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Duke basketball: 50 best players to play for Coach K

By Matthew Travis

Nov 12, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski prior to a game against the Army Black Knights at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2021; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski prior to a game against the Army Black Knights at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Best Duke Basketball Players
Elton Brand, Duke basketball /

8. Elton Brand (1997-1999)

Elton Brand played only two seasons in Durham, but over the course of those two seasons, he put together one of the best careers we have ever seen from a player who called Durham home. In his first season with the Blue Devils, Brand helped Duke win the ACC Regular Season title as he averaged 13.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.

However, his sophomore season was the year he cemented his legacy. Over the course of the 1998-99 season, Brand helped the Blue Devils to a 37-2 record and they won the ACC Regular Season and Tournament titles, and made it to the National Championship game where they lost to UConn.

That season he averaged 17.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game. He was named the ACC Player of the Year, the ACC Tournament MVP, the Associated Press Player of the Year, won the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Rupp Trophy, and was also named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.

Brand left Durham for the 1999 NBA Draft where he was selected with the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls, and he put together a heck of an NBA career as well. Brand was the 1999-00 Rookie of the Year, a two-time All-Star, and was named to the All-NBA second-team in 2005-06. Brand played in the NBA for 17 seasons and held a career average of 15.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game.