From This Duke Roster, Which Player(s) Do You Most Want To Return?

[DukeTrinity11]

Pick 2:

Grayson Allen
Luke Kennard
Harry Giles
Marques Bolden
Chase Jeter

I'm going with Allen and Giles. Grayson would be fully healthy next year, would have his exposiveness back and has already proven to be a better defender than Kennard.

As we saw with Jabari, it is typically during Year 2 post ACL surgery that players regain their full explosiveness and athleticism so I'm very optimistic that we will see the Giles next year that we were supposed to see as Duke fans this year.

Don't get me wrong, I like the other guys a lot too but these are the 2 most important potential returnees that could elevate the 2017-18 Duke team in my opinion.

I excluded Jayson Tatum because he is 100% gone to the NBA and should be as a projected top 5 draft pick.

Thoughts?

[utahdevil]

I'd go with Allen and Kennard. I feel like you know what you're getting with those two. And if you pair them with Duval (a true PG) I think it makes Duke ridiculously lethal offensively. Now on defense......:)

[kAzE]

Not sure why Jeter is on this list . . . he's not considered an NBA prospect yet, and is a rising junior . . . we don't speculate on the T word here.

It's close, but if I had to pick 2, I'll take Kennard and Giles.

[chriso]

Not sure why Jeter is on this list . . . he's not considered an NBA prospect yet, and is a rising junior . . . we don't speculate on the T word here.

It's close, but if I had to pick 2, I'll take Kennard and Giles.

Kennard and Bolden. Dickie V can call us the K and B show baby. K B and J show? If Bolden stays he will be ridiculously good. And Luke already is. Go Duke! :cool:

[wsb3]

I'd go with Allen and Kennard. I feel like you know what you're getting with those two. And if you pair them with Duval (a true PG) I think it makes Duke ridiculously lethal offensively. Now on defense...:)

What Utah Devil said..

[dukebluesincebirth]

Kennard is a definite #1.

#2 is a tossup between Grayson and Harry Giles. For many different reasons.

[Troublemaker]

Grayson would be my #1. Love that kid. I would want him to have a healthy, redemptive year for Duke in which he controls his emotions and becomes a great captain for Duke.

[DinoDuke]

Grayson and Giles. I love GA.

[uh_no]

were it possible, matt jones would be my 1-2-3.

[MCFinARL]

were it possible, matt jones would be my 1-2-3.

Well, if we are going counterfactual, I wouldn't mind seeing Amile in Duke blue for another year, either.

[flyingdutchdevil]

were it possible, matt jones would be my 1-2-3.

I was hoping that Lebron James and Kyle Lowry would be selections...

[uh_no]

Well, if we are going counterfactual, I wouldn't mind seeing Amile in Duke blue for another year, either.

As much as I liked his play on the floor, his body language on the court really rubbed me the wrong way as the season wore on, especially in the loss the other night. There are a lot of things I will miss about amile, but that's not one of them, and why I'd take matt back first.

[flyingdutchdevil]

As much as I liked his play on the floor, his body language on the court really rubbed me the wrong way as the season wore on, especially in the loss the other night. There are a lot of things I will miss about amile, but that's not one of them, and why I'd take matt back first.

I too would take Matt rather than Amile. But that's mainly because I don't want anyone to scream at Frank Jackson anymore...

[Tripping William]

were it possible, matt jones would be my 1-2-3.


Well, if we are going counterfactual, I wouldn't mind seeing Amile in Duke blue for another year, either.


I was hoping that Lebron James and Kyle Lowry would be selections...

Wait; what?! No votes for Derryck Thornton & Semi Ojeleye? :rolleyes:

[NSDukeFan]

Wait; what?! No votes for Derryck Thornton & Semi Ojeleye? :rolleyes:

I always liked Alex Murphy. I hope we have some returning experience. The offseason will be interesting. I'll take Grayson and Harry for this thread though. I would love to see Giles show what he can do in a Duke uniform (though I am excited to see that, even if it is in the NBA). Grayson is just so good and would help the team a ton. (As would Kennard after his fantastic year.). Sign me up for more Matt Jones and Amile, if only.

[vfefrenzy]

I'll take Bolden and Jeter. I think Grayson, Luke, and Harry need to go get paid. Especially Grayson. I love the guy, and I don't want him to be ESPN's whipping boy/moneymaker/clickbait for another season. If someone is going to make bank off of Grayson, it should be Grayson.

