Duke primed for another title run in 2016-17

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has enjoyed some incredible luck over the past year that has culminated in his Blue Devils being the perfect title contenders in the 2016-17 season.

The offseason started with Grayson Allen, a consensus first round draft pick, deciding to return to Duke for his junior season. Allen burst onto the scene in the 2014-15 championship game against Wisconsin with a 16-point performance that helped the Blue Devils clinch their first championship since the 2009-10 season.

There was immediately talk of him entering the 2015 NBA Draft due to his stock being sky-high, but he ultimately made the right decision by returning to Duke for his sophomore campaign. He averaged 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, which propelled him to be a top 20 selection in some mock drafts, but again he spurned the NBA to return to Krzyzewskiville and Durham. There’s a good chance he becomes more dominant as he gets more experienced; he’s really only played one full season of college basketball so it’s entirely possible he gets better next season.

Center Amile Jefferson only appeared in nine games last season due to a foot injury. His medical redshirt was approved and he will be returning for his fifth season at Duke. In those nine games this past season he was playing the most minutes of his career and by extension his best basketball, averaging 11.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Duke missed his rebounding and rim protection after his injury as the only Blue Devil left who could provide those two services was senior Marshall Plumlee, averaging 8.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

Coach K only has one other senior returning to his relatively inexperienced group next season. Forward Matt Jones shot 41.5 percent from three-point range on 183 attempts. He was Duke’s second best three-point shooter behind Allen and the Blue Devils will need the spacing he brings next season after losing a good shooter in Brandon Ingram to the 2016 NBA Draft.

According to the 247Composite Rankings, last season coach K brought in the No. 3 (Brandon Ingram), No. 14 (Derryk Thornton, who has since transferred after a disappointing freshman campaign), No. 15 (Chase Jeter), No. 21 (Luke Kennard), No. 203 (Antonio Vrankovic) and No. 366 (Justin Robinson) overall recruits to help a relatively young Duke squad defend their title. They were eliminated in the third round of the NCAA Tournament by Oregon after a 23-10 regular season.

Out of that group Jeter, Kennard, Vrankovic and Robinson will be returning to Duke for their sophomore seasons. That’s two former five-star and two former three-star recruits with one season under their belts.

Jeter only played 7.9 minutes in his first college season. The 6-foot-10, 240 pound power forward is primed for a breakout sophomore season. He is a super athletic forward with worlds of potential. Attacking from the high post is a specialty of Jeter’s as he’s able to put the ball on the floor or pull up for a jumper. Long arms and soft touch make him a good post player and it will be interesting to see if a year at the college level will help him become more of a force in the post this upcoming season.

The returning players bring stability, but the incoming freshman bring excitement galore. This year’s class rivals their 2014 group which featured three top 20 draft picks and Allen. Duke has five of the top 40 — and four in the top 20! — players in the nation coming to Durham with Harry Giles (No. 2), Jayson Tatum (No. 4), Frank Jackson (No. 13), Marques Bolden (No. 15) and Javin DeLaurier (No. 39) comprising the No. 1 recruiting class in all the land. On paper, they are clearly the most talented roster.

Giles and Tatum are two highly rated players in a class that is being hailed as the best recruiting class in some time. They are both projected top 5 picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, while Bolden is projected to go inside the top 15. Both are ranked No. 1 at their positions.

Giles is an uber athletic power forward who has a very high ceiling on both sides of the ball. He’s great around the basket, but needs to develop more of a perimeter game on offense. The athleticism that makes him a threat on offense, is just as valuable on defense as well. He runs the floor quickly, explodes around the basket and has a nice wingspan.

Tatum will see most of his time on the wing, but at 6-foot-8 he could see some time as a stretch four. He’s not a great rebounder or defender which are two skills that will develop as he grows into his body and learns how to use his athleticism. A Tatum/Giles/Jefferson frontcourt could get a little crowded if Tatum isn’t hitting his jumpers, but they’re going to be uber athletic and wreak havoc on defense and in transition.

The newest addition to the class of 2017 is Bolden. He’s the No. 1 ranked center coming out of the high school ranks. The 6-foot-11 center isn’t the best athlete in Duke’s class, but he may be the best defender of the bunch. He’s an adept shot blocker who can rip down defense rebounds. With Duke’s frontcourt crowded already he’s most likely going to be starting the season coming off the bench. Long arms and his athleticism make him a good offensive rebounder, which is going to be a big part of his offensive game at the collegiate level.

Someone who isn’t projected to be drafted next season is point guard Frank Jackson. He’s the 4th rated point guard and 13th overall prospect in this class. Playmaking isn’t a strong suit of the 6-foot-3 point guard, he’s a scoring guard through and through with range extending out to the three-point line. Allen and Jackson will provide a serious scoring punch out of the backcourt for the Blue Devils. That is, if Jackson is able to show he can play over Kennard and Jones.

Duke has the highest talent level of any school in the NCAA. Coach K has a well rounded, deep squad. Several sophomores could have breakthrough seasons, while they have three freshmen who will have their names called next June. If it all comes together, and their luck holds true, the Blue Devils will be back in the NCAA Championship game for the second time in three seasons.