Duke Basketball: How three Plumlee brothers reached their ultimate goal

Once, the three Plumlee brothers were all on the Duke basketball roster. Now, they each are living out their dream with an NBA contract.

Well, it’s official. Marshall Plumlee has signed a three year deal (first year guaranteed) with the New York Knicks, and now all three Plumlee brothers are in the NBA.

It isn’t often that a trio of brothers play in the Association at the same time. The Plumlee brothers look to be the first trio to play in the league together since Jon, Brent and Drew Barry did so in 1997-2000.

Marshall’s signing was a surprise after going undrafted. Miles wasn’t supposed to be drafted in the first round because his back to the basket game wasn’t great. Mason was a lanky player who relied on his energy and spent four years in college.

So how did they ultimately make it to the next level? Let’s start from the very beginning.

Miles is the oldest brother, and therefore the first to attend Duke. He attended Christ High School in Arden, North Carolina, where he averaged 16 points a game his senior year. Miles was ranked just 47th in the ESPN Top 100 coming out of high school.

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Something people forget is that Miles was originally committed to Stanford before their coach opted to join another program.

But it all worked out for the best.

While Miles didn’t have a great first year statistically, the Blue Devils finished 30-7 after a Sweet 16 drubbing at the hands of Villanova. But it was something to build on, especially knowing his brother Mason had committed to play at Duke the next season.

Mason attended Christ School as well, and averaged 15 points and 10 boards his senior year. Mason was ranked as the 10th best player in the 2009 recruiting class and was highly regarded coming out of high school.

His first season could not have been much better. The Blue Devils finished 35-5, and the brothers both received a ring after beating Butler in the National Championship game. Mason didn’t see the court much, but Miles watched his role expand. He finished with five points and five boards per contest, and was a big part of the rotation during the NCAA Tournament run.

May 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) shoots the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the second quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

During the 2010-11 year, as Miles was now a junior and Mason a sophomore, younger brother Marshall followed in their footsteps and committed to the Blue Devils.

Marshall was ranked 35th overall in the class, and considered by some to be the best Plumlee yet.

Young Marshall joined the team, but due to a crowded roster, decided to red-shirt his first year. While all three were on the roster at the same time, they never got to play a regular season game together, as Marshall’s red-shirt year was Miles’ final year with Duke.

Miles capped his final year with six points and seven boards a game. Through his four years at Duke, he averaged just 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, but nonetheless, he was in the NBA for his energy and toughness (the Indiana Pacers surprisingly selected him late in the 1st round).

The next year was Mason’s final season under Coach K and he thrived averaging 17 points and 10 boards. Mason was then drafted 22nd overall by the Brooklyn Nets after the season ended.

Around this same time his brother Mason got drafted, Miles was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he began to show his potential.

This trade to the Suns helped him tremendously. For the 2013-14 year, Miles averaged eight points, eight boards and shot 51 percent, breaking out as a possible consistent future rotation player.

In Mason’s first season in the NBA, he averaged seven points and four boards with the Nets. The brothers competed against each other in the Rising Stars Game during the All-Star Break.