Who will be Duke basketball’s point guard next season?

Duke basketball’s level of success next season could hinge on one position.

Inconsistent guard play marred the Duke basketball team this past season. Going into the 2021-22 campaign, the point guard position is still a bit of a question mark.

The Blue Devils recently signed Jaylen Blakes out of New Jersey, but it seems unlikely he will be stepping into a big role next season. Wendell Moore also has some experience running the point, but he has yet to do it over the course of a season. Other incoming Duke freshmen, such as Trevor Keels and Paolo Banchero, seem like they are comfortable as distributors.

We could see the Blue Devils do something similar to what they did this past season. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski opted for a more point-guard-by-committee approach.

Jordan Goldwire played a big role, providing a defensive presence along with the ability to run the offense and get others involved. Jeremy Roach also handled point guard duties at times but was used just as much off the ball as he was on the ball. DJ Steward and Moore also saw action running the point.

The real reason why Duke went with that alternating approach seemed to be that no one player ever stepped up and took control of the position. The point guard position was in constant flux last season as most of the offense ran through Matthew Hurt.

In order for the Blue Devils to reach their highest potential next season, the floor general has to be solidified with that player being in control of the team.

All eyes on Duke basketball sophomore-to-be Jeremy Roach

As previously mentioned, Jeremy Roach was primarily used as a scorer last season. It was evident that the Duke basketball staff did not entirely trust his ability to run the team and set up other guys. He struggled with turnovers and poor decision-making early on, but he did show flashes of being an elite-level scoring guard.

Roach’s greatest strength was his ability to simply put the ball in the basket. While it wasn’t always consistent production, the scoring instincts are certainly there. There was a stretch between December and January where he scored in double figures in six straight games.

During that same stretch, however, Roach dished out only five assists. And in the two games following that six-game stretch, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound five-star totaled zero points.

Roach has to find the consistency to be able to take charge of point guard duties. Last year provided an opportunity for him to get adjusted to the speed of the game. But the game never seemed to slow down for him as a freshman. This is something that the majority of freshmen in college basketball experience.

More consistency in Roach’s production will likely coincide with his ability to control the pace of the game.

With all the new roster changes, Roach will need to get others involved more than he needs to get himself involved. Not only would this be beneficial for the Duke basketball squad as a whole, but it would also benefit his individual game.

Roach exhibited an attack/score mentality, which is certainly a good mindset to have, but he was prone to forcing the action and trying to do too much. Last year, defenses did not respect him as a passer. Showing his ability to distribute the ball would allow for his offense to open up as well.

I believe the key for Roach to take his game to the next level is becoming a more complete point guard.

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Hopefully, the Blue Devils will be a good enough shot-making team to take some of the pressure off of Roach to consistently create. He will most likely be the guy bringing the ball up the court and leading fastbreaks, but it is likely Paolo Banchero will be the main distributor in the halfcourt.

From what I have seen, Banchero can efficiently operate out of the high-post area. He also seems to possess elite passing abilities. If Duke consistently feeds the five-star power forward, then he will draw a lot of attention from the defense. This will open up opportunities for other guys and utilize Banchero’s passing.

I would also expect to see Wendell Moore spend time at point guard. Moore brings solid size, speed, and athleticism to the position, and he does a good job of looking to get others involved. He was the primary ballhandler for the Blue Devils in their two games in the ACC Tournament.

It could be that the coaches once again go with the point-guard-by-committee approach.

Again, though, in order for this Duke basketball team to be its best, someone has to take ownership of the point guard position.