Three Duke basketball players who will be pleasant surprises
By Matt Giles
Projected pleasant surprises for Duke basketball this season: Henry Coleman
Perhaps on purpose, in an attempt to minimize disappointments over the years, the Duke basketball fan who is writing this article has favored the outlook of the pessimists. After all, true pessimists delight in experiencing nothing but pleasant surprises.
On the other hand, dudes like Henry Coleman are a pessimist’s nightmare because his glowing personality alone leaves all spectators no choice but to expect big things. Therefore, this temporary optimist — for the sake of this preview here — is obviously left with no other choice but to add the freshman power forward to this definitive list of pleasant surprises to come.
Besides, Coleman’s gritty, instinctive efforts in each of the two intrasquad scrimmages this preseason — to the tune of a team-high 10 rebounds on the first night and then eight points in one 15-minute game the second night — have further solidified the expectation here that the lowest-ranked member of Duke’s six-deep 2020 class is indeed the collection’s hidden gem.
He’s beyond-his-years smart. He’s full-blast vocal. He’s grown-man strong.
To that last point, with his 6-foot-7, 230-pound Hulk-ish frame, Henry Coleman might prove to be one of only a few Blue Devils this season with either the necessary height or weight to hold down the five-spot. Therefore, seeing that pretty much all big men are magnets for foul trouble, he’s sure to supply consistent playing time and, of course, loads of pleasant surprises…