Six forwards, ranked here, amount to the next Duke basketball team’s forte.
Looking at the 2020-21 Duke basketball roster, the strong suit lies in the six scholarship players between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-9. Each one possesses at least a tool or two to give opponents headaches. Each has the ability to play multiple positions. Each will compete for playing time. Several have All-ACC potential. One or two — heck, maybe three — could end up All-Americans.
Yes, this group of six (a junior, two sophomores, three freshmen) looks to be most responsible for ensuring Duke boasts the versatility, depth, and star power of a top NCAA Championship contender.
Keep in mind, though, after losing the top three scorers from a 25-6 squad that finished No. 11 in the AP Poll, the Blue Devils have only hovered No. 5-15 across early preseason rankings. In other words, 41st-year Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski may need to see all six of these forwards match or exceed expectations in order to have any shot at raising banner No. 6 in Durham.
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So let’s examine the general expectations for all six by predicting their individual production and ranking them accordingly. Let’s begin with No. 6 — relax, someone had to be last — and then make our way to the signature weapon of the bunch…