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

Centers

Starter: Mark Williams (24 Minutes Per Game)

Personally, I see Mark Williams getting the starting center job. Standing at 7’0″, 230 lbs, Williams is a BIG boy who can make a huge impact for the Blue Devils on both ends of the floor. He’s a four-star recruit ranked 31st in the nation in ESPN’s Top-100 rankings who went to IMG Academy.

Williams is known for his defensive ability and is very talented when it comes to grabbing both offensive and defensive boards. A lot of Williams’ points will come from put backs and toss-ups while camping around the rim, which is exactly what Duke needs. Williams could be a huge addition for Duke and I would fully expect him to get 20+ minutes a game.

Bench: Patrick Tape (16 Minutes Per Game)

Patrick Tape is Duke’s first incoming transfer in quite some time, coming from Columbia University. Tape is a 6’10” 232 lb forward/center who in his most recent season with the Lions (2018-19) averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists with 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as well.

Tape is a very talented player who will without a doubt get several starts in his first season in Durham, but ultimately I believe Coach K will go with the height in Mark Williams to start over Tape.

You should also expect Duke to use a big lineup that includes both Williams and Tape at the same time with Tape at the four. Tape holds an impressive 66.7% field goal percentage and for that reason, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if he is used alongside Williams.

Overall, Duke has a TON of options everywhere, and I would expect to see a plethora of different starting lineups used throughout the season. Whether the lineup I predicted be the starting lineup or not, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or on Twitter @MJTrav627!