Duke basketball: The hidden gem in Durham this season

Folks sleep on this Duke basketball newbie, but his voice will wake ’em up.

Because of innate leadership qualities and unteachable passion, Henry Coleman should be a hidden gem right away for the Duke basketball program, despite the fact his overall skillset still requires considerable work.

Though Coleman arrived as the lowest-ranked member of Duke’s six-deep 2020 class, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound burly forward was a four-star nonetheless. Besides, the former student body president at Trinity Episcopal (Va.) still had a respectable prep ranking of his own at No. 52 on the 247Sports Composite, largely due to his notable verve and strength, of both body and mind.

As a result of watching Coleman lead by his inspired action in practice and during an on-campus protest in August — just weeks after the 18-year-old moved in — Mike Krzyzewski recently expressed how fortunate he feels to have snagged such a unique prize on the recruiting trail:

“Henry — he’s a freshman — he goes up [during the protest], and he doesn’t just knock it out of the park. It’s a Grand Slam. The family he comes from — it doesn’t surprise me. This kid is even a better player than I thought, but as a person, he’s been our most energetic, and he’s kind of loud, really, in a good way. He’s not like your typical freshman.”

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Krzyzewski wasn’t through heaping praise on Coleman:

“But for him to just say that extemporaneously and with the emotion that he did shows we’re very lucky to have him. I hope I’m around when he’s stopped playing to see who he becomes, not just as a player. I just think he’s going to be a very special guy in our country. He’s that good.”

Speaking to Coleman’s on-court pursuits, sophomore stretch-four Matthew Hurt — a top candidate to lead Duke in scoring — has offered sentiments similar to Coach K’s when discussing the potential impact of the newcomers:

“I’ll start off with Henry. His energy, rebounding. He does a great job with it and brings it every day. That’s what he brings.”

What if Henry Coleman isn’t a part of the Duke basketball rotation?

Eventually, though perhaps not as early as this season due to the sheer amount of depth in Durham, Coleman should earn ample minutes to regularly demand double-doubles. The bruiser certainly did so while averaging more than 22 points and 12 rebounds across his final two years of high school.

Again, he may not see a shot to start stuffing stat sheets immediately. However, considering the relatively minimal depth down low and the evidence of Coleman being a quick learner, don’t be surprised to see the hidden gem take on a fairly sizeable role in the 2020-21 Duke basketball show, which officially debuts on Nov. 25 at home against Gardner-Webb.

Yet even if Henry Coleman rides the pine as a rookie, his teammates and fans should count on consistently hearing his impactful holler at full volume.

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