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Duke Basketball: Depth chart and rotation predictions for 2020-21 season

By Matthew Travis

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 02: The Cameron Crazies cheer during the game between the Duke Blue Devils and the St. John's Red Storm at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 02, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 91-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 02: The Cameron Crazies cheer during the game between the Duke Blue Devils and the St. John's Red Storm at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 02, 2019 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 91-61. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Matthew Hurt, Duke Blue Devils. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /

Power Forwards

Starter: Matthew Hurt (20 Minutes Per Game)

In 2020-21, I see Matthew Hurt being the starter, but I don’t believe he will get the minutes most starters typically get. Duke is STACKED at power forward, and for that reason I see several players getting time at the four.

However, I believe Hurt will be the starter more times than not following his freshman season that was simply, average. In his first season in Durham, Hurt averaged 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game on 48.7/39.3/74.1 shooting splits.

Those numbers certainly aren’t bad, but they can also be improved on for sure, and Hurt’s offseason progress points to just that.

"According to Hurt’s dad, Richard, the 6’9″ forward has added 26 pounds of weight to his frame since leaving Durham in March and returning back home to Rochester, Minnesota. via 247Sports"

If it’s true that Hurt has put on 26 pounds of muscle, he could be a completely different player in his sophomore season. Coming out of high school Hurt was known for his three-point shooting, but in his first year with the Blue Devils, he made an average of only 1.4 threes per game.

Nonetheless, I personally expect Matthew Hurt to be the game one starter for Duke, but I also expect his minutes per game to go down a bit with the plethora of players Duke has at the power forward position.

Bench: Jaemyn Brakefield (15 Minutes Per Game), Joey Baker (Five Minutes Per Game), Henry Coleman III (<2 Minutes Per Game)

I would expect Jaemyn Brakefield to get the most time off the bench at the four. As the 31st ranked recruit on ESPN’s top-100 and a 6’8″ 215 lb forward out of Jackson, Mississippi, Brakefield is a very talented forward who might not get the time he deserves in his freshman season because of Duke’s depth.

Brakefield is talented enough to make a huge impact for Duke, but because of Matthew Hurt and his addition of 26 pounds, I wouldn’t expect him to start.

As for Joey Baker, I would expect him to get around five-to-eight minutes per game at the four while also getting a couple of minutes per game at the three. Baker hasn’t been used, really at all, in his two years at Duke, and unfortunately, I don’t see that changing much in his junior season.

Baker had a couple of incredible performances last season, going for 11 points or more four times, with his season-high being 22 against Wofford in December. This being said, he has proven he has the ability to help the Blue Devils in a large way, but he hasn’t shown it enough to get a solid amount of minutes in his junior year.

As for Henry Coleman III, he’s a 6’7″ 238 lb power forward out of Richmond, Virginia, who I believe is a year out from getting significant time in Durham. Coleman is a very talented player, but unfortunately for him, the Blue Devils have a ton of talent at the two forward positions, and because of it he will slip back a bit in the depth chart.

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