Duke Signee Gary Trent Jr. Goes Off for 36 in Win

On the same day that Duke officially announced the signing of its three-man recruiting Class of 2017, Gary Trent Jr. went off for 36 points in a win at the Marshall County Hoop Fest in Paducah, Kentucky.

Playing against Kentucky-bound guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Hamilton Heights (TN), Trent Jr. had 36 on 14-of-28 shooting in a 72-62 win for Prolific Prep. He was named the game’s MVP.

“He works at his game,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “He wants to be an outstanding player. He wants to do the process that gets there.”

Gary Trent Jr. is a scoring machine. #MCHoopFest pic.twitter.com/qdLglUVx8o

— Mike Stunson (@Mike_Stunson) December 3, 2016

Another 3 for Gary Trent Jr. He has 16 points in the first half. #MCHoopFest pic.twitter.com/fu8g8IOcE6

— Mike Stunson (@Mike_Stunson) December 3, 2016

Trent Jr. is part of a class that also includes his close friend, 6-10 big man Wendell Carter Jr., and 6-6 wing Alex O’Connell.

The Blue Devils will lose a number of players to graduation and the NBA Draft. Guard Matt Jones and forward Amile Jefferson are seniors, while freshmen bigs Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles and Marques Bolden and junior guard Grayson Allen are all projected first-round picks by DraftExpress.com.

Duke isn’t done recruiting, either. The Blue Devils remain in the mix for Class of 2017 point guards Matt Coleman and Trevon Duval, as well as wing Kevin Knox and 7-footer Mohamed Bamba, all of whom will sign in the spring. For more on those guys, read this.

Photo: Chip Miller