Chris Ortiz Helps Puerto Rico Earn First Olympics Spot since 2004
7/8/2024 4:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Former Kent State student-athlete Chris Ortiz helped the Puerto Rico men's basketball team secure a spot in the Olympics for the first time in 20 years following a 4-0 record in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament played in San Juan last week.
Ortiz, who made his Senior National Team debut in 2017 and has been a mainstay of the squad since 2021, averaged 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during the tournament. He shared the team lead with six boards and scored four points during Sunday's victory over Lithuania in the championship game.
During his career as a Golden Flash from 2013-16, Ortiz totaled 630 points and 470 rebounds in 121 appearances. He helped Kent State share the Mid-American Conference regular season title in 2015.
Puerto Rico is joined by Serbia, South Sudan and the USA in Group C at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris and begins competition on Sunday, July 28.
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All-Time Golden Flashes in the Olympics
• 2024 — Chris Ortiz (Puerto Rico)
• 2012 — Nate Reinking (Great Britain)