[Devils Librarian]

#1 If you're going to offer me more Grayson Allen, then I am going to take more Grayson Allen. I want to see Carolina fans heads explode when he beats them yet again.

#2 Much like the NBA I'd roll the dice because the ceiling is the roof...errrrr...I mean there are no limitations to his potential. I'd go with Harry Giles.

[kAzE]

I'm really surprised more people aren't picking Luke. I absolutely don't blame anyone for picking Grayson over him, since I view those guys more or less as equals at the college level, but I think people are overreacting to the SC loss, and specifically Luke's poor performance in that particular game. This guy was the best, most consistent player on the team all year long. He should have been ACC player of the year. He led the team in scoring and minutes played, and just about single-handedly kept the team afloat for the first 15-20 games, up through the first Wake Forest game, after which Jayson started coming on strong. We easily could have had 12 or more losses with him.

The bottom line is, he's a guy who is a game changer because of his offensive skill level. He was the most skilled offensive player in the ACC, and probably top 5 in the country. He shot nearly 50% from the field as a guard. He makes everything on offense easier for his teammates. If I had to nit pick one thing about Grayson's game, it's that he has no in-between game. His most effective areas are either from deep, or at the rim. Luke was one of the only guys on the team who could get into the free throw line area and create a shot for himself (Jayson being the other one). The crazy thing is, if he returns, there's a pretty good chance he will be even better next year. Hopefully some of that improvement is on the defensive end.

[elvis14]

Allen and Giles. Not that I don't love the other guys but if I want to win more games and I have to pick 2 from that list that's my 2. Love Kennard's offense. Hope Bolden makes the soph jump. Hope Jeter comes back healthy and contributes. But I think the best 2 players (for next year) on that list are Allen and Giles and I'd take them back and healthy in heartbeat.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Well, if we are going counterfactual, I wouldn't mind seeing Amile in Duke blue for another year, either.

I'll take Tatum and Kyrie.

What's that?

Oh, okay.

Allen and Kennard because they are proven talents.

[Devilwin]

Allen and Kennard. You know what you're getting here. Giles and Bolden not so much. Same for Jeter.

[dukelifer]

Tatum next year would be at another level. But I am interested in seeing the development of Kennard- I think he will become a better defender and leader.

[Duke76]

Allen and Kennard. You know what you're getting here. Giles and Bolden not so much. Same for Jeter.

Allen and Luke for their experience.....we are gonna be short on that if we lose them...and Giles just has to improve so much at his position...would he be a 15+ points man, defender and rebounder that would make as much of a difference as those two possibly but probably not...we have big men here that can fill in and not produce as much but the differential imo would not be as great as it will be in overall team improvement if we lose Luke and Grayson

[English]

Sign me up for Kennard & Giles. ACL patients typically hit pre-injury form in Year 2 after the tear(s), and Giles will be entering that throughout the offseason. He's shown he is a next-level rebounder, and we've seen flashes of his defensive prowess. Another year learning the system, rotations, and bulking up plus shaking the rust off and recovering his lateral quickness (he already showed his vertical leaping and double jump ability) should see him progressing toward his ceiling, which is elite.

Not much more needs to be said of Luke. The guy is an offensive machine, and the consistency he showed this season was unquestionable. His efficiency was near the peak of the college game, even as a high usage player, and his attitude early in the season during some stretches of adversity (e.g., some guys really need to buy in) shows that he knows he and his teammate need to know and play their roles. Next year I'd suggest he's a key leader in the locker room and on the court.

Those are two top-end contributors, one on each end.

I love Grayson, and certainly would love to have him back, but he doesn't need the ridiculous spotlight and merciless aggravation for another full season at the college level. Get that check.

[MChambers]

I'm really surprised more people aren't picking Luke. I absolutely don't blame anyone for picking Grayson over him, since I view those guys more or less as equals at the college level, but I think people are overreacting to the SC loss, and specifically Luke's poor performance in that particular game. This guy was the best, most consistent player on the team all year long. He should have been ACC player of the year. He led the team in scoring and minutes played, and just about single-handedly kept the team afloat for the first 15-20 games, up through the first Wake Forest game, after which Jayson started coming on strong. We easily could have had 12 or more losses with him.

