R.J. Duhart
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R.J. Duhart becomes the first member of the Rangers' 2019-20 squad to sign at the Division I level.

Men's Basketball Brian Oakley

R.J. Duhart Signs with Appalachian State

BOONE, N.C. – Northwest freshman forward R. J. Duhart will continue his career at the Division I level next season after signing with Appalachian State on Thursday morning.

Duhart, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound post player out of Boynton Beach, Fla., led the Rangers with 7.8 rebounds per game, tallying 179 in all during the 2019-20 season, while racking up a team-leading 47 blocks on the defensive end. Additionally, he led all starters in field goal percentage at 47.4 percent and was second on the team in scoring while starting every game as a freshman, averaging 11.9 points per game.    

"I am really happy for him," Northwest head coach Shane Oakley said. "R.J. is a great player and an even better person. He has worked daily to get this opportunity and I am excited for him. I believe that his best basketball is ahead of him and I am grateful that he allowed us to play a small part in his journey. We are thankful for his contributions to our program and wish him all the best at Appalachian State." 

Duhart showed his versatility as a player during his only season in Senatobia by shooting 34.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. He reached season highs in both points (24) and rebounds (14) in a 99-96 victory over SAU Tech on December 14. Some of his best games came on the biggest stage, including a 23-point, nine-rebound effort in an 81-66 upset victory against 18th-ranked Northeast in the first round of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament.

"We are extremely excited about the addition of R.J. to the Mountaineer family," Appalachian State head coach Dustin Kerns said. "He is an incredible person and is a great fit for our program. R.J. is a versatile player who has been well coached by Shane Oakley at Northwest and with three years left to play, he has a very high ceiling. His skill set is unique for someone with his size and athleticism and he has the ability to score on the perimeter and on the block."

R.J. ended his prep career at Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) where he helped the Cobras to the second round of the FHSAA Class 7A playoffs as a senior, leading the team with 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. He was selected to the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches All-State third team and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel Broward 9A-7A second team.