Duke Basketball: Blue Devils need Gary Trent Jr. to return
Duke is going to lose a ton of offense from this season. But if they want to compete for a national title, Gary Trent Jr. can’t be one of them.
There was going to a massive defection of players from the Duke Blue Devils no matter what happened this season. Senior Grayson Allen was set to graduate, and the four other starters were top-15 recruits, and likely one and done players.
After a season in which all four freshmen played well, their announcements was not an “if” but rather “when”. Marvin Bagley III, a likely top-5 NBA Draft pick, has already declared, and Wendell Carter Jr., projected as a lottery player himself, should be on the way out. Trevon Duval by all accounts is a first-round lock, so odds are he’s going to go pro.
That leaves Gary Trent Jr. His draft stock has been all over the place. There are some who have him as a mid-first player, and others who have the freshman down to the second round. He was one of the best shooters in the country, but concerns about his overall athleticism and ability to create his own shot have cast doubt on his pro prospects.
Of all the freshmen starters, Trent is the only one with a real chance of returning. And it could be the difference between making or missing out on a Final Four appearance next season.
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As usual, Duke will be bringing in great players to replace the production from this season. Tre Jones, younger brother of former Blue Devil Tyus Jones will take over at the point position. The frontcourt will be solid as well, with Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, and Zion Williamson (the top-3 overall players in the 2018 recruiting class) all coming in.
Duke will have the most athletic team in the country next year and will score at will against most teams. The only I would have is whether there’s enough shooting on this team to win a title? These guys shoot well in high school, but we’ve seen time and time again high-profile players struggling to shoot from deep.
Duval is the perfect example of this for Duke this year, while the entire Kentucky team had problems all year with the perimeter game. If these guys coming in aren’t as good, it could lower the ceiling for the Blue Devils.
Trent coming back would alleviate those concerns. He could slide in at the shooting guard position which would allow the four freshmen to start on the court. And his experience would be a welcome addition, as we’ve seen how young teams perform in March. Trent doesn’t need 15 shots a game but can be relied upon when needed.
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It could be days or even weeks before we find out what Trent’s intentions are. But if he comes back, it will make Duke even more dangerous than already expected.