The bottom line is, he's a guy who is a game changer because of his offensive skill level. He was the most skilled offensive player in the ACC, and probably top 5 in the country. He shot nearly 50% from the field as a guard. He makes everything on offense easier for his teammates. If I had to nit pick one thing about Grayson's game, it's that he has no in-between game. His most effective areas are either from deep, or at the rim. Luke was one of the only guys on the team who could get into the free throw line area and create a shot for himself (Jayson being the other one). The crazy thing is, if he returns, there's a pretty good chance he will be even better next year. Hopefully some of that improvement is on the defensive end.
Luke would be my pick, too. What a winner!

I'm conflicted on Harry. I really like him and would love to see him succeed, but I'm very skeptical about his ability to ever reach his supposed potential. I also am not at all sure he'd be a good fit with Carter.

[kako]

Kennard and take your pick.

Who wouldn't want a 2nd team All-American coming back for his junior year? The NCAA tourney aside, his consistency was so good this year. Any team could need that.

Of the rest:

Allen - agree with a previous poster. He needs to leave ESPN and their nonsense and get paid. I'll miss him, but I think it's what's best for him. He is a lightning rod and will continue to be. And *if* he trips someone again intentionally, that's something Duke doesn't want. Go get yours, bra. Thanks always for the Wisconsin game - we don't win that without you.

Giles - if he leaves, we will probably still have Bolden. Plus, if he leaves, it might convince Bamba to sign with Duke. I like Giles, but if you just looked at his production this year would you really be so hot to get him back? I realize he has had unfortunate injuries, but that doesn't mean he will produce. I'd be happy to have him back if we have Bamba, too.

Bolden - if he puts his name in, he has really bad advisors. I hope he comes back, but if we lose him and Giles, then Bamba is even more likely to sign. I'd probably pick Bolden over Giles, if I had to do so.

Jeter - another guy with injuries, but he's had his chances to produce over two years. If he leaves, I wish him well. If he stays, then he needs to put on some weight so he can at least bang inside. I'd rather see Jeter leave than, say, Vrank. And maybe someday we can see Obi produce.

[CDu]

If I had to pick only two, I guess I'd say one big and one guard. I would pick Kennard and Giles.

My rationale would be this:
1. Kennard: he offers something that none of our other guards/wings offers: the ability to score at all three levels, and essentially a savant-like gift for finding and making his shot. In Jackson, we have a reasonable facsimile of Allen. Not the same, of course, but comparable in style and skill set. But we don't have anyone else like Kennard.
2. Giles: somewhat similarly, a healthy Giles offers something that nobody else does. He's like a condor out there. We saw flashes of the athletic gifts he has. But his timing and confidence and fitness simply weren't there yet this year. I think with another year removed from the knee surgeries, he'd fluorish. And more importantly, he'd fill a position of need. We have multiple guards/wings if Jackson, Kennard, and Trent are there. But we'd have very little to support Carter inside.

To be clear: in a vacuum, I think Allen would be the more productive player than Giles next year. In fact, I feel quite sure of that. But when considering team makeup, I think Kennard and Giles would be my picks.

That said, I hope we don't end up with just two of those guys on the list.

[KandG]

Selfishly, the player I'd most like to return is Kennard. Realistically, I think only Bolden and/or Jeter return.

In a vacuum, I'd love to see Grayson return fully healthy, but I winced way back when he decided to stay for his junior year, because I could see the hailstorm of negativity coming from miles away -- yes, even before this year's incidents. Frankly, I want him to get a fresh start away from the media nonsense, so I hope he declares and finds a place on an NBA team with a good development culture.

[jipops]

Gotta go with the best player in the ACC this season of course. After that I'd take Giles just to get a chance to see some of his potential fulfilled in a Duke uni.

[rtnorthrup]

Pick 2:

Grayson Allen
Luke Kennard
Harry Giles
Marques Bolden
Chase Jeter

I'm going with Allen and Giles. Grayson would be fully healthy next year, would have his exposiveness back and has already proven to be a better defender than Kennard.

As we saw with Jabari, it is typically during Year 2 post ACL surgery that players regain their full explosiveness and athleticism so I'm very optimistic that we will see the Giles next year that we were supposed to see as Duke fans this year.

Don't get me wrong, I like the other guys a lot too but these are the 2 most important potential returnees that could elevate the 2017-18 Duke team in my opinion.

