Duke basketball freshman hints at return for sophomore season

Nothing is official, but Wendell Moore did provide another reason to believe he’ll still be a Duke basketball player come fall.

Several of his comments prior to arriving last summer as a Duke basketball rookie suggested he’d like to get to the NBA as soon as possible (granted, most top 50 recruits come in with this dream).

Yet little else since has hinted that Wendell Moore will become a one-and-done. After all, though his length, athleticism, and positive attitude are promising, his freshman averages of 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals don’t exactly have pro franchises drooling just yet (he’d likely either land in the second round or go undrafted in June, assuming there is no postponement to the 2020 NBA Draft).

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Even so, news of Moore’s plan to return would certainly be comforting for next season’s squad. With six more fresh faces on tap, the 2020-21 Blue Devils would benefit from the North Carolinian’s year worth of experience — even if that doesn’t include getting his feet wet in March Madness now that coronavirus concerns prompted an abrupt end to postseason play.

And no right-minded Duke basketball follower should object to having a proven Dean Dome soul-crusher like Moore around for as long as possible.

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Though Moore has not given confirmation of his plan, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound small forward did hop on Snapchat over the weekend to post a picture of Coach K Court with the following cryptic message: “it’s not a goodbye…just a see you later ❤∞.”

Now, some argue Moore’s words might simply mean he foresees trips to Cameron Indoor Stadium in order to watch the Blue Devils from the bleachers. However, the consensus is that the love note is indeed a statement of his intention to become a sophomore.

Seeing that in these uncertain times our minds need more positive thoughts — even those that are relatively insignificant in the grand scheme of things — it’s understandable if any Duke fan latches onto that more-Moore conclusion for now.

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