Duke basketball: Projecting depth chart before start of official practice

The Duke basketball team is looking deep prior to the start of official practice. 

November 6 continues to creep closer for the Duke basketball program as it begins its second season under head coach Jon Scheyer and expectations are high in Durham.

After returning four starters from last year’s squad which won the ACC Tournament, and brining in a freshmen class that boasts four 5-star prospects, many college basketball experts believe that the Blue Devils are one of the favorites to win the National Championship.

Duke did not add or lose any players to the transfer portal but did see two players, Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead, head to the NBA Draft to begin their professional careers.

It seems likely that the players who opted to forgo the draft will reclaim their positions in the starting lineup and there is just one starting spot up for grabs that will be something to monitor once official practice begins.

However, as the competition to become the final starter rages on, we also look at how the depth chart should look entering the season.

PG: Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, Jaylen Blakes 

SG: Jeremy Roach, Jaden Schutt

SF: Jared McCain, TJ Power

PF: Mark Mitchell, Sean Stewart

C: Kyle Filipowski, Ryan Young, Christian Reeves

It should be noted that this is based that each player is fully healthy and what the program has revealed to the public in social media videos throughout the summer.

Breaking down potential Duke basketball depth chart

The depth chart for the Blue Devils is relatively straight forward until the small forward position arises and Jared McCain is poised to get the starting nod to begin the season.

All the reports coming out of Durham about the 5-star freshman have been outstanding and this is a Duke team that is going to run a lot of 3-guard lineups and play at a much faster tempo that it did last season.

TJ Power could also be a candidate to start at small forward given his size, length, and ability to be a matchup problem but he seems to be much better suited coming off the bench to begin his career.

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Another interesting position to keep an eye on is center and if Christian Reeves is able to surpass Ryan Young as the backup to Kyle Filipowski.

Reeves, entering his sophomore season, could be the best rim protector and shot blocker on the team given his 7-foot-1 size but it remains difficult to see what he can do on the court with his lack of time on the court as a freshman.

Things remain fluid with Jon Scheyer’s team but he will have his options on what five players he wants to put on the court.