Duke basketball product nearly eclipses NBA Draft Combine record

Another NBA-bound Duke basketball name is exhibiting first-round qualities.

As an NBA Draft Combine participant, all Cassius Stanley had to do to set this century’s record for the event was match his max vertical leap of 46 inches as a Blue Devil, which broke Zion Williamson’s Duke basketball record from a year prior.

ALSO READ: How Zion Williamson revived an entire industry

But Stanley came up just a bit short this week, per a tweet from ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony.

The 6-foot-6 wing — son to former long jump standout Tonya Sedwick — reached only 44 inches, placing Stanley third since 2000, behind Hamidou Diallo’s 44.5 inches in 2017 and Kenny Gregory’s 45.5 inches in 2001.

Granted, the max vertical leap is by no means a pure indicator of future NBA success. After all, Gregory went undrafted and never played in the NBA; as for Diallo, he didn’t hear his name until the middle of the second round and has averaged 5.2 points across two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Also, to be fair to the Zion Williamson’s of the world — as if there are more than one — many top prospects nowadays skip the combine. Plus, there are reports of Michael Jordan leaping 46 inches prior to the 1984 NBA Draft and tales of Wilt Chamberlain hitting 48 inches some 60 years ago.

Nevertheless, Stanley’s latest measurement is sure to attract some important eyeballs. Of course, one can assume that franchises have already checked out the high-flying highlights from the Los Angeles native’s one-and-done Duke campaign:

The Duke basketball sensation can do more than just soar

As Duke followers already know, there’s much more to Stanley than his one-man dunk contests. And the fact he’s already 21 years old shouldn’t discourage folks as much as it appears to be at the moment.

The former four-star recruit, who arrived in Durham while drawing concerns about his outside jumper, managed to quiet such critics by making 36.0 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Furthermore, Stanley proved to be a solid all-around scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 boards as a full-time starter for a 25-6 Duke team that finished No. 11 in the AP Poll.

That said, like fellow Duke basketball products Tre Jones and Vernon Carey Jr., Stanley has gone largely overlooked leading up to the Nov. 18 NBA Draft, sitting as low as the late second round on several mock drafts. At the same time, though, each of the three Blue Devils continues to land in the first round on at least some sites’ draft boards.

ALSO READ: Tre Jones trending toward lottery pick

Jones has impressed scouts with his improved strength and bounce, evident in the two-and-done Dukie’s most recent workouts. Carey Jr. has earned praise by shedding more than 30 pounds since his rookie show at Duke. Meanwhile, Stanley still has a shot to go higher than most expect on draft night due to his overall maturity, showman personality, and unteachable flight.

Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more Duke basketball news and views.