Five bold predictions for 2020-21 Duke basketball season

Bold Prediction No. 2 for Duke basketball: The Blue Devils will have the ACC Player and Freshman of the Year

Again, not that bold given the recent history of the Duke basketball program.

However, we’ll try and spice it up by saying that the Blue Devils will have the ACC Player and Freshman of the Year, but it will be two different players.

Duke did this last season with Tre Jones and Vernon Carey Jr., and the historic program will do it again with Matthew Hurt and Jalen Johnson.

Hurt’s weight will translate into much more production on the court, and Johnson will live up to the hype, streaking down court for the highlight reel dunks that Cameron Indoor Stadium has become accustomed to seeing.

Johnson will carry the chip on his shoulder that saw him fall in the final recruiting rankings because of issues surrounding where he would play his final season of high school basketball.

Duke is going to have the firepower to score — and score a lot — but its defense will determine its success in the 2020-21 season.