Duke basketball: 6 players who could turn pro early
By Matt Giles
Possible Duke basketball early departee: Wendell Moore
Despite only a four-star rating and No. 29 overall ranking on the 247Sports 2019 Composite, Wendell Moore seemed to hold out hope that he would be NBA-bound after only one season at Duke.
That didn’t happen. Then after Moore failed to exhibit noticeable improvements as a sophomore, some fans began to wonder if the Charlotte native would ever have what it takes to play in the NBA.
This season, though, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound small forward looks to have a far deeper arsenal and has, by all accounts, embraced his role as a co-captain while starting all four games to date for these Blue Devils. Nowadays, Moore is wreaking havoc on both ends of the floor with his sturdy build, long arms, increased hops, refined bucket-getting, and minimized miscues.
The 20-year-old is averaging an impressive 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting a not-too-shabby 35.3 percent from 3-point land. However, perhaps not all mock drafts have noticed, for he appears late in the second round or not at all on most.
Also, we should factor in Moore’s lifelong Duke basketball fandom.
Prediction: Wendell Moore sticks around for his senior year.