Duke basketball: How Matthew Hurt declaring for NBA Draft affects Blue Devils lineup
Matthew Hurt has officially declared for the NBA Draft, leaving a big hole in the Duke basketball lineup.
The one positive from Duke’s worst season in years was the development of power forward Matthew Hurt. After a disappointing freshman year, Hurt became Duke’s best player as a sophomore, averaging 18.3 points per game and 6.2 rebounds a night, and parlayed that strong season into a move to the NBA Draft.
Hurt is hiring an agent and will forego his remaining eligibility with the Blue Devils in order to go pro. Most experts project that Hurt will be a second-round pick, but his skill set does project well to the modern NBA as a stretch four, so a spot at the tail end of the first round is a possibility if Hurt does well at the draft combine.
It made a ton of sense for Hurt to go pro now since he is coming off an extremely impressive season. It’s hard to see a potential benefit to staying in school since there isn’t a clear skill that Hurt can improve to bolster his stock to become a first-round lock, so making the jump now off a career-best performance is a smart decision.
How will Duke basketball replace Hurt in the starting lineup?
Most projected Duke lineups didn’t have Hurt in them, so it is logical to assume coach Mike Krzyzewski was operating under the assumption he wouldn’t have Hurt available for the 2021-22 campaign.
The good news for Coach K is he does have some good options to fill Hurt’s shoes as the Blue Devils look to bounce back from a season that saw them become one of the blue bloods to miss the NCAA Tournament.
The top option to fill Hurt’s lineup spot right now is incoming freshman Paolo Banchero, a five-star recruit who happens to be a stretch four. Banchero is coming to Durham with considerably higher expectations than Hurt and could be a natural fit as the latest potential lottery pick to suit up for the Blue Devils.
Another intriguing fit for Duke could be Patrick Baldwin, one of the top uncommitted players in this class, and a guy who has the Blue Devils on his shortlist, although they may not be the favorite.
Hurt’s departure not only frees up a scholarship for Baldwin but also opens up minutes for him to potentially play alongside Banchero in the frontcourt, which would Duke some elite athleticism down low to create mismatches for a brilliant coach like Krzyzewski to exploit.
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