What Does Grayson Allen’s Return Mean For Duke?
By Matt Mikhail
In mid-April, Duke received important news when Grayson Allen announced that he would play his senior year at Duke rather than head to the NBA. While Grayson’s decision is not shocking, there were good reasons for him to turn pro.
No one has forgotten Grayon’s third trip within a year’s time. It was was well-covered to say the least. Don’t misunderstand me – Grayson was in the wrong. Period. But the media (namely one network) decided to follow and criticize Grayson’s every step. He was consistently derided by fans and media alike. One member of said unnamed network even went as far to say other players should punch him in the face.
In addition to the circus that followed Grayson around last year, he is set to graduate from Duke after only three years.
It begs the question, why would Allen spurn the large sums of money the NBA has to offer to face another year of college scrutiny?
While only he can answer that question, I like to think Grayson is out for redemption and revenge. There is little doubt Duke’s 2016-2017 season did not go as planned. Hopefully Grayson is coming back to change last year’s result for himself and for Duke.
So what does his return mean for Duke?
1) Much-needed Experience
Duke’s team next year is going to be woefully young. Matt Jones and Amile Jefferson are gone. So are would-be sophomores Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum. Frank Jackson has declared for the draft but not hired an agent. Ultimately, I believe he will be back.
Regardless, Duke, without Allen, would be looking at a starting lineup consisting of nearly all freshman and sophomores who barely played. Now, Duke, at the least, will have one senior to show the next batch of freshman super stars the way.
Don’t forget – Grayson is National Champion and an All American. His presence cannot be overstated.
2) Duke Will Likely Be A Top-10 Team
Duke Blue Devils Basketball
As stated, Duke would have been very inexperienced if Grayson didn’t return. On top of that, Duke would likely have been short on talent (compared to Duke’s usual teams). Duke’s roster, outside of Grayson Allen and excluding walk-ons, would look something like:
- Marques Bolden
- Javin DeLaurier
- Jack White
- Antonio Vranknovic
- Gary Trent, Jr.
- Wendell Carter
- Alex O’Connell
- Jordan Goldwire
That’s zero depth. Duke is still recruiting three top 10 recruits but there are no guarantees. Duke badly needed another elite player to bolster a thin roster. Grayson ensures Duke will have a talented scoring guard who also has the athleticism, height, and experience to be, at least, a solid wing defender at the college level.
3) Duke Can Contend for the National Title
Duke’s roster is still far from finalized. The aforementioned Jackson has until May 24 to decided if he will return to college. If he does return, Grayson, Jackson, and Trent will form a formidable backcourt and the backbone of the team. The backcourt could even take another step forward if Trevon Duval chooses to attend Duke next year.
Duke is also still in the hunt for elite recruits Kevin Knox and Mohamed Bamba. If Duke gets Jackson back and lands two of the three recruits, Duke will start the season in the top-3. Duke could even be the preseason 1 in that scenario.
Even if Duke only gets Jackson back and one of the top recruits, Duke will be a force to contend with. However, if last season was any sort of lesson, preseason predictions are useless. What we do know is that Grayson Allen will be wearing a Duke jersey next year and that will give Duke a chance to contend.
Next: Duke to Play Non-Conference Opponent for First Time in 2017