Ideal Duke basketball roster entering 2021-22 season
Ideal small forwards to be on 2021-22 Duke basketball roster
Wendell Moore
Wendell Moore was mulling leaving Duke after his freshman year.
He made the right decision in returning to Durham, and it showed after his slow start to the season.
However, Moore has been riding a high in his up-and-down season of late, and the progression that many hoped would take place from his freshman year to sophomore year is now taking shape.
Despite the progress, Moore still isn’t ready to contribute to an NBA roster within the next year.
Wendell Moore is only averaging 9.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 41.5-percent shooting from the field and 31.1-percent from three-point range.
As a junior, Moore would bring another level of leadership to the Blue Devils, both on and off the court. However, the one major negative that could be associated with him is concerning.
In two seasons as a Blue Devil, Wendell Moore might not have played in an NCAA Tournament game entering his junior season.
Nearly unheard of for a potential junior at Duke.
Adrian Griffin Jr.
The first freshman finally appears on the list, and Mike Krzyzewski landed another freak athlete in Adrian Griffin Jr.
Griffin is ranked as the No. 7 player in the Class of 2021, according to the 247 Sports Composite Rankings, and listed as a 6-foot-7 small forward.
A five-star prospect out of Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.), Griffin Jr. may not have played in a competitive basketball game in over a year when he arrives at Duke.
Despite the state of New York allowing for high school basketball games to take place, Josh Thomson of the Rockland/Westchester Journal News reports that it’s unknown if the Duke signee will return to New York from Florida, where he is currently rehabbing a minor ankle injury and living with his dad, an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors.
Nonetheless, Adrian Griffin Jr. is considered to be a ‘one-and-done’ at Duke and is in the conversation to be a Top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Following the first freshman to appear on the list, now we have the first player yet to be associated with the Blue Devils on the list.
Like Adrian Griffin Jr., Patrick Baldwin Jr. is also rehabbing from an ankle injury although the Sussex Hamilton star’s injury is a bit more serious.
Baldwin Jr. is recovering from a season-ending ankle injury suffered in December, and his Top-10 finalists include Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Michigan, Milwaukee, Northwestern, UCLA, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Duke and Milwaukee appear to be the two leaders as the Crystal Ball and FutureCast predictions at 247 Sports and Rivals favor the Blue Devils.
However, Baldwin Jr.’s father, Patrick Baldwin Sr., is the head coach at Milwaukee, certainly a tough option to turn down.
Patrick Baldwin Jr. told Sports Illustrated’s Jason Jordan that he’s “75-percent” sure of where he wants to go but won’t announce his decision for a few more weeks or months.
Duke and Mike Krzyzewski will have to wait patiently and make their last pitch to the No. 4 player in the Class of 2021 before his eventual decision.