The returning Duke basketball player with perhaps the most to prove next season should use this downtime to dissect film of a few former Blue Devils at his position.
A steady pushup regimen. Sprints up and down as many hills as one can find back home in fifth-flattest-state Minnesota. Burning midnight oil with Duke basketball history books in hand (or YouTube videos ought to suffice).
If Matthew Hurt sticks to that routine, then the rest should work itself out upon his expected arrival back in Durham for his sophomore campaign. Yes, the workout portion of the schedule is crucial for the 6-foot-9, 215-pound power forward, for he typically looked powerless against chiseled forwards throughout the 2019-20 Blue Devils’ 25-6 run. In order to maximize his game, though, he must grasp the type of college star he could become.
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In terms of names, well, the 19-year-old — 20 next week — must live with the one his parents gave him (fun fact about that: the only other Matt’s to have been Duke basketball players, Christensen and Jones, each became a national champ). However, there are three past Blue Devil names whom Hurt could benefit from by swiping some of their moves and tendencies while also studying their demeanors on the court.
On that note, it’s time to ring the bell for Duke hoops study hall to begin. Let’s flip the page to the senior year of the Dukie whose name never fails to come up in discussions concerning what should be the low end of Hurt’s potential…