10 Best Duke Basketball Players of All Time
By Cem Yolbulan
Throughout its illustrious history, Duke has had plenty of iconic players. With five national championships to their name, the Blue Devils have made a name for themselves as one of the most successful college basketball programs in the country. Naturally, some of the best basketball players ever have worn the Blue Devils jersey.
There have been many Duke players who have found incredible success in their professional careers. Here we are going to focus on Duke careers alone. Let's take a look at the ten best Blue Devils of all-time.
10. Elton Brand
Brand was a part of one of the best college teams to not win the national title. Between 1997 and 1999 when Brand was there, Duke went 69-6 before losing to UConn in the final. He was named the consensus National Player of the Year in 1999 before becoming the first player under Coach K to leave early for the NBA Draft. He ended his Duke career averaging 16.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game.
Brand ended up being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft and had a successful NBA career where he became a two-time All-Star and a walking double-double.
9. Zion Williamson
There is a clear argument to be made for Zion Williamson to be the best Duke player ever in terms of overall talent and production. Williamson was an absolute sensation when he was in Durham, completely dominating the competition on his way to averaging 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game as a freshman. His electric dunks, highlight blocks, and mind-blowing athleticism are still remembered fondly to this day.
Unfortunately, it's hard to put a player who only played 30 games as a Blue Devil much higher than this. He carried the team to Elite 8 and won the ACC championship in his first year, becoming one of only three freshmen ever to have 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season, before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He arguably has the best individual season as a Duke player but it's not enough to crack the top five on this list.