NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of North Carolina of last decade
By Joey Loose
9. Brandon Ingram – Duke
It should come as no surprise that some of the best players from North Carolina choose to stay in the state, and Ingram was certainly no different. A five-star prospect, Ingram is a 6’9 guard from Kinston who joined Mike Krzyzewski’s talented squad at Duke, arriving on campus just after the program’s national title win in 2015. Ingram spent just his freshman year on campus before bolting for the NBA, but it was a pretty solid campaign.
Ingram averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds a game during that freshman campaign, helping the Blue Devils to a 25-win season and Sweet Sixteen birth. He had career-highs with 26 points and 14 rebounds in a December win over Georgia Southern and would eventually score at least 20 points in all three of Duke’s NCAA Tournament games. He was also an above-average shooter, making 41% of his 3-pointers on the year.
He was named ACC Rookie of the Year and also All-ACC Second Team for a fantastic season in the college game. He was among the conference leaders in a plethora of categories, including points, blocks, and 3-point field goals. Though he may have preferred a deeper postseason run, Ingram accomplished what he needed at Duke, declaring for the draft after the season. He was drafted 2nd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers and is preparing for his seventh year in the NBA, now with the New Orleans Pelicans.