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Duke Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Blue Devils

By Matthew Travis

Feb 25, 2020; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski reacts after a call in the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2020; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski reacts after a call in the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Duke Basketball Mark Williams Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Duke Basketball Mark Williams Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Projected Starters

Point Guard: Jeremy Roach, Sophomore

Starting at point guard for Duke this season will be Jeremy Roach. The sophomore guard started 18 of his 24 games for the Blue Devils last season, and I don’t see that changing much for his sophomore year. Last season for Duke, Roach averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.6% from the field, and 31.3% from beyond the arc.

Roach wasn’t exactly what the Blue Devils were hoping he might be in his freshman year, but he has reportedly progressed quite a bit heading into the 2021-22 season. Roach struggled in a big way last season when it came to consistency, but if he is able to be more consistent in his sophomore season, then Roach could be one of the top point guards in the ACC.

Shooting Guard: Trevor Keels, Freshman

Starting at shooting guard for the Blue Devils will be Trevor Keels, who is the second-ranked shooting guard, and the 22nd ranked player overall, in the Class of 2021. Keels is a 6’5″ 210 lb shooting guard out of Virginia, who really has the opportunity to take Duke’s offense to another level.

Keels is a very impressive shooter, maybe even one of the best in the Class of 2021, and when you add his impressive shooting to his large frame for a shooting guard, you have a player capable of making a difference on both ends of the floor.

Small Forward: Wendell Moore, Junior

Starting at small forward for Duke will be junior captain, Wendell Moore. Last season for Duke Moore averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, with a 41.6% field goal percentage, and a 21.1% three-point percentage.

Moore didn’t have a great season for Duke, but he did improve pretty significantly from his freshman year to his sophomore year. Now, the Blue Devils hope to see even more improvement from Moore as he takes on his new role as a team captain heading into the 2021-22 season.

Power Forward: Paolo Banchero, Freshman

Starting at power forward will undoubtedly be Paolo Banchero. Banchero is the top-ranked power forward in the Class of 2021, and the second-ranked player overall according to 247 Sports, Banchero was also named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List for the top power forward in the nation, as well as the NABC Player of the Year Watch List.

Banchero is one of the best players in the nation and he will undoubtedly take the Blue Devils to another level this season. He’s capable of scoring from just about anywhere on the floor, is a great passer with impressive handles, and is more than capable on the defensive side of the ball.

Center: Mark Williams, Sophomore

Lastly, starting at center will be Mark Williams, who last season improved greatly as the season progressed. On the season, Williams averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game, but in the Blue Devils’ final six games of the season, he averaged 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, plus 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks as well.

Towards the end of the year, Williams looked like one of the top players not only in the ACC but in the nation as a whole. If he is able to put up those kinds of numbers over the course of a full season, then the Blue Devils might really be capable of making some noise this season.

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