Duke Basketball: Kennard to enter NBA Draft, hire agent
By Stuart Gill
Duke Basketball’s Luke Kennard has declared for the NBA Draft and intends to hire an agent.
Following a breakout year in which he posted averages of 19.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, sophomore Luke Kennard has elected to forego the rest of his NCAA career and is heading to the 2017 NBA Draft.
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While all the preseason attention at Duke surrounded Grayson Allen, Kennard came out of the gates in dramatic fashion this year, logging double-digit point totals in the Blue Devils’ first two games.
He emerged as Duke’s go-to guy in their two-point loss to Kansas, when he posted his first 20+ point game and shot 9-of-14 from the floor. He went on to score at least 20 points in 17 other games, and routinely logged over 35 minutes per game.
All of his brilliance this year was underscored by the fact that just a year ago he was a relatively unknown freshman on a team that featured Allen and NBA lottery pick Brandon Ingram. He shot the ball well that year, but at just 180 pounds was unable to play with the physicality necessary to succeed in the ACC.
This past off-season, he clearly focused on tacking on mass in order to raise his ceiling as an offensive player, and boy did it pay off. He returned as a sophomore listed at 202 pounds, and was noticeably more active as a ball-handler and finisher. He also held an advantage in rebounding over other guards in the ACC.
His drastic improvements over the course of just one summer illustrates the kind of intangibles NBA franchises look for in players. While Kennard may not possess the show-stopping abilities of players such as Malik Monk or Lonzo Ball, he has proven he belongs in the NBA with his intense work ethic and leadership.
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Kennard is the third Duke player from this year’s team to declare for the NBA Draft, joining Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles. With Duke losing three players to graduation and two to the transfer market, Kennard becomes the eighth player to announce that he will not be suiting up as a Blue Devil next season.