I excluded Jayson Tatum because he is 100% gone to the NBA and should be as a projected top 5 draft pick.

Thoughts?

Can't believe I'm gonna play this game, but I would go with: Giles and Bolden.

I think it's easier to replace wing scoring than it is to find dominant big men. I truly think that Giles and Bolden, if they could stay healthy all off-season, would be the best frontcourt in the country next season.

[niveklaen]

I pick 2 would be seniors as who I would want to return next year - Tyus and Winslow.

[NSDukeFan]

Gotta go with the best player in the ACC this season of course. After that I'd take Giles just to get a chance to see some of his potential fulfilled in a Duke uni.

Why would you pick John Collins? We don't know how he would fit in. 😀

[WVDUKEFAN]

Allen and Giles

[DukeTrinity11]

I find all these responses fascinating and I agree that its very tough to separate Allen and Kennard. I like Allen's better playmaking, defense when healthy and his bulldog mentality while others prefer Kennard's elite ability to score from the midrange, slightly better 3 point shooting and his better rebounding.

If Duval comes to Duke, he's getting the starting PG job no questions asked. After that, there's a lot up in the air depending on what happens in the next few months.

My best guess at what next year's starting lineup will look like when all is said and done:

Duval
Allen
Gary Trent Jr.
Knox
Carter

I hope I'm wrong and Kennard comes back but it makes sense for him to strike while the iron is hot. Bolden, DeLaurier and Jeter are possible starters too if they show a major leap next year.

I have a strong feeling Allen will come back for his senior campaign. His stock is at its nadir and now that he's graduated, he can spend more time on basketball to really improve his ballhandling and image next year while pursuing a 1 year Masters degree like MMS (which I hear are less time consuming than Duke undergrad classes).

I trust K and company will seal the deal on Duval and Knox, especially Duval. I don't see how he doesn't come here after he sees all the shooters we can surround him with and the logjam at the guard position at Kansas and Zona.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Barring injury we all know that they can make major contributions.

Giles, Bolden and Jeter just have not done much. Certainly hampered by injuries but still unproven. Giles could go to the NBA, prove to the world including himself that his knees are fine and be the ROY and I would then certainly wish he was at Duke. Bolden and Jeter would have to make major progress.


SoCal

[WiJoe]

Grayson & Luke

[lotusland]

GA and Luke
Then Jeter and Bolden

Giles is gone

[jv001]

Grayson and Luke. GoDuke!

[UrinalCake]

I think Grayson and Luke overlap too much with what they provide, and they are both poor defenders so when you play them together you have a sieve on the perimeter. Choosing one is difficult, I'd be thrilled with either but if I had to pick I'd say Grayson because he gives more defensively and also has learned to distribute the ball. I believe he has lead the team in assists the past two seasons, whereas Luke is more one-dimensional as a scorer. He does that one thing really well, but I think Grayson when healthy can score just as much.

We definitely need a big to return, otherwise Carter, Vrank, and Javin will be our entire front court. I think an argument could be made for Jeter. He's not the most talented on paper but he understands the defense, knows how to rotate, and most importantly he is willing to accept his role and do what the team needs. Within our system he is the best fit at the 5. Bolden hasn't proven anything, despite his enormous standing reach. Harry would probably be my pick though, due to his enormous potential on both ends when healthy.

[Troublemaker]

We definitely need a big to return, otherwise Carter, Vrank, and Javin will be our entire front court.

You know, if it comes down to having just those three, I'd still be pretty comfortable. I like Vrank and Javin and think they would be able rotation players. I also think there's a possibility Jack White could supply some stretch-4 minutes.

[azzefkram]

Bolden and Luke.

Ideally, I'd replace Bolden with Giles but I think Giles should go.

[kAzE]

I'm changing my pick to Grayson and Luke now. With Jeter's departure, upperclassmen leadership is going to be more important than ever. Chase wasn't a major player in the rotation, but he was a hard worker who would have been with the program for 2 years. If Grayson and Luke leave, Vrankovic will be the only upperclassman with any significant minutes in his Duke career.

