NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Connecticut of last decade
By Joey Loose
7. Kahlil Dukes – USC / Niagara
Despite being from Hartford, Dukes was wooed to USC, playing two seasons for the Trojans before transferring back to the east coast. A talented 6’0 guard, he played his final two seasons at Niagara, having connections to coach Chris Casey that he certainly didn’t have with new USC coach Andy Enfield. His role at USC was minimal, but he really broke out with the Purple Eagles.
Dukes was sparingly used in his two seasons with the Trojans, playing less than 7 minutes per game. After sitting out the 2015-16 season, he’d star for two years at Niagara. He had a 37-point performance in a win at Monmouth, and his only double-double in a game against St. Francis (PA), both during his senior season. During that final year, he averaged 21.0 points per game, with solid assists numbers as well.
He was the MAAC Co-Player of the Year for that senior season while leading the conference in free throw and 3-point field goal percentage. Dukes was also Top 10 in assists and clearly make an important impact with the Purple Eagles. It’s the kind of impact he wouldn’t have made had he stayed at USC, where he was barely getting minutes. He’s spent his last four years playing overseas, most recently in Turkey.