Duke’s scoring ability is at its best when the Blue Devils have a strong point guard and a stretch-4 forward on his way to the NBA.
Even before the 2017-18 season starts, the Blue Devils already have the players to fill those roles lined up for the 2018-19 season.
On Friday night, 6-8 small forward Cameron Reddish committed to play for Duke in what figures to be his lone college season.
The No. 4 player in the 2018 recruiting class, Reddish picked the Blue Devils over Connecticut, UCLA, Kentucky and Villanova.
When he arrives at Duke next summer, he’ll join point guard Tre Jones with the Blue Devils. Jones, the No. 12 player in the class, was Duke’s first commitment for the 2018 recruiting class.
Where Duke has point guard Trevon Duval and forward Marvin Bagley to anchor its talented team for this season, Jones and Reddish ensure that the talent won’t drop off the following season. That’s even with the expectation that Duval and Bagley, as well as guard Gary Trent, Jr., and Wendell Carter, will head to the NBA after their lone season together at Duke.
Duke’s haul for 2018 is likely to grow even larger. Guard Darius Garland, the No. 8 player in the class, is strongly considering the Blue Devils. He’s shown interest in teaming up with Jones and Reddish in college.
Reddish, a five-star recruit who attends Westtown School in Norristown, Pa., has the size to play inside combined with the ball-handling skills to play on the perimeter. This summer, he averaged 10.7 points per game playing for the U.S. U19 team coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari that placed third at the FIBA World Cup in Egypt.
Reddish will continue Duke’s tradition of stretch-4 forwards. In recent years, such players like Jabari Parker, Justise Winslow, Brandon Ingram and Jayson Tatum have played one season for Duke in that position before becoming NBA lottery picks. Bagley figures to make it five players in a row after this season and Reddish is lined up with the possibility of being No. 6.
Read more: Does Marvin Bagley make Duke the hands-down favorite?