Tag Archives: Wendell Moore

Duke Basketball

Core Players And A Lot Of Possibilities For 2020-21 Duke Basketball

When trying to come up with which players will be in the court in crunch time for Duke next season, I keep coming up with four players. My current feeling is that Duke will want true freshman Jalen Johnson, Jeremy Roach, and returnees Matthew Hurt and Wendell Moore Jr. on the court most of the time.

We should see a vast improvement from Hurt and Moore, both of whom will be depended upon to lead via knowing the Blue Devils system of doing things. Ideally, you want some older players in the lineup but Duke will be a pretty young team, save two key backups, if you can call them that, in Jordan Goldwire and Joey Baker.

Jalen Johnson is a sure bet one and done talent and Duke will allow him plenty of freedom to grow his game while in Durham. Jeremy Roach will be handed the keys to point guard duties early on as well.

So, I see these four as starters for most of the season which begs the question, who will the fifth starter be? Well, to start, Duke will have a lot of players fill that role and it will come down to how players are working in practice and matchups.

When Duke goes big, they can look to freshman Mark Williams and to a lesser degree Jaemyn Brakefield and Henry Coleman. The staff will also have incoming Columbia transfer Patrick Tape in the mix in the frontcourt. I can see all of these players getting a start and when practice resumes, we will have an idea of who is adjusting to perceived roles.

As for the freshman, Brakefield and Coleman each bring their skillset to the mix. Brakefield is a solid offensive player who can stretch the floor and Coleman is a versatile hard worker around the paint. Williams can be a basket protector and a force in the paint and has continuously improved in the past two years.

But Duke can go smaller as well and this is where I enter another freshman D.J. Steward into the mix. He is a potentially prolific scorer and talented enough to fill that fifth spot. In fact, when I took a poll of the few people I trust, he seemed to be what most considered the best bet for the fifth starting spot.

But, hold on a minute. This is where we talk about Jordan Goldwire. Talk about a hard worker that will get after you defensively. And then there is Joey Baker who is always a three-point threat and a player who can do much more than that.

This is where I tell you that while I have penciled in some perceived starters, it does not mean they will have to play ironman minutes. In fact, there are many lineup possibilities.

Duke can go small and pressure the heck out of teams with Roach, Steward, Goldwire, Moore, and a big. Or they can try and match up with the likes of bigger teams with Williams, Johnson, and Hurt with some help from Tape.

The Blue Devils have tweeners as well to insert into the mix, so at least early in the season, Duke will be able to go as deep as they did a season ago with concern to their lineups. I will go out on a limb and predict up to ten players will get a start at some point in the coming season.

While Duke will be young, they will be deep again this season. The key will be to get back on campus and get accustomed to one another as we all await positive news on the virus which has yet to clear.

Also, keep in mind this is my early take on Duke hoops in 2020-21 and it will change as we get closer to the season. But for now, this is a gauge on what we might expect.

I will be discussing other aspects and possibilities concerning Duke Basketball as we tie several articles in as an early bird preview in the coming days where we'll answer a lot of team questions. And speaking of questions, send any into our bluedevilnation@twitter feed with the hashtag #AskBDN and we will address the best of them.

Duke Basketball

What Could Have Been and What Was for Duke Basketball

The dust has finally settled on the 2019-20 basketball season and it is now time to reflect on what could have been. As some in the media, I took the trip up to Greensboro for the ACC Tournament and took my seat at courtside as I watched the unusual situation unfold.

It was surreal seeing just the bands from Clemson and Florida State making noise where no fans were in the stands. There were cheerleaders, essential coliseum personnel, some media members, and television crews as Clemson and Florida State took to the court to warm up.

Duke and N.C. State was to have played next, so I was dug in with my laptop ready to cover something like we had never witnessed. I was wondering which parent might make a name for themselves in support of their team for those who stood out would be getting plenty of camera time.

For a brief moment, it appeared the games would go on, but there was a problem, you see. That being something called the Coronavirus and it was at the forefront of everyone's mind, even fanatical fanbases desperate for life to go on as normal.

