By: Reynolds Hawk

Twitter- @reynoldshawk

4/21/19

“Could the Duke Blue Devils be even better in 2019-20?!”

College basketball was an absolute joyride this season. Every team
has their story, and while the Virginia Cavaliers finally won a
national title, teams like Duke and Michigan State have their eyes
set on next year’s NCAA tournament. The Blue Devils knew
coming into the 2018-19 season that anything less than a national
championship would be a failure to meet expectations and reach
their full potential. As we all know since most of you were
probably celebrating, the Blue Devils fell short to Michigan State
in this year’s Elite Eight 68-67. This of course was an enormous
heartbreak to coaches, players, and fans. The loss was even worse
for Duke Point Guard, Tre Jones, who was born and raised in
Minneapolis, and was fighting for the opportunity to win a
championship in front of his mother as she is currently battling
breast cancer. But what will the Blue Devils look like coming into
next season after losing the services of Zion Williamson, RJ
Barrett, and Cam Reddish? Duke’s 2019-20 roster is shaping up with
the return of Point Guard, Tre Jones, and the potential signing of
(#6 SG) Cassius Stanley:

With this being said, here is a look at a projection of next years lineup:

G: Tre Jones
G: Alex O’Connell
G: Jordan Goldwire
CG: Boogie Ellis
SG: Cassius Stanley
G/F: Wendell Moore
F: Matthew Hurt
F: Joey Baker
F: Jack White
F: Javin DeLaurier
F: Justin Robinson
C: Vernon Carey
C: Marques Bolden

What stands out the most when evaluating this roster is the depth
that Duke will have at the guard position. Not only that, but Tre
Jones, Jordan Goldwire, and Alex O’Connell have all seen
meaningful minutes at the college level, bringing experience to the
table as well. Coach K’s team won’t possess as much raw talent as
the 2018-19 roster, but there is talent, and a lot of key players are
returning to Durham next season. Guard play and experience are
crucial in order to hang a banner, and the Blue Devils can expect
just that when the college basketball season rolls around. With
Vernon Carey, Matthew Hurt, Wendell Moore, Boogie Ellis, and
potentially Cassius Stanley joining next year’s squad, it’ll be
interesting to see if the Blue Devils can claim title number six.