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ESPN Insider
Trevon Duval's commitment answers Duke's lasting point guard question
May 15, 2017
Mike Krzyzewski didn’t have any other options. Trevon Duval or bust.
When Frank Jackson announced last week that he was signing with an agent and keeping his name in the NBA draft, Duke was left without a point guard for next season.
Krzyzewski knew he had to close Duval, the nation’s No. 1 guard and one of the best players left in the class of 2017 -- and quickly.
It took him less than 72 hours.
Duval announced his commitment to Duke on Monday morning, choosing the Blue Devils over Kansas, Arizona, Seton Hall and Baylor.
Over the past few months, Duval went from a potential luxury target to an absolute must-get.
Point guard was a focus of Duke for most of the 2017 recruiting cycle. The Blue Devils offered Trae Young (No. 22) in June 2015, dabbled with Tremont Waters (No. 32) and then zeroed in on Quade Green (No. 23) coming out of last July. Once it became clear Green was going elsewhere, Duke turned to Matt Coleman (No. 29). Krzyzewski then jumped in for Duval, who had a quiet recruitment until that point. The Blue Devils reached out to Duval in October but didn’t extend a scholarship offer until late November.
At the time, Jackson wasn’t a surefire one-and-done prospect. He started the season on a high note, but when Grayson Allen became fully healthy, Jackson was relegated to a reserve role behind Allen, Luke Kennard, Matt Jones and Jayson Tatum on the perimeter. An increased role late in the season boosted his stock, though, as he scored at least 14 points in seven of his final nine games.
Jackson’s Friday announcement left Allen as the starting point guard for next season -- a route Krzyzewski didn’t want to go down again. Duke was left in a similar situation two springs ago when Tyus Jones announced he was heading to the NBA draft after his freshman season. The Blue Devils ended up convincing Derryck Thornton Jr. to reclassify into the 2015 class and enroll at Duke. Allen still shouldered the primary playmaking role that season, and did so again in 2016-17 despite the addition of Jackson.
Could it have worked again? Duke had a highly efficient offense the past two seasons, but that was with lottery picks like Tatum and Brandon Ingram flooding the roster.
Despite all the talent on the roster this past season, Duke was considered a massive disappointment, losing on the NCAA tournament’s opening weekend and finishing with nine losses. What went wrong? Aside from the nonstop drama -- Krzyzewski’s leave of absence, the focus on Allen’s on-court behavior, a locker room ban -- the lack of consistency at point guard might have been the biggest issue. Duke simply didn’t have a playmaker to create offense for others.
Krzyzewski wanted a true point guard for next season. And before Duval, he didn’t have one.
The closest thing to a true point guard on next season’s roster was Jordan Goldwire, whom Duke signed earlier this month after beating out Eastern Kentucky. It goes without saying that the Blue Devils aren’t expecting Goldwire to shoulder any sort of significant load next season.
Duval changes everything.
There are major personnel losses across the board, with Kennard, Tatum, Jackson and Harry Giles leaving early for the NBA draft, Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson graduating, and Chase Jeter and Sean Obi transferring. In fact, only one player who saw more than eight minutes per game last season returns (Allen).
But the reinforcements are coming, with No. 1 shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. and No. 1 power forward Wendell Carter entering the fold. ESPN 100 wing Jordan Tucker, who committed to Duke on Saturday, is a knockdown shooter who should get open looks off Duval’s drive-and-kick game. Trent and Allen will form one of the best wing scoring duos in the country. Carter and Marques Bolden can both score in the post. ESPN 100 wing Alex O’Connell is a scorer with size.
Duval was the missing piece.
He excels at beating his defender off the dribble and getting into the lane, where he is an unbelievable finisher in traffic -- but can also find teammates for open shots. He averaged 16.1 points and 7.5 assists as a senior at IMG, consistently proving himself as an elite playmaker.
“They’re going to put the ball in his hands, let him make plays,” one college coach said of Duke and Duval. “They’re going to give him space, ball screens. They let you do your thing. Stylistically, the freedom they give their guards, their usage, the way they use ball screens and attack the rim, he’ll be good in that sense.”
There was nowhere else to turn had Duval committed elsewhere Monday morning, but Krzyzewski made sure he didn’t have to worry about that. He wanted Duval, and he got Duval.
As a result, Duke is back in the national title conversation.