I could not help but think Duke did not get a good draw in the tournament. The Blue Devils would have likely gotten past the Wolfpack, but it would not have been easy. The draw came from finishing fourth in the standings and it was hard not to think about the collapse in Winston Salem, for a win against a so-so Wake Forest team would have put the Duke in the top spot.

There was also a late-season loss by a two points at Virginia which was costly as well, These two games kept Duke from winning the regular season.

So, when it became evident that the long-awaited ACC Tournament return to Greensboro was about to be canceled there was still not ample enough evidence that the season would end. I mean, no season had since the inception of the NCAA Tournament.

As it became clear that we had seen the last dribble of the ball this past season, you could not help but wonder many things. As Florida State was awarded the ACC Tournament Championship trophy in a way that was highly awkward, it just felt like Duke should have been there.

Yes, one could argue they stole a win at Chapel Hill over North Carolina but had Mike Krzyzewski known the season would end as it did, perhaps he would have coached a little differently.

While this may seem a controversial statement, some coaches are looking to teach lessons during the season. I am not saying Duke did not want to win those close or critical losses, but I am saying the staff never thought the win over North Carolina in Cameron Indoor Stadium would be the last game the team would play.

Some may have seen Duke collapsing a bit after the losses to Virginia and Wake Forest in the regular season, but I saw it as ongoing lessons for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. And I think this team was better built for the tournament than some think.

We will never know for sure how things may have fared, but the team had a solid year with some memorable wins. They owned a win over Kansas the nation's top-ranked team and they had a veteran point guard in Tre Jones ready to go for what would have been the sixth national championship.

Perhaps the Blue Devils would have hoisted the ACC Championship Trophy had the games been played, but the Seminoles had a much easier road to do so. So I am thinking the team was better built for the NCAA's and like many, I wanted to see how it played out.

Duke showed they could be caught off guard in some losses this past season, but the Blue Devils could have beaten any team on a given day. Trust me, it is all about matchups in the big tournament and so we will never know how things would fare, but the feeling here is that Duke would have gained some more wins and been a tough out for anyone they faced.

Duke had a good locker room this past season. Their players represented the brotherhood well. They were a likable bunch of young men where each brought something to the table.

Since my last article, Duke has seen Tre Jones, Vernon Carey Jr., and Cassius Stanley all enter the NBA Draft. It was fun watching those players.

Tre Jones returned to Duke to win a title. It is painful for many he never got that chance. But people will fondly remember what he and his brother Tyus, did for the program.

Vernon Carey Jr. was evidence that Duke does develop big men and he had a stellar season. He is a very underrated player going into the draft and will likely land with a winning team per source.

Cassius Stanley showed off some serious athleticism which will help him achieve his goals at the next level. Duke proved they do as well with west coast talent as any other part of the country.

Duke also says goodbye to Javin DeLaurier, Jack White, and Justin Robinson. These three young men as all destined for some great things in life.

So, if you haven't guessed yet, this is me closing the door on the 2019-20 season. It was not easy to do so for many reasons, but anyone reading this article likely lives for the basketball season and when it is cut short, there is a part of us seemingly missing,

While many are still dealing with the outbreak which has forever changed our lives, we still covet the constant success that has defined Duke Basketball.

A popular tagline is that "Duke Basketball Never Stops." While that statement has been challenged, it is clear to see via social media that the Brotherhood is still active.

I am a glass half full type. So, I think we will see the Blue Devils soon enough and the staff is hard at work even from home preparing for another season. Heck, they are recruiting for much more than next season, so it is time to start talking about that and in the coming days, Blue Devil Nation will start to cover what is to come next in our own way,

So, let us remember that amazing putback by Wendell Moore Jr. one last time But it is time to make some new memories and move on.

Duke Basketball

Jack White, Wendell Moore All ACC Academic Selections

DURHAM, N.C. – Duke senior forward Jack White and freshman forward Wendell Moore Jr., has been named to the 2020 All-ACC Academic Team, the conference announced Friday.

