Duke basketball: The supreme Blue Devil lineup this season

The supreme 2020-21 Duke basketball lineup: Matthew Hurt

As with Wendell Moore, Matthew Hurt is in this lineup because of the chatter and pictures that suggest major upgrades. After falling short of expectations as a freshman — often serving as little more than a pinball in the game of bumper cars against ACC bruisers — the former five-star from Minnesota added 20 pounds during the offseason and now sports a 6-foot-9, 235-pound frame.

On top of the long hours spent around weights and the fridge, Hurt reportedly put up some 50,000 shots between the end of last season and his return to campus. Seeing that outside shooting was already his forte — he hit 39.3 percent of his 3-point attempts and led Duke with 42 makes from deep — this weapon alone should garner the sophomore loads of playing time.

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Along with Jalen Johnson, Hurt looks to be a top candidate to lead the Blue Devils in scoring this season. But his overall contributions will largely depend on 1) whether he puts forth more floor-diving effort than last season during chaotic sequences and 2) whether he is able to keep up in transition now that he’s carrying around added pounds.

Fortunately for the Blue Devils, the final piece to this supreme lineup is a big man who has relatively fast feet given his towering stature and, as a notable shot-blocker, ought to make up for some of the group’s defensive deficiencies…