ESPN Insider
Trevon Duval's commitment answers Duke's lasting point guard question
May 15, 2017
-
Jeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer
Mike Krzyzewski didn’t have any other options. Trevon Duval or bust.
When Frank Jackson announced last week that he was signing with an agent and keeping his name in the NBA draft, Duke was left without a point guard for next season.
Krzyzewski knew he had to close Duval, the nation’s No. 1 guard and one of the best players left in the class of 2017 -- and quickly.
It took him less than 72 hours.
Duval announced his commitment to Duke on Monday morning, choosing the Blue Devils over Kansas, Arizona, Seton Hall and Baylor.
Over the past few months, Duval went from a potential luxury target to an absolute must-get.
Point guard was a focus of Duke for most of the 2017 recruiting cycle. The Blue Devils offered Trae Young (No. 22) in June 2015, dabbled with Tremont Waters (No. 32) and then zeroed in on Quade Green (No. 23) coming out of last July. Once it became clear Green was going elsewhere, Duke turned to Matt Coleman (No. 29). Krzyzewski then jumped in for Duval, who had a quiet recruitment until that point. The Blue Devils reached out to Duval in October but didn’t extend a scholarship offer until late November.
At the time, Jackson wasn’t a surefire one-and-done prospect. He started the season on a high note, but when Grayson Allen became fully healthy, Jackson was relegated to a reserve role behind Allen, Luke Kennard, Matt Jones and Jayson Tatum on the perimeter. An increased role late in the season boosted his stock, though, as he scored at least 14 points in seven of his final nine games.
Jackson’s Friday announcement left Allen as the starting point guard for next season -- a route Krzyzewski didn’t want to go down again. Duke was left in a similar situation two springs ago when Tyus Jones announced he was heading to the NBA draft after his freshman season. The Blue Devils ended up convincing Derryck Thornton Jr. to reclassify into the 2015 class and enroll at Duke. Allen still shouldered the primary playmaking role that season, and did so again in 2016-17 despite the addition of Jackson.
Could it have worked again? Duke had a highly efficient offense the past two seasons, but that was with lottery picks like Tatum and Brandon Ingram flooding the roster.
Despite all the talent on the roster this past season, Duke was considered a massive disappointment, losing on the NCAA tournament’s opening weekend and finishing with nine losses. What went wrong? Aside from the nonstop drama -- Krzyzewski’s leave of absence, the focus on Allen’s on-court behavior, a locker room ban -- the lack of consistency at point guard might have been the biggest issue. Duke simply didn’t have a playmaker to create offense for others.
Krzyzewski wanted a true point guard for next season. And before Duval, he didn’t have one.
The closest thing to a true point guard on next season’s roster was Jordan Goldwire, whom Duke signed earlier this month after beating out Eastern Kentucky. It goes without saying that the Blue Devils aren’t expecting Goldwire to shoulder any sort of significant load next season.
Duval changes everything.
There are major personnel losses across the board, with Kennard, Tatum, Jackson and Harry Giles leaving early for the NBA draft, Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson graduating, and Chase Jeter and Sean Obi transferring. In fact, only one player who saw more than eight minutes per game last season returns (Allen).
But the reinforcements are coming, with No. 1 shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. and No. 1 power forward Wendell Carter entering the fold. ESPN 100 wing Jordan Tucker, who committed to Duke on Saturday, is a knockdown shooter who should get open looks off Duval’s drive-and-kick game. Trent and Allen will form one of the best wing scoring duos in the country. Carter and Marques Bolden can both score in the post. ESPN 100 wing Alex O’Connell is a scorer with size.
Duval was the missing piece.
He excels at beating his defender off the dribble and getting into the lane, where he is an unbelievable finisher in traffic -- but can also find teammates for open shots. He averaged 16.1 points and 7.5 assists as a senior at IMG, consistently proving himself as an elite playmaker.
“They’re going to put the ball in his hands, let him make plays,” one college coach said of Duke and Duval. “They’re going to give him space, ball screens. They let you do your thing. Stylistically, the freedom they give their guards, their usage, the way they use ball screens and attack the rim, he’ll be good in that sense.”
There was nowhere else to turn had Duval committed elsewhere Monday morning, but Krzyzewski made sure he didn’t have to worry about that. He wanted Duval, and he got Duval.
As a result, Duke is back in the national title conversation.
