Tag Archive for: #GoDuke

Top Trio Signs with Duke Basketball

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— courtesy Duke Sports Information and GoDuke.com

November 16, 2017

Complete Release

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski announced the signing of three student-athletes during the early signing period.

R.J. Barrett, Tre Jones and Cam Reddish will enter the Duke program in 2018-19. Each of the three incoming Blue Devils is rated by ESPN as a five-star recruit and ranked among the 10 best overall prospects in the nation.

It is the second consecutive season that Duke has landed ESPN’s No. 1-ranked recruit, as Barrett’s signing this season follows Marvin Bagley III last year.

For comments from Coach K on each of Duke’s early signees, click the GoDuke.com links below or visit the @DukeMBB social media platforms.

R.J. Barrett | Video

6-7 // 200 // Mississauga, Ontario, Canada // Montverde Academy (Fla.)

  • A five-star recruit ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class of 2018 by ESPN
  • Rated as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class by Rivals.com
  • Ranked No. 1 overall in the 2018 recruiting class by Scout.com
  • Ranked No. 1 overall in the 2018 24/7 Sports composite list
  • Reclassified from the Class of 2019 to 2018 this past summer
  • Averaged 21.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game as Canada won a gold medal at the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup
  • Had 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in Canada’s 99-87 semifinal win over the United States at the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup
  • Led the 2017 Nike EYBL circuit in scoring, averaging 28.0 points along with 10.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the UPlay Canada team
  • Earned Most Valuable Player Honors the 2016 Jordan Brand Classic International Game after tallying 22 points and eight assists in the game
  • Averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while helping Canada finish in fifth at the 2016 FIBA U17 World Championships
  • Averaged 14.6 points to lead Canada to a silver medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championships
  • Narrowed his list to Duke, Kentucky and Oregon before signing with the Blue Devils

Tre Jones | Video

6-1 // 175 // Apple Valley, Minn. // Apple Valley

  • A five-star recruit ranked as the No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 point guard in the class of 2018 by ESPN
  • Rated as the No. 7 overall prospect and the No. 3 guard in the class by Rivals.com
  • Ranked No. 6 overall and the No. 1 rated point guard in the 2018 recruiting class by Scout.com
  • Ranked No. 6 overall in the 2018 24/7 Sports composite list
  • The 2016-17 Gatorade Player of the Year in Minnesota (his brother Tyus earned the honor in 2014)
  • Helped Apple Valley capture the 2015 and 2017 Minnesota 4A State title
  • Put up 24 points, 18 rebounds and five assists in the state final to propel Apple Valley to the championship
  • Averaged 20.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit in 2017 for the Howard Pulley AAU program
  • Averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 7.5 assists for Apple Valley during the 2016-17 season
  • Younger brother of Tyus Jones, who led Duke to the 2015 NCAA Championship and was named Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four that year
  • Selected Duke over UCLA, USC, Ohio State, Minnesota and Oregon

Cam Reddish | Video

6-7 // 203 // Norristown, Pa. // Westtown School

  • A five-star recruit ranked as the No. 3 overall prospect and No. 2 small forward in the class of 2018 by ESPN
  • Rated as the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 3 forward in the class by Rivals.com
  • Ranked No. 4 overall and the No. 2 small forward in the 2018 recruiting class by Scout.com
  • Ranked No. 4 overall in the 2018 24/7 Sports composite list
  • Helped the United States earn a bronze medal at the 2017 FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup in Cairo, Egypt.
  • Averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds while leading the Team USA with 12 steals in seven games at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup.
  • Class 3A Pennsylvania First Team All-State
  • Averaged 16.2 points per game in helping Westtown School win the 2017 Friends’ School League Championship.
  • Averaged 23.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks on the Nike EYBL Circuit in 2017 for the Team Final AAU Program.
  • Selected Duke over Connecticut, Kentucky, Villanova and UCLA.

#GoDuke

Allen to Play Senior Season at Duke

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April 18, 2017

Courtesy: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. – Grayson Allen will play his senior season at Duke University in 2017-18, he and head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Tuesday.

Allen averaged 14.5 points and a team-high 3.5 assists in 34 games for Duke in 2016-17. He was named to the All-ACC Tournament second team after averaging 11.5 points and shooting 8-of-16 (.500) from outside the arc as the Blue Devils became the first team to win four games in as many days to capture the championship. He was 5-of-6 from deep as part of an 18-point, five-assist night in Duke’s semifinal win over No. 6 North Carolina.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native also earned his third consecutive All-ACC Academic Team honor in 2017, making him just the ninth Duke player to earn that award at least three times.

