Duke basketball: Mike Krzyzewski names final pair of team captains

Mike Krzyzewski has named his final team captains of his tenure as the Duke basketball head coach. 

Two current Duke basketball players can say something no other player who has come through the doors at Cameron Indoor Stadium can, “We were the last captains for Mike Krzyzewski.”

Those two players will be junior Wendell Moore and senior Joey Baker, who will look to lead Duke back to the NCAA Tournament after missing out on the Big Dance in a disappointing season last year.

Moore, who has yet to play in an NCAA Tournament game, is looking to take a big leap this year and finally find consistency in his game.

The Charlotte, North Carolina native’s biggest moment in a Duke uniform came during his freshman season, in which he drilled a putback buzzer-beater to finish the stunning comeback over North Carolina inside the Dean Dome.

After averaging 7.6 points per game as a freshman, Moore saw his scoring output increase to 9.7 points per contest as a sophomore.

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Joey Baker, who has only played a total of seven minutes in the NCAA Tournament, is also looking to take a major step in what could be his final season in Durham.

Baker is the only member left of the famous 2018 recruiting class, which featured Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones.

The Fayetteville, North Carolina native entered Durham after reclassifying from 2019 to 2018, and Krzyzewski burned Baker’s red-shirt season midway through the 2018-19 year.

The 6-foot-6 guard was detailed as a lethal 3-point shooter as a high school prospect. But after shooting 50.0-percent from downtown in four games as a freshman, his shooting numbers have dropped over the last two seasons.

Duke basketball inexperience could be detrimental to young roster

Wendell Moore and Joey Baker have the tough job of trying to lead a young Duke roster without much experience themselves.

Only two players on the Blue Devil roster have played in an NCAA Tournament game, Baker and Marquette graduate transfer Theo John.

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Like Baker, John also has only played in a Round of 64 contest in March.

Mike Krzyzewski will seemingly lean on uber-talented freshman Paolo Banchero this season, who is projected to be a Top-5 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Blue Devils will get the season underway on November 9 against the Kentucky Wildcats at Madison Square Garden in the State Farm Champions Classic.