Matthew Hurt Announces Return to Duke

Duke freshman Matthew Hurt announced that he will be back for his sophomore season with the Blue Devils next year.

Hurt made the announcement Thursday afternoon on Instagram, saying, “To all: I hope everyone is staying safe in these tough times and practicing social distancing. With that being said I’ll be returning for my sophomore year at Duke. Let’s run it back DUKE NATION.”

Hurt arrived at Duke as a five-star small forward and the No. 12 rated recruit in the 2019 class, higher than Wendell Moore Jr. and Cassius Stanley, according to 247Sports. He was one of four Duke players (Vernon Carey Jr., Jordan Goldwire and Javin DeLaurier were the others) to play in all 31 games this year. He averaged 9.7 ppg, fourth on the team. His 42 three-pointers were most on the team, and his 39.3% mark from three was second among Blue Devils with at least 50 attempts, a hair behind Joey Baker's 39.4%.

Hurt’s playing time and production were inconsistent this season, however, as he struggled on defense. In the final month of the regular season, he had more games with single-digit minutes played (four) than 20-plus minutes (three). He also had three scoreless games in the final nine and four double-digit scoring outings.

There had been speculation that Hurt, who held out hopes of a one-and-done ticket to the NBA when he arrived at Duke, may have been considering a transfer, especially with the NCAA likely to pass a one-time transfer exemption later this offseason, which would allow him to play at a new school immediately.

Teammate Cassius Stanley, who left for the NBA draft a week ago, seemed to indicate Hurt would be returning in his comments to the media last week, where he predicted his teammate would be “a star” for the Blue Devils next season.

Hurt’s size and shooting ability will both be key factors for the Blue Devils next season.