Duke Basketball: Wendell Carter Jr. should return to the Blue Devils
Three underclassmen for Duke Basketball have already declared for the NBA Draft. Will Wendell Carter Jr. join them?
When the season first started, it was widely expected that the entire starting lineup would be gone in the off-season. Grayson Allen would graduate, and the four freshmen (Trevon Duval, Gary Trent Jr., Wendell Carter Jr., and Marvin Bagley III) leaving for the NBA Draft.
Three out of the four have declared with an agent, with Carter the only one having yet to announce his intentions. He’s universally considered a lock for the lottery and is listed as the No. 9 prospect on our current 2018 Big Board of players.
But what went from a foregone conclusion has all of a sudden become more cloudy, with Carter currently seriously mulling through all options.
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There really is no right or wrong answer regardless of his decision, but if he does decide to stay at Duke for his sophomore season, it would have potentially huge benefits.
Taking an early look at Duke’s roster next season, they seem to have four locked in starters – Tre Jones, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson, all top-10 recruits for the class of 2018. One important thing to note is that none of those mentioned players are above 6’7, which will cause problems on the boards.
Assuming those four are the starters, that leaves the center position for the taking. And who better than a 6’10, 260-pound big man who was one of the best rebounders in the country.
Carter averaged 13.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg while averaging 27 mpg during the season. In the four games when Bagley was out with a knee injury, the power forward posted double-doubles while upping his scoring production. If he does return, he’ll get to play out of Bagley’s shadow and get his just due.
Another factor to think about is how the 2018 NBA Draft compares to the future 2019 NBA Draft. Four of out the top six current NBA prospects are big men, which will be vastly different from the guard-heavy group for 2019. Carter would have a great shot at being the first big man taken if he goes one year late, possibly being a top-3 draft pick.
Next: 2018-19 Preseason Top 25
The other aspect that could sway Carter for a Duke return is that the team would be once again the preseason No. 1 team and title favorites. He could be the face of that team rather than a sidekick to another big man. It’ll be a tough decision, either way, one that will have a seismic impact on college basketball next season.