Duke basketball: Grading each Blue Devil through three games
By Matt Giles
Grading Duke basketball freshman Henry Coleman through three games
At the very least, by way of his muscle-packed physique, Henry Coleman provides the Blue Devils with an intimidating presence inside the arc. Also, even outside the arc — at least on defense, anyway — the 6-foot-7, 230-pound freshman forward has found ways to contribute throughout his limited playing time.
Against Bellarmine, only his second appearance of the season after riding the pine the entire time in the loss to Michigan State, Coleman exhibited his determination and savvy by snagging two steals on the perimeter. Plus, albeit in mop-up time, he turned one of those steals into a fastbreak dunk and also scored in traffic after securing a lob pass from Jordan Goldwire on the baseline.
On the flipside, Coleman’s other steal of the night resulted in a cringe fastbreak layup attempt that he managed to brick — quite hard — off the bottom of the rim. Poor rim.
Six days prior, versus Coppin State, Coleman played less than a minute, so it was difficult to get any read on the Virginia product before the Bellarmine outing. But his brief stint on the court in the opener could be indicative of what’s to come: he forced a foul while boxing out, yet that call could have gone either way, which could be the case all season when the bruiser is battling for position.
Plus, that day, Coleman displayed butterfingers in failing to come down with a rebound.
In other words, quick foul trouble in addition to coordination-related bobbles and turnovers could be common occurrences for Coleman. Of course, as noted earlier, there’s still something to be said for his passion-fueled steals, positive energy, and imposing frame…
The grade for Henry Coleman through three games: 80 (B-)