[gotoguy]

Luke will be back, I saw him at the end of the last StarWars(VII) movie

[uh_no]

Luke will be back, I saw him at the end of the last StarWars(VII) movie

i wanted to spork and flame this at the same time :)

[DavidBenAkiva]

I like to write down my thoughts on various scenarios that face Duke in the offseason. Now that we know that Tatum is off to the NBA for sure (which was obvious before the year began) and that Chase Jeter is transferring, here are the most likely ways I could see the next few months playing out:

Best Case: Mass Return + Duval and Knox
To me, the best case scenario for Duke is to have Allen, Kennard, Giles, and Bolden return and to have Trevon Duval and Kevin Knox commit to the team. That gives the roster a huge influx of talent with four Top 10 players (Carter, Duval, Knox, and Trent), and a high upside player at every position. It is essentially a version of the 2016-17 roster that might actually fit together better. This doesn't seem entirely possible to me as I fully expect Allen and Giles to leave, but one could see a situation in which the NBA talent scouts suggest another year in Durham isn't going to help or hurt Grayson's draft stock at this point, could help Kennard prove he can play defense, and that Giles is reliable enough draft in the lottery. One of the main issues with this scenario is that we might have too many pro prospects in the backcourt.

Guards: Allen (SR), Kennard (JR), Jackson (SO), Duval and Trent, Jr. (FR)
Forwards: Carter and Knox (FR)
Centers: Bolden and Giles (SO)

Reserves: Vrankovic (JR), DeLaurier and White (SO), and O'Connell (FR)

Second Best Case: Kennard Returns + Duval and Knox
This is similar to the situation above, except that Allen decides to leave with his diploma to become the next Matthew Dellavadova and Harry Giles wants to get a contract before any more injuries occur. Kennard, having heard criticism of his defense at the draft workouts, commits to improving his lateral quickness in the offseason. That allows Vrankovic and DeLaurier to compete with Bolden for the 7th man spot while our guard depth is just crazy good. Want shooting? Check. Want athleticism? Check. I would expect Duke would trot out a lineup of Duval-Jackson-Kennard-Knox-Carter to start most games. Depending upon Carter's ability to play defense and compete on the boards (I've heard he is a tenacious rebounder), this could be a good defensive lineup. It's not clear that it will be one, but it could be. DeLaurier could also carve out a role as a defensive specialist at either forward position. The mix of returning players and incoming talent projects Duke as a legitimate Top 5 team entering the season.

Next Best Case Scenario: Mass Exodus + Monster Recruiting Class
Short of returning Kennard, the best case scenario for Duke is to assemble a truly great recruiting class. That includes adding a high upside defensive post player in one Mohammad Bamba along with the aforementioned Trevon Duval and Kevin Knox. With Kennard departing, we might employ the most athletically gifted - but young - Duke teams to ever see the floor. Duval-Jackson-Knox-Carter-Bamba would feature 1 sophomore and 4 freshmen. If Jackson joins the exodus, then Trent would fill in at that shooting guard spot. This would be a highly difficult team to project. It's upside could be as high as any team Duke has featured but with serious question marks. Can Knox hit enough shots to keep defenses honest? Can the coaching staff get two freshmen big men to play decent defense? If yes, this could be a great outcome. The talent on the roster could land the team in the pre-season Top 3-7 range.

Worst Scenario: Mass Exodus, No More Major Recruits
Allen, Jackson, Kennard, Giles, and Bolden all leave for the NBA or, in Bolden's case, another destination. Duke whiffs on Trevon Duval, Kevin Knox, and Mo Bamba. The roster is decimated, leaving no obvious point guard, a talented freshmen duo, but limited depth at any position. I imagine one or more grad transfers or recruits that had committed to a recently-fired head coach, would be added to fill out the roster. Trent, Carter, and Vrankovic might be the only for-sure starters from the group. DeLaurier, White, and O'Connell get playing time. Maybe Duke lucks out and Tremont Waters, who is thought to be a difficult teammate or recruit at least (not quite sure) compliments the rest of the team well. Just having Frank Jackson and Marques Bolden stick around would make me feel better about this situation. I doubt Duke would enter the season as a Top 10 team.

[Indoor66]

Way too many words for what was said.