“The last few weeks have provided the opportunity for a lot of reflection and prayer,” Allen said. “I’m a firm believer that when something feels right, you go with it. The chance to play with next year’s team just felt right. I’m completely focused on helping Coach K and our staff lead this team to a special season. I love being a Duke student, and continuing to be part of the university culture is something I don’t take for granted.”

For his career, Allen owns averages of 13.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 105 games. He is a career .435 shooter from the floor and .386 from outside the arc, while his career .830 free throw percentage ranks seventh in program history (min. 200 FTM).

Allen will enter the 2017-18 season as the leading active scorer in the ACC with 1,424 total points, a figure that ranks 33rd on Duke’s career chart.

As a sophomore in 2016, Allen became just the sixth Duke player to garner All-America and Academic All-America honors in the same season. He was a finalist for numerous national awards after averaging 21.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest; he was also just the ninth player to lead the Blue Devils in both scoring and assists in the same season. Allen’s +17.2-point scoring increase from his freshman to sophomore years was the highest in ACC history.

Allen was a spark off the bench in the 2015 national title game, helping lead Duke to its fifth NCAA crown with 16 points and invaluable energy off the bench in the Blue Devils’ win over Wisconsin.

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Duke’s Tatum to Enter NBA Draft

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Tatum to Enter NBA Draft

Courtesy: Duke Sports Information

March 22, 2017

DURHAM, N.C. – Following a freshman season in which he emerged as one of the nation’s top multi-dimensional players, Duke forward Jayson Tatum will enter the 2017 NBA Draft.

Tatum is the 10th Duke freshman to declare for the NBA Draft, joining Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015) and Brandon Ingram (2016).

Each of the previous nine Duke freshman in the draft was a first-round selection, including eight lottery picks.

“I have absolutely loved coaching Jayson Tatum,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “His skill set and work ethic will make him a star in the NBA. Whichever team selects him will be getting a humble, thoughtful and talented young man whom we are proud to call a member of the Duke Basketball brotherhood.”

Tatum averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Blue Devils in 2016-17, ranking second on the team and among ACC freshmen in both categories. He shot .452 from the floor and .849 from the free throw line in 33.3 minutes per game.

The St. Louis native currently ranks fifth in the ACC in free throw percentage, 10th in rebound average and 12th in scoring.

“I’m excited to take the next step in pursuing my lifelong dream of playing basketball at the highest possible level,” Tatum said. “With that said, I’ve loved my time at Duke. The Brotherhood is a real thing and I’ll always be part of the bond between former, current and future Duke players. I want to thank my teammates, coaches, family and friends for the unwavering support I’ve received as I pursue my dream.”

The ultra-versatile Tatum set a Duke single-season record with six games of at least 10 points/5 rebounds/3 assists/2 steals/2 blocks; those six occasions are also the third-most in Duke history for a career. He is just the third Duke player under Coach K, alongside Parker and Okafor, to average 16+ points and 7+ rebounds as a freshman.

On Duke’s single-season freshman charts, Tatum ranks fourth in free throws made (118), fifth in free throw percentage (.849) and rebound average (7.3), seventh in scoring average (16.8), eighth in blocks per game (1.1) and 10th in steals (1.3) and minutes (33.3) per game.

Tatum’s 26 double-figure scoring game and seven 20-point games are also both the 10th-most in Duke history by a freshman.

A three-time ACC Freshman of the Week, Tatum was a third-team All-ACC selection and a member of the ACC All-Freshman Team. He is one of five final candidates for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as well a USBWA All-District III honoree.

Duke has produced at least one first-round NBA Draft pick in each of the last six years. Coach K has mentored 32 first-round picks, including a draft-record 21 lottery selections.

#GoDuke

Krzyzewski Undergoes Successful Lower Back Surgery

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DURHAM, N.C. – Duke University head men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski underwent successful lower back surgery on Friday, Jan. 6, to remove a fragment of a herniated disc.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke University Hospital. The anticipated recovery time for Krzyzewski is up to four weeks.

“Surgery went exactly as planned,” said Friedman. “Coach is in terrific physical shape and we expect a full recovery.”

Krzyzewski has won a Division I men’s basketball record 1,056 games in 41-plus seasons as a college head coach, owning a 1,056-323 overall record and a 983-264 mark in 36-plus seasons at Duke. He has led Duke to five NCAA championships (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015), the second-most national titles by a coach in NCAA history.

