Duke Basketball: What might the 2019-20 campaign hold?

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the game against the North Dakota State Bison in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – FEBRUARY 12: Bolden of the Blue Devils shoots. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Key returners for the 2019-20 campaign

With four key players expected to depart this offseason, there are not that many major contributors returning for 2019-20. There are, though, a few notable returners that could take the next step in their careers with Duke next season. Most notably, big man Marques Bolden quietly had a breakout season this past year. He was, for the most part, overshadowed by the four freshmen but Bolden was incredible at times as the starting center for the team. He certainly flashed why he was a top-20 recruit himself out of high school and his game has improved since arriving in Durham.

Bolden started 22 contests for the Blue Devils this season and recorded 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He played just under 20 minutes per game and was clearly an integral part of the rotation due to his ability to swat shots with consistency and record his fair share of rebounds. Additionally, fellow frontcourt member Javin DeLaurier will also be returning for next year. DeLaurier’s numbers were not particularly great during this past season but he still exhibited relatively high block and rebounding rates while also starting 16 games.

On the wings, Jack White and Alex O’Connell will be returning as well. Both players saw fairly substantial roles during this past year and it is reasonable to expect that they will reprise those positions. White is a bit of a “do-it-all” forward but he suffered through a massive 3-point drought that put a damper on his season. O’Connell, on the other hand, was a more consistent shooter (37.5% on the year) but he did not bring as much to the table.

Lastly, it would be a mistake to overlook the potential of Joey Baker next season. An extremely highly-touted 2018 recruit, Baker was expected to redshirt the 2018-19 campaign but that did not turn out to be the case as he played 18 minutes. Burning his redshirt was perhaps a questionable move looking back, but Baker should be an integral part of the rotation next year. He is well-known as a 3-point sniper and there is no such thing as “too much shooting.”

(NOTE: Tre Jones could easily return to school and that would certainly change this section. He is currently projected to be selected in the latter half of the first round and his decision is yet to be made.)

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