[Karl Beem]

Allen or Luke, Jackson, Vrankovic, DeLaurier and White

[Saratoga2]

I like to write down my thoughts on various scenarios that face Duke in the offseason. Now that we know that Tatum is off to the NBA for sure (which was obvious before the year began) and that Chase Jeter is transferring, here are the most likely ways I could see the next few months playing out:

Best Case: Mass Return + Duval and Knox
To me, the best case scenario for Duke is to have Allen, Kennard, Giles, and Bolden return and to have Trevon Duval and Kevin Knox commit to the team. That gives the roster a huge influx of talent with four Top 10 players (Carter, Duval, Knox, and Trent), and a high upside player at every position. It is essentially a version of the 2016-17 roster that might actually fit together better. This doesn't seem entirely possible to me as I fully expect Allen and Giles to leave, but one could see a situation in which the NBA talent scouts suggest another year in Durham isn't going to help or hurt Grayson's draft stock at this point, could help Kennard prove he can play defense, and that Giles is reliable enough draft in the lottery. One of the main issues with this scenario is that we might have too many pro prospects in the backcourt.

Guards: Allen (SR), Kennard (JR), Jackson (SO), Duval and Trent, Jr. (FR)
Forwards: Carter and Knox (FR)
Centers: Bolden and Giles (SO)

Reserves: Vrankovic (JR), DeLaurier and White (SO), and O'Connell (FR)

Second Best Case: Kennard Returns + Duval and Knox
This is similar to the situation above, except that Allen decides to leave with his diploma to become the next Matthew Dellavadova and Harry Giles wants to get a contract before any more injuries occur. Kennard, having heard criticism of his defense at the draft workouts, commits to improving his lateral quickness in the offseason. That allows Vrankovic and DeLaurier to compete with Bolden for the 7th man spot while our guard depth is just crazy good. Want shooting? Check. Want athleticism? Check. I would expect Duke would trot out a lineup of Duval-Jackson-Kennard-Knox-Carter to start most games. Depending upon Carter's ability to play defense and compete on the boards (I've heard he is a tenacious rebounder), this could be a good defensive lineup. It's not clear that it will be one, but it could be. DeLaurier could also carve out a role as a defensive specialist at either forward position. The mix of returning players and incoming talent projects Duke as a legitimate Top 5 team entering the season.

Next Best Case Scenario: Mass Exodus + Monster Recruiting Class
Short of returning Kennard, the best case scenario for Duke is to assemble a truly great recruiting class. That includes adding a high upside defensive post player in one Mohammad Bamba along with the aforementioned Trevon Duval and Kevin Knox. With Kennard departing, we might employ the most athletically gifted - but young - Duke teams to ever see the floor. Duval-Jackson-Knox-Carter-Bamba would feature 1 sophomore and 4 freshmen. If Jackson joins the exodus, then Trent would fill in at that shooting guard spot. This would be a highly difficult team to project. It's upside could be as high as any team Duke has featured but with serious question marks. Can Knox hit enough shots to keep defenses honest? Can the coaching staff get two freshmen big men to play decent defense? If yes, this could be a great outcome. The talent on the roster could land the team in the pre-season Top 3-7 range.

Worst Scenario: Mass Exodus, No More Major Recruits
Allen, Jackson, Kennard, Giles, and Bolden all leave for the NBA or, in Bolden's case, another destination. Duke whiffs on Trevon Duval, Kevin Knox, and Mo Bamba. The roster is decimated, leaving no obvious point guard, a talented freshmen duo, but limited depth at any position. I imagine one or more grad transfers or recruits that had committed to a recently-fired head coach, would be added to fill out the roster. Trent, Carter, and Vrankovic might be the only for-sure starters from the group. DeLaurier, White, and O'Connell get playing time. Maybe Duke lucks out and Tremont Waters, who is thought to be a difficult teammate or recruit at least (not quite sure) compliments the rest of the team well. Just having Frank Jackson and Marques Bolden stick around would make me feel better about this situation. I doubt Duke would enter the season as a Top 10 team.

Well, we have the seniors leaving (Jefferson, Jones, Pagliuca)
Question on whether Sean Obi is continued as a scholarship player in his senior year.
Then those confirmed as leaving (Tatum, Jeter)
Then the ones who might be draft picks as current unknowns (Giles, Kennard, Jackson, Allen) Some of those are most likely. Don't see Bolden as likely for that.
Any other transfers as who knows if others see greener pastures.

That leaves DeLaurier (likely to improve a lot next year), Vrankovic, White, Robinson and Besser as probable returnees next season

Add to those our current commitments and we have Carter, Trent and O'Connel or is it Connel.

That leaves us with at least 7 scholarship players with perhaps 2 of the NBA kids and possibly Bolden for 10 scholarship players and possibly we offer a scholarship to Obi to finish his senior year.

