Duke basketball: All-time starting lineup – From Laettner to Reddick to Zion

Duke basketball has had 48 different All-Americans play for Mike Krzyzewski, but who would make up the all-time starting lineup for the Blue Devils?

Since hiring Mike Krzyzewski in 1980, Duke basketball has become the program all other schools are trying to emulate. Through the last 40 years, Coach K has seen it all when it comes to talent. He’s seen players arrive as sure things, watched players develop from fringe pieces to stars and saw no names become intricate parts to successful teams.

With all of the players who have come through Durham, it is a tall task to select only five players to represent them in a hypothetical all-time starting lineup. Every spot from point guard to the center has multiple people who are more than worthy of being honored.

However, this list aims to separate the good from the good enough and the all-timers from the great. Only the cream of the crop will be part of this lineup. As you go through each choice will have their own slide to give their collegiate resumes along with the reasoning why they made the cut.

Before we get to the members of the team, it is only right that some part of this piece is devoted to those that came all so close to taking one of the five slots. Some of these names that were left off might have been better players than those who made it but with the circumstances taken into account, there were times when a player’s position kept them off the team.

Below you will find a list of 10 players who were in the running to make the team but ultimately were left off. Duke basketball has had a number of all-time players so the honorable mention is likely better than several other all-time starting lineups for several big-time programs.

Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Tommy Amaker, Shane Battier, Marvin Bagley III, R.J. Barrett, Elton Brand, Danny Ferry, Kyrie Irving, Jahlil Okafor, Jon Scheyer, Jay Williams.