Krzyzewski guided the United States National Team to an 88-1 record and seven total medals (six gold) as head coach from 2005-16. He is a seven-time USA Basketball National Coach of the Year and the only coach – men’s or women’s – to lead a country to three consecutive Olympic basketball gold medals.

Krzyzewski was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001.

#GoDuke

Cory Walton

Senior Associate Sports Information Director

Duke Athletics

Allen to Return for Junior Season #GoDuke

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April 6, 2016

DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore All-American Grayson Allen will return to Duke University for his junior season in 2016-17, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced Wednesday.

In 71 games in a Duke uniform, Allen has averaged 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from outside the arc and 83.9 percent from the free throw line. He will enter the 2016-17 campaign just 68 points shy of becoming the 65th 1,000-point scorer in program history.

“I talked with my parents and prayed about this decision, and I had the feeling that it was right,” Allen said. “I love Duke and I’ve made relationships with my teammates that will last forever. Coming back next season to play with them is important to me. Earning a Duke degree has always been a dream of mine, so I’ll also be working to get closer to that goal.”

Named a second-team All-American by The Sporting News, a third-team honoree by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and a John R. Wooden Award All-American following his stellar sophomore season, Allen is one of 31 Duke players to earn All-America honors under Krzyzewski’s tutelage.

A psychology major from Jacksonville, Fla., Allen was also honored as a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American during the 2015-16 campaign.

He is the sixth Duke student-athlete to earn on-court All-America honors and Academic All-America recognition in the same season, joining Mike Gminski (1978, 1979, 1980), Jim Spanarkel (1978, 1979), Shane Battier (2000, 2001), Mike Dunleavy (2002) and Mason Plumlee (2013) in that exclusive group.

“We are thrilled that Grayson will be back with us next season,” said Krzyzewski. “Following the season, he put a lot of thought into an important decision that will impact the rest of his life. In the end, he chose to remain at Duke, where he will pursue an undergraduate degree and develop even more as a man and basketball player. Grayson’s passion and commitment to our school and his teammates have been very apparent in our discussions with him.

“On the court, Grayson is a warrior, as I’ve said many times,” Krzyzewski continued. “He has untapped potential, both on and off the basketball court. I have loved coaching Grayson and I’m going to love coaching him next season.”

Allen led Duke and ranked fifth among major-conference players in scoring with an average of 21.6 points per game. His +17.2-point scoring improvement from a year ago set a new ACC record for year-to-year scoring increase. He scored in double figures 34 times in 36 games this season, including 19 20-point efforts and four games with more than 30 points.

He finished the season on a streak of 25 consecutive games with double-figure points and was not held to fewer than 15 points in 18 regular-season ACC games this season. Allen’s 779 points in 2015-16 were good for seventh place on Duke’s single-season scoring chart, and his scoring average of 21.6 was the 15th-best in a single season in program history.

With 779 points, Allen turned in the second-highest scoring season by a sophomore in Duke history, trailing only the 841 that Jason Williams scored as a sophomore in 2001.

Allen shot 46.6 percent from the floor, a team-high 41.7 percent from three-point range and 83.7 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 4.6 rebounds to go along with team highs of 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. He averaged 36.6 minutes per game in 2015-16, playing 1,317 minutes to rank 10th on Duke’s single-season chart.

He ranked second in the ACC in scoring, third in minutes played, fourth in three-point percentage and three-pointers per game (2.50), fifth in free throw percentage, eighth in steals (1.31) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.76).

Allen was just the ninth Duke player to lead the Blue Devils in both scoring and assists in the same season, as well as just the seventh Duke player to average better than 20 points per game and hand out 100 assists in a season. He averaged 7.0 free throw attempts per game on the season, and his 211 made free throws on the campaign tied for the sixth-most in a single season in Duke history.

Allen was named a first-team All-ACC selection by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA) on March 6, giving Duke a first-team all-league member for the 19th time in the last 20 seasons. The following day, he secured first-team All-ACC and Co-Most Improved Player honors from the league’s coaches.

Allen was named a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, awarded to the National Player of the Year by the USBWA, as well as the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. He was recognized as an All-District III performer by the USBWA and an All-District 2 honoree by the NABC.

One of the breakout performers of the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Allen helped lead Duke to its fifth NCAA championship with an average of 12.5 points on 50.0 percent shooting in two Final Four games. He was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team after scoring 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the national championship game against Wisconsin, sparking a Duke rally from a nine-point deficit to its second national title of the decade.

For full comments from Grayson Allen, please click here.

#GoDuke

(Press Release provided by Cory Walton, Senior Associate Sports Information Director | Duke Athletics)