Would love to get Duval and Knox to fill in the roster. Waters appears to be an alternate if we miss on Duval. Can't see Bamba coming unless something is known about Bolden.

So much open to speculation at this time so we just have to see how this plays out.

[DavidBenAkiva]

Way too many words for what was said.

Question of the thread was what players do you want to return. I list my preferred scenarios in order of my preference. I guess I'm sorry for thinking a lot about the question?

[OZ]

From This Duke Roster, Which Player(s) Do You Most Want To Return?

Pick 2:

Grayson Allen
Luke Kennard
Harry Giles
Marques Bolden


I'll take all we can get.

[lotusland]

Grayson and Luke please. Splash bros hang a banner and a couple of jerseys to boot.

[Saratoga2]

From This Duke Roster, Which Player(s) Do You Most Want To Return?

Pick 2:

Grayson Allen
Luke Kennard
Harry Giles
Marques Bolden


I'll take all we can get.

The problem with the whole question is that you wind up leaving out very deserving players. In this case it was Frank Jackson who is one that may be essential to the team next year.

[Troublemaker]

The problem with the whole question is that you wind up leaving out very deserving players. In this case it was Frank Jackson who is one that may be essential to the team next year.

The poster didn't include Jackson because Frank is expected to return.

[chriso]

Luke will be back, I saw him at the end of the last StarWars(VII) movie

That just made me spit my coffee out. Well done sir. :) And please come back Luke Kennard. And Luke Skywalker too. And Bolden. As for Han Solo, he's already hired an agent and won't be back. We really need some laughs after this past week.

[elvis14]

Second Best Case: Kennard Returns + Duval and Knox

I can think of several better Second Best Cases:

- Grayson Returns + Duval and Knox
- Grayson and Harry Return + Duval and Knox (or no Deval and Knox)
- Grayson and Luke Return (with or without Duval and Knox)

I voted Grayson and Harry for the original question of pick 2 and I'll stick with that. Having those 2 guys back and healthy with 3 incoming freshman plus Frank, Vrank, Jack, Javin. We are good and that doesn't count Marques or Luke who I left off because they were on the pick 2 list.

[CDu]

Well, we're down to just 3 of those possibilities left from the hypothetical wish list. At this point, I'll take any of the two returning.

[kAzE]

Well, we're down to just 3 of those possibilities left from the hypothetical wish list. At this point, I'll take any of the two returning.

Please Grayson and Luke. PLEASE.

[ballfour]

Even if Giles were still in consideration, I'd go Allen and Kennard pretty quickly (choosing between them would not be easy).

It's easy to get seduced by potential and what's possible, but sometimes we don't give enough credit to what we know, what's in front of us. We've already seen Allen and Kennard get pretty close to their theoretical ceilings. Allen was the consensus No. 1 player in the country entering the year, after a major breakout sophomore season, and Kennard was just a unanimous All-ACC pick after his breakout year. Look, I hope Harry's body gives him a break and he can become the player he's capable of being, but that's definitely not the way I'd bet. (With this much weaponry on offense, even if it's guard-focused, I'd just trust the coaching staff, with a nice crop of incoming frosh, can figure out the interior situation and the defense.)

I wonder what the true odds are of getting one of Allen/Kennard back, or two, or zero. My WAG is that Allen goes and Kennard returns, but no permutation would surprise me (or anyone here, I suspect).

Oh, longtime lurker, first time poster. The quality of discussion on this board is absurdly excellent. I hope my rare forays into the mix don't detract too much.

[rsvman]

Please Grayson and Luke. PLEASE.

Don't think it's gonna happen.


I think we should be satisfied if we get Kennard and Bolden.

[budwom]

Don't think it's gonna happen.


I think we should be satisfied if we get Kennard and Bolden.

I agree, Kennard and Allen is highly unlikely...I'd be thrilled with Kennard and Bolden (to join Knox and Duval).

[royalblue]

Don't think it's gonna happen.


I think we should be satisfied if we get Kennard and Bolden.

I'll take that right now

[tulsuduke]

I think Kennard turns pro, Bolden returns and Allen is 50-50. I expect Allen to declare for the draft (and not hire an agent), go to the NBA draft combine, then make a decision after getting feedback. He doesn't have to be universally admired, but he does need only one team to say they'll take him in the first round.