Brandon Ingram joins Duke: Don’t Expect 2014-5 Right Away
Yesterday Brandon Ingram chose to join the Duke Blue Devils over UNC, Kansas, and NC State. Ingram was a highly prized highly rated recruit who is 6’9” but projects as a wing. He becomes the fourth member of Duke’s signing class joining Chase Jeter, Luke Kennard, and Derryk Thornton. Clearly Coach Mike Krzyzewski is building a super class to refill his roster after winning the national championship, right?
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Is this not just a Kentucky type move to reload with players who will be here one year and gone the next? Does this make Duke the early favorite for next year’s ACC?
Not so fast. This class is not Jahlil Okafor – Tyus Jones – Justise Winslow part two. Those guys had connections before their college days at Duke. They learned to play together through AAU ball and that process made it very easy to adapt to college play together. Senior Quinn Cook bought in quickly and offered the veteran hand to steady them and that group was off and running.
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These four guys are coming together for the first time, and it will take time for them to adjust. Thornton did not play his final year of high school ball to come to Duke early. There is also no guarantee that all four will start. Amile Jefferson will probably be in the starting lineup unless Duke goes small for the second year in a row.
To accomplish that, they would play Jeter in the post with Ingram as a taller but thinner version of Justise Winslow at the four. That would allow them to play Kennard, Thornton, and sophomore Grayson Allen at the other three spots.
More patience is needed with this new group of Devils. Only Ingram is rated in 2016 Mock Drafts, so there is a good chance that this team will get more than just one shot to make it work.