Duke Makes Late Addition in Shooting Guard Jordan Goldwire
Duke made a late addition to its
Following a busy Tuesday in which 2017 point guard Trevon Duval visited campus and junior guard Grayson Allen announced he would return for his senior season, Duke assistant Jon Scheyer had an in-home visit Wednesday with 2017 guard Mark Smith.
The family spoke with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski by phone.
“[They said] he’s a true 6-foot-5 point guard with great shooting guard abilities,” said Anthony Smith, the player’s father. “He has three-man abilities to finish at the rack and can handle like the small point guards.”
Duke has Allen, Gary Trent Jr. and rising sophomore Frank Jackson in the fold for next season and is hopeful of adding Duval, too.
Duke was also slated to have an in-home on Wednesday with Kevin Knox.
The 6-foot-5 Smith, out of Edwardsville (IL), is ranked the No. 17 point guard in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports.com. He averaged 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 8.4 assists last season.
Smith is also considering Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan State and Ohio State, and will take an unofficial visit to Illinois Thursday.
Kentucky coach John Calipari visited Smith several weeks ago and offered him a scholarship. They would like him to join a group of guards that includes Hamidou Diallo, Quade Green, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jermarl Baker.
By JACOB POLACHECK Uncommitted Class of 2017 point
Duke sophomore Luke Kennard will enter the upcoming NBA Draft and will sign with an agent, the school announced.
The 6-foot-6 Kennard is currently projected at No. 25 by DraftExpress.com.
He is the third Duke player this offseason to declare for the Draft, following freshmen Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles. Duke also loses big man Amile Jefferson and guard Matt Jones to graduation, and forwards Sean Obi and Chase Jeter to graduation.
Kennard, a consensus second-team All-American, led Duke in scoring with an average of 19.5 points per game while shooting .489 from the floor, .438 from outside the arc and .856 from the free throw line. His 722 total points on the year represented the 16th-best single-season total in program history, while his .438 three-point percentage ranked 10th on Duke’s single-season chart.
By JACOB POLACHECK Despite speculation about the future
By NICK MEDLINE
CHICAGO — Gary Trent Jr. wants to pitch the Duke program to undecided McDonald’s All-American players, including Mohamed Bamba, Trevon Duval and Kevin Knox. To Trent Jr., the Duke reputation speaks for itself.
“Duke’s a great school and I love everything about it,” Trent Jr. said. “There’s nothing I can educate them on that they don’t already know. When you say Duke, it opens eyes. It has a long tradition. Everything about it is great for me, and I try to harp on that to the guys. Hopefully, they come to their senses as well.”
Trent Jr. excelled in his own right at the McDonald’s All-American Game practice on Tuesday morning. The Napa (CA) Prolific Prep Academy shooting guard played some of the best defense in any session — guarding multiple positions with success and consistently forcing turnovers. He said this experience has helped him add precision to his game, matched by his excitement to participate in the event.
