Why Chanaya Pinto Could be the Missing Piece for Oregon
Kelly Graves and his team will welcome another new name to Eugene next season after signing Northwest Florida State College guard Chanaya Pinto on Tuesday.
The Ducks added a valuable piece in the 6-foot-1 Pinto, who can do damage at all three levels. She is a capable three-point shooter who converted 25% of her shots from the beyond the arc in the 2020-2021 season.
Pinto also isn't afraid to get physical down low, driving on defenders and consistently getting buckets inside. As the Raiders' leading rebounder last year, she's a stat stuffer, recording 10 double-double performances in her team's run to a national championship.
Her physicality and tenacity should pair nicely with Sedona Prince and Nyara Sabally, especially if Kelly Graves decides to run the offense through the two bigs next season. The Maputo, Mozambique, native is also adept with footwork, allowing her to get creative when the defense collapses in the post.
However, Pinto is much more than just a post player, possessing the finesse to shoot off of pick-and-rolls as well the traditional jump shot. She is a strong ball handler that can create her own shot by putting space between herself and the defense with just a few moves.
Her versatility carries over to defense as well, excelling in guarding multiple positions. Simply put, Pinto is the complete package, also snagging 72 steals last season, which ranked eighth in the FCSAA (Florida College System Activities Association).
The two-time NJCAA All-American also brings additional experience on the international stage, playing on Mozambique's U19 FIBA World Cup team that played in Thailand in 2019.
Graves added another veteran to his roster this offseason in Taylor Hosendove (Georgia State), but she will need to apply for immediate eligibility having already transferred from Clemson.
Pinto should be immediately eligible and provide a stable veteran presence for the Ducks, one of the youngest teams in all of college basketball a season ago.
Kelly Graves has made calculated moves all offseason, seeing that the Ducks lost two of their top five scorers from 2020 with Erin Boley moving on and Taylor Mikesell transferring to Ohio State. Te-Hina Paopao starred as a freshman before getting injured and is poised to take another step forward in her development.
Pinto could slide right into the starting lineup as another strong option at guard. The Ducks ran into problems at times when one of Sabally and Prince struggled and Pinto gives Oregon a much more balanced attack.
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