Duke basketball: Wendell Moore confirms return for sophomore campaign
Duke basketball freshman forward Wendell Moore confirmed on social media that he will return to the Blue Devils for his sophomore season.
About 24 hours after Duke basketball freshman forward Matthew Hurt announced his return for his sophomore season, Wendell Moore did the same.
Moore hinted at a return to Durham days after the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and his fellow freshman, Cassius Stanley, assured the same sentiments in a press conference with the media last week.
Wendell Moore officially announced his return on his Instagram on Friday evening.
The 6-foot-6 wing played in 25 games for the Blue Devils in his freshman season, missing a handful of games due to a broken bone in his thumb halfway through the season.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_GY4ZJn6dX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Moore’s best moment of his first season came on February 8 when he lifted Duke over rival North Carolina in the Dean Dome with a putback layup in overtime as time expired.
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The Charlotte native averaged 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per game on 41.6 percent shooting from the field, but he struggled from 3-point range, only making 21.1 percent of his shots.
Wendell Moore will only be one of four rotational pieces returning from a year ago, joining rising senior Jordan Goldwire, junior Joey Baker, and his sophomore teammate Hurt.
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The Blue Devils lose freshmen Vernon Carey Jr. and Cassius Stanley early to the NBA, in addition to sophomore Tre Jones. Seniors Javin DeLaurier, Jack White, and Justin Robinson will all be graduating from Duke, and rising senior Alex O’Connell opted to transfer from the program.
However, Mike Krzyzewski will bring in a loaded six-man recruiting class, headlined by versatile forward Jalen Johnson.
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Entering his sophomore season, Wendell Moore has to work a lot more on his body control with driving to the basket in addition to his 3-point shooting. If Moore is able to work on his game, he could be primed for a sophomore jump similar to that of former Duke basketball players Grayson Allen or Luke Kennard.