To be eligible for consideration to the All-ACC Academic Team, a student-athlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career.

A sociology major and team captain, White earns All-ACC Academic status for the second consecutive year. The senior from Australia is averaging 3.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 15.9 minutes per game, and his 22 blocked shots rank fourth on the team.

Moore has contributed 7.6 points per game to go with 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He has had several marquee performances for the Blue Devils this season, including his game-winning tip-in to beat North Carolina at the buzzer in overtime on Feb. 8. Moore also scored a career-high 25 points at Wake Forest on Feb. 25 and set a Duke freshman single-game record with 15 made free throws.

This marks the 26th consecutive season Duke has had at least one selection to the All-ACC Academic Team. White and Moore are Duke's 95th and 96th all-time selections.

Duke Basketball

Wendell Moore & Jordan Goldwire on ND at Duke

Duke men's basketball players Jordan Goldwire and Wendell Moore Jr, addressed the media today before tomorrow's game versus Notre Dame. Here is what they had to say -

JUNIOR GUARD JORDAN GOLDWIRE

On coming off two big wins before Notre Dame: “We have to come out and play hard like we did the last two games and try to get off to a good start. They [Notre Dame] are a very good team so we have to be ready to play.”

On the importance of the rest this week: “We played back-to-back games within 48 hours so to get the rest was very important for us. We’re all feeling rejuvenated and ready to play tomorrow.”

On Notre Dame: “They are very well coached. They don’t turn the ball over a lot and they take a good amount of threes. They have good bigs and good guards … they are a good team.”

FRESHMAN FORWARD WENDELL MOORE JR.

On coming off two big wins before Notre Dame: “We have to come in with the same mentality as the last two games. We had a good start against Florida State. We came out with intensity as a team and came ready to play.”

On the importance of rest this week: “We’re all ready for this game tomorrow. Coach has done a fantastic job getting us ready. Notre Dame is a really good team and is experienced. We have to come in and match them.”

On the ending of the North Carolina game and how it could propel the team the rest of the season: “Coming back was an unreal experience. The whole 48 hours could be one that some teams could take very differently than we did. Our four leaders and Coach did a really good job at getting us to move on to the next game. Really that’s what we need to do now … move on from last week and I’m looking forward to that tomorrow.”

Duke Basketball Recruiting News

Wendell Moore Jr. Picks Duke

Wendell Moore picked Duke University in Cox Mill Auditorium just moments ago.

One of the nations top prospects, Wendell Moore Jr. has decided he will play basketball for Duke University.  His announcement came in front of his hometown Cox Mill fans.  Moore picked the Blue Devils over in state and ACC rivals North Carolina, N.C. State and Wake Forest.

Moore is a tough and physical wing player who some consider a power guard.  He is a top-notch defender who can guard multiple positions and he possesses a 6-11 wingspan while standing close to 6-6, 210 pounds.

Moore helped lead his Cox Mill team to back to back state titles and has just returned from a stint with USA Basketball.  He is expected to become the Cabarrus County’s all-time leading scorer during his senior season with the Chargers where he's 19 points shy of the record.

The newest Duke commitment was born in Richmond, Virginia but currently hails from Charlotte, N.C.  He played his AAU ball for CP3 in the Nike EYBL.  A season ago he averaged 25.4 points per game in high school and added 7.3 rebounds per contest.

Moore was named as the 2017-18 North Carolina basketball coaches player of the year.  He was first-team all state in various publications including USA Today.

The Charlotte native has also won two gold medals while playing for USA Basketball in 2017 and 2018.  He started all seven games where his USA team went undefeated this past summer in Santa Fe, Argentina.

Moore grew up a LeBron James fan and is the son of Marie and Wendell Moore Sr.  He is the first commitment in the 2019 class for Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils.

You can follow Wendell on social media -

For more on Moore and Duke Basketball recruiting. join Blue Devil Nation Premium during our 60.00 for the one-year special offer in the link above.  Where will Duke go from here?  We'll talk about that and more.