ball not to mention his desire to improve and compete on a daily basis. These are all important intangibles that we feel Lewis will bring to our program at an early stage in his career!"