Grading each Duke basketball player’s performance in season opener
By Matt Giles
Grading the play of Duke basketball freshman Jaemyn Brakefield
The stat line of Jaemyn Brakefield vs. Coppin State: In four minutes on the court, the freshman forward finished with one point, one rebound, zero assists, zero steals, one block, one turnover, and zero fouls while shooting 0-for-1 from the field, with the lone attempt coming from deep, plus 1-for-2 from the charity stripe.
The evaluation of Jaemyn Brakefield vs. Coppin State: If Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski had to do it all over again, chances are he would have inserted Jaemyn Brakefield into the game for the first time long before the tail end of the first half.
Because even though the 6-foot-8, 215-pound former four-star from Mississippi contributed only one point, one rebound, and one block to the box score during his four total minutes, his energy in chasing down loose balls and aggression in trying to make positive things happen on both ends of the floor paid off for the Blue Devils during a critical stretch midway through the second half.
Plus, Brakefield appeared to be fairly comfortable with the ball in his hands at the top of the key. And he also came across as a team-first guy in general. With all that in mind, one would think at this point he stands a real shot to be in the regular rotation moving forward.
The final grade for Jaemyn Brakefield vs. Coppin State: 85 (B)