Duke forward Harry Giles will forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA Draft.
The school announced his decision Tuesday via Twitter:
HG. NBA next. #TheBrotherhood forever. 🔵😈🏀 pic.twitter.com/CQRBbm3iks
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 28, 2017
“With his uplifting personality and love for the game, Harry Giles has been a joy to coach,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He is only beginning to scratch the surface of how good he can be on the basketball court. Harry has an exciting NBA future ahead of him and we are here to fully support him as a member of our brotherhood.”
Giles underwent arthroscopic knee surgery before the season and missed the first several weeks of Duke’s 2016-17 campaign. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game over 26 contests (including six starts).
DraftExpress projects Giles as the No. 24 overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.
“Playing in the NBA has been my goal for as long as I can remember, and I’m so excited to take the next step in that journey,” Giles said. “My time at Duke has been a dream come true. I’ve built so many strong relationships here and I have so many people to thank, from my teammates and coaches to our medical staff and strength coach. I can’t understate how proud I am to be part of the Duke Basketball program forever.”
The Winston-Salem, N.C., native had one double-double on the year — a 10-point, 12-rebound effort against Georgia Tech on Jan. 4 — and scored a season-high 12 points against Boston College on Jan. 7. He was integral in Duke’s historic four-day run to the ACC Tournament championship, where he posted six points, seven rebounds and four blocks in the win over sixth-ranked North Carolina in the semifinals.
Duke has produced at least one first-round NBA Draft pick in each of the last six years. Coach K has mentored 32 first-round picks, including a draft-record 21 lottery selections.
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