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Duke Blue Devils’ forward Justise Winslow declares for NBA Draft

By Cameron La Fontaine

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After an outstanding performance in the NCAA Tournament, Duke forward Justise Winslow will head to the 2015 NBA Draft with Jahlil Okafor.

Duke Blue Devils’ forward, freshman Justise Winslow has declared for the NBA Draft, joining teammate and projected No. 1 overall pick Jahlil Okafor. Winslow’s decision comes a week after Duke celebrated their fifth National Title in basketball, defeating Wisconsin 68-63 in Indianapolis.

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Duke made the announcement via their website on Tuesday afternoon and head coach Mike Krzyzewski had this to say about Winslow:

"“We’re very happy for Justise and his family,” Krzyzewski said. “He had a sensational year, both on and off the court. He was an amazing factor for our success in winning the national championship. From everything we have found out, Justise is projected to be a high lottery pick and we believe that to be true. This is a great time to take advantage of this opportunity. We’re behind him all the way and love him and his family.”"

Winslow is the seventh one-and-done freshman to leave for the NBA Draft from Duke joining Corey Maggette, Luol Deng, Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers, Jabari Parker and Okafor.

The 6’6 forward from Houston, TX averaged 12.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils and was a key part of their National Championship run. Winslow averaged over 14 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game in Duke’s six NCAA Tournament games. He found his way in the starting lineup for Duke after moving to power forward during the regular season, and his success helped Duke to a 35-4 record.

Duke’s 6’11 superstar, Jahlil Okafor was the first freshman from Duke to leave this offseason after he announced he would enter the NBA Draft last Thursday. Okafor is a virtual lock to be one of the top two selections in the draft along with Kentucky forward Karl-Anthony Towns.

Was This the Right Move for Justise Winslow?

It absolutely was. Winslow was a monster in the NCAA Tournament, where the games matter most, and his consistent leadership and will to win showed during Duke’s National Championship run. He was great on offense for Duke as their third leading scorer this year, but he was also great on defense. He led Duke in defensive rebounding with 203 boards, 15 more than Okafor. And, he was second on Duke with 52 steals and 34 blocks on the season as well.

Justise Winslow falls into the lottery in most mock drafts and could even end up being a top five pick. If the lottery plays out as it stands, he could go fifth to the Orlando Magic who desperately need a strong small forward like himself to add to Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic. Winslow could also land into the hands of the Detroit Pistons who need a young small forward to take over for Tayshaun Prince and be able to be a defensive and rebounding presence when Greg Monroe inevitably ends up elsewhere this offseason.

With Winslow’s decision to leave after winning the National Championship, we could still see National Championship Most Outstanding Player, point guard Tyus Jones leave the Blue Devils as well. Jones scored 23 points against Wisconsin lifting Duke over the Badgers to win the title and his clutch performing was documented all season.

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