Fansided

Duke basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 first-look preview

By Mike Phillips

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 25: Vernon Carey Jr. #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half during their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 25, 2020 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – FEBRUARY 25: Vernon Carey Jr. #1 of the Duke Blue Devils during the first half during their game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 25, 2020 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Top Players

Vernon Carey Jr.

No one will mistake Carey for the last Blue Devil to wear no. 1 (that was Zion for those keeping track at home), but he had an excellent freshman year for Duke. Carey was a beast down low, averaging 17.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game while knocking down 57.7 percent of his shots from the floor. The Blue Devils’ offense was clearly at its best when it flowed through him.

Tre Jones

One of the bigger surprises for Duke was Tre Jones’ decision to return for his sophomore season. Rather than going pro with his teammates, Jones opted to come back to try and be a leader for this Blue Devils team while developing his own game in the process. Jones demonstrated he was more than capable of handling an increased scoring load, improving his statistics across all major categories.

Cassius Stanley

While Carey was the top freshman in Duke’s lineup, Stanley emerged as one of the team’s most explosive playmakers by the end of the season. Stanley was able to use his incredible athleticism to get to the basket with ease, and his perimeter shooting was solid, with Stanley knocking down 36 percent of his three-point attempts.

Matthew Hurt

With as many talented freshmen as Duke brings in every year someone usually gets lost in the shuffle. That was Cam Reddish a year ago and this past season it was really Matthew Hurt who didn’t quite live up to the hype. Hurt saw his minutes start to diminish by the end of the season, losing playing time to Justin Robinson and Javin DeLaurier down low.