Duke quickly regrouped following the decisions by Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow, and Tyus Jones to head to the NBA. All three former Blue Devils were selected in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft, with Okafor going No. 3 overall to the Philadelphia 76ers, and Winslow No. 10 to the Miami Heat.
Mike Krzyzewski and his staff quickly secured the services of Florida 6-11 big man Antonio Vrankovic, put projected walk-on Justin Robinson of Texas, the son of NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, on scholarship, and got commitments from 5-star in-state wing Brandon Ingram and reclassified point guard Derryck Thornton. Vrankovic, Robinson, Ingram, and Thornton join forces with Ohio McDonald’s All-American Luke Kennard and Las Vegas post standout Chase Jeter to comprise the nation’s No. 1 freshman class.
McDonald’s All-American wing Brandon Ingram bringing his talents to Durham is a significant boon for the Blue Devils in several ways. Ingram, who chose the Blue Devils over Kansas, North Carolina Kentucky, and NC State, gives the Blue Devils precisely what they needed — another perimeter shooter with the versatility to make plays near the basket. Ingram’s game has grown by leaps and bounds over the past year to the point where he’s arguably Duke’s top incoming freshman. But regardless of whether you give the nod to Ingram or Luke Kennard, the presence of both elite players gives Duke some serious youthful firepower.[hr] Get access to the rest of this article and unlimited access to the rest of ACCSports.com when you upgrade to Premium Access! Click on the button below to view all the benefits of becoming a Premium Access member.Get the rest of the story right now with Premium Access!
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