Duke Basketball Player Review: Wendell Moore has all tools to succeed

Wendell Moore had a very good first season with the Duke basketball team, and despite some inconsistencies, the rising sophomore has all the tools to succeed in Durham.

Entering Duke, Wendell Moore was viewed as a Swiss army knife that could do it all on the basketball court, but he didn’t have that one skill that stood out above the rest.

As the season unfolded, that idea played out for the freshman from North Carolina, and while he was good at just about everything, he never truly thrived in one particular role.

More from Ball Durham

The biggest strength for Moore in his first season in Durham was his defense and his playmaking abilities.

On the defensive end, the 6-foot-6 forward was able to guard one through four, while offensively he was at his best when he was attacking and getting to the rim, but sometimes the freshman would get out of control and pick up unnecessary fouls and turnovers.

Moore played in 25 games, starting 11, and averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 41.6 percent from the floor and a lowly 21.1 percent from 3-point range.

His 3-point shooting, coupled with 2.1 fouls and 2.4 turnovers per game, is where Wendell Moore must improve entering his sophomore season.

Moore did miss six games this year due to a broken hand that required surgery, suffered in a road victory over Miami in early January that forced him to miss the rest of the month.

ALSO READ: Duke freshman hints at return for sophomore season

Entering the 2020-21 season, Duke will be loaded at the wing position, most notably bringing in highly-touted freshman Jalen Johnson, ranked No. 11 in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, but Moore should carve his way into a consistent starting role.

ALSO READ: The projected Duke starting five for next season

While no official announcement was made, a Snapchat post from Wendell Moore after the season was canceled saying “it’s not a goodbye…just a see you later” all but confirmed his return to the Blue Devils for at least one more season.

GRADE: B

Home/Duke Basketball