NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Ohio of last decade

By Joey Loose | Sep 12, 2022

Mar 16, 2012; Greensboro, NC, USA; Lehigh Mountain Hawks guard C.J. McCollum (3) looks to pass as Duke Blue Devils forward Josh Hairston (15) defends. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Blue Devils 75-70 in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sportsat Barclays Center. /

3. Luke Kennard – Duke

Considered one of the top recruits back in 2015, Kennard was certainly a talented shooter and scorer at the high school level. A 6’5 guard from Franklin, he made his way to Duke to play for Coach K, as many highly-touted recruits have done in recent memory. Kennard spent a pair of seasons with the Blue Devils, with a solid freshman campaign and a really impressive step forward in his second season.

As a freshman, Kennard was the third-leading scorer on a Duke team that was upended in the Sweet Sixteen, contributing a 30-point effort earlier in the season against Notre Dame. His sophomore season was more impactful, as Kennard averaged 19.5 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, becoming the top scoring option on the Blue Devils. He hit nearly 44% of his 3-pointers, helping lead Duke to an ACC Tournament title with a run of impressive performances.

Kennard was named a Second Team All-American, First Team All-ACC, and ACC Tournament MVP for that impressive run as a sophomore. He was among the nation’s best offensive players, ranking among the ACC’s very best in scoring and shooting. He couldn’t lead Duke on a deep postseason run but still made his mark in those two seasons. Kennard became the 12th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft and is preparing for his sixth season in the NBA to begin in a few months.

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