Evaluating each Duke basketball player’s greatest strength

The top 11 guys on the 2020-21 Duke basketball team all have a strong suit.

Let’s get started here with a look at the greatest strength of Duke basketball sophomore forward Matthew Hurt…

ABILITY TO STRETCH THE FLOOR

Matthew Hurt had a bit of a roller coaster freshman campaign, but he was able to show his ability to stretch the floor with his outside shooting touch. The 6-foot-9 stretch-four averaged 9.7 points per game as a Duke basketball rookie and led the Blue Devils in made 3-point field goals last season with 42 (he hit 39.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc).

While Hurt did not really show he could take bigger defenders off the dribble, he did show he could create his own shot at times. He uses the shot fake well and has good footwork to maneuver himself around a defender to get a cleaner look.

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Also, Hurt has a solid step-back jumper, which allows him to create more space for his shots. As a sophomore who reportedly added some 20 pounds of muscle to his frame while at home in Minnesota over the summer, he will need to show more of his all-around game. But if nothing else, having a big man who can knock down perimeter shots is always helpful.

Now, we’ll move on and examine the specialties of each of the other 10 potential regular contributors on the Duke roster this season…