Duke basketball: 3 crazy lineups that just might work

Crazy Duke basketball lineup: Snipers

• PG: Jeremy Roach
• SG: Trevor Keels
• SF: Joey Baker
• PF: AJ Griffin
• C: Paolo Banchero

All in all, the 3-ball hasn’t been too kind to Duke basketball squads across the past few seasons. But with all five of these anticipated smooth outside shooters in the same lineup next go-round, chances are at least one of the fellas would be finding paydirt from downtown at any given moment.

Five-star freshmen Trevor Keels, AJ Griffin, and Paolo Banchero arrive with a refined deep stroke in their bag of tricks.

Meanwhile, senior Joey Baker has resided in splash town before, most notably as a sophomore with his 28-for-71 clip beyond the arc (39.4 percent). And while Jeremy Roach shot only 31.3 percent from long range as a Blue Devil rookie, his 3-launcher heated up down the stretch, to the tune of 12-for-26 (46.2 percent) between the team’s final seven contests.

Adding to this lineup’s strength, as alluded to in the previous “crazy” combination here, both Banchero and Griffin can hold their own in handling the rock and leading a fastbreak. And don’t forget the two pure guards in Roach and Keels, not to mention some possible long-awaited improvements in Baker’s handles.

Altogether, this cast could keep opponents on their heels by frequently rotating the primary ballhandler in a halfcourt setting and constantly looking to explode in transition. It’d make for one run-and-gun sequence after another and likely one electrifying show to delight Cameron Crazies.