Ranking each Duke basketball player in the Blue-White games

4. Evaluating Blue-White Duke basketball contributor Theo John

Combined stats for Theo John:

• 23 minutes
• 11 points
• 5-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 from the foul line
• Four rebounds
• Zero assists
• Zero steals
• One block
• Zero turnovers

Theo John’s first bucket in a Duke basketball jersey was a beauty. It was a smooth half-hook with his left hand — he’s naturally righthanded — over 7-footer Mark Williams. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound graduate transfer out of Marquette then went on to prove relatively elite around the rim throughout both scrimmages.

A highly efficient clean-up scorer who isn’t likely to make many silly mistakes, the 23-year-old chiseled workhorse should carve out an integral role for the Blue Devils. On Friday night, he looked to be a potential top-notch force around the paint on defense, at the rim in transition, in the screen-setting area on offense, and on the glass on both ends.

Now, John probably won’t crack the primary starting five. Yet his undeniable strength and noticeable bounce for his size should give Mike Krzyzewski the tempting option to tinker with a behemoth lineup that might feature him and Mark Williams down low with Paolo Banchero at the three-spot.

Player grade: 86 (B)