Three Duke basketball players most likely to leave early next year

Duke basketball players who look to be next early departures: Wendell Moore

Probability of Wendell Moore’s early departure next spring: 60 percent

Based on public praises from Mike Krzyzewski, one would think Wendell Moore will be co-captain while serving as an extension of the staff on the court. Even though the former five-star prep out of Concord, N.C., isn’t a point guard — not to say he can’t be one part-time — he’s probably going to assume many of the leadership duties that floor general Tre Jones handled last season.

Last season, Moore was solid but nowhere near great — except for the heartstopping moments in Chapel Hill, of course, when he was perfectly magnificent.

Sure, there’s not much eye-popping about Moore’s rookie averages of 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.9 steals. Collectively, though, those stats show that the lengthy, athletic, 6-foot-6, 215-pound small forward has the potential to develop a toolbox deep enough to be an ideal role player in the NBA for years to come.

As soon as Wendell Moore develops a reliable outside shot and cuts down on the turnovers (4.1 per 40 minutes as a freshman) by letting the game slow down for him a bit, he’ll without a doubt be ready for that next stage. And there’s a relatively strong possibility he’ll have all the necessary improvements completed in time for the 2021 NBA Draft.