Predicting the 2021-22 Duke basketball starting lineup
By Matt Giles
Predicted 2021-22 Duke basketball starting point guard: Jeremy Roach
No, Jeremy Roach didn’t exactly fill the shoes of Tre Jones. Rather, the rookie floor general is Mr. Inconsistency, exhibiting hints of Duke basketball legend Jay Williams one game and then following that up with an unwelcomed 1994-95 flashback to the brutally tough-to-witness freshman Blue Devil campaign of Steve Wojciechowski.
That said, in fairness to Roach regarding any unfair expectations — and with all due respect to Jones — it’s not as if he has a Cassius Stanley or Zion Williamson by his side to easily flush alley-oop lobs, no matter the accuracy of his toss. And while Matthew Hurt is quite a sniper, Roach doesn’t also have an RJ Barrett or Vernon Carey Jr. to simply feed and then watch get buckets.
As a sophomore, though, chances are Roach enjoys the chemistry he’s already begun to build with DJ Steward and Mark Williams, fellow likely-to-be second-year Blue Devils whose skillsets and confidence levels might just be in line for considerable leaps. Of course, some first-year ball-flushers and bucket-getters also appear in store for Duke. Relax, we’re getting there…