Blue Devil Country

Old School: Duke Basketball Rookies Name All-Time Favorite Blue Devils

It appears Duke basketball's newcomers respect Blue Devils from yesteryear.
Matt Giles|
Old School: Duke Basketball Rookies Name All-Time Favorite Blue Devils
Old School: Duke Basketball Rookies Name All-Time Favorite Blue Devils

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In preparing videos to introduce the Duke basketball freshmen's personalities to the fanbase, the program's social media team asked the four five-star talents several questions. One such question was, "Who is your all-time favorite Blue Devil?"

Except for an outlier or two, their answers revealed an appreciation for those whose jersey numbers forever hang from Cameron Indoor Stadium's rafters.

Interestingly, forward TJ Power was the only one who went with a player from the past 10 years. He chose 2018-19 one-and-done Cam Reddish, now a 23-year-old forward entering his fifth year in the NBA and first with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Going back several more years on the Duke basketball timeline, guard Caleb Foster revealed that his favorite is either JJ Redick or Austin Rivers.

Consider that Foster wasn't born yet when Redick arrived in Durham in 2002 for a four-year career that ended with the guard owning the still-standing program scoring record (2,769 points) and seeing his No. 4 jersey go up in the rafters. And Foster was only seven during Rivers' one-and-done college campaign in 2011-12.

Rewind another era to forward Sean Stewart's selection: back-to-back Duke basketball national champ Grant Hill (1990-94).

Of course, Hill, an uber-athletic forward and arguably the Blue Devils' most outstanding all-around talent and whose No. 33 is retired, is the logical choice for Stewart. After all, they were neighbors in Florida, and Hill took him to his first game in Cameron when Stewart was nine, making Duke his "dream school" ever since.

As for Jared McCain, he gets the prize for going back in time the furthest: Johnny Dawkins (1982-86). McCain said the primary reason for picking him is that Dawkins, also a combo guard, wore No. 24 (retired) — McCain's number in high school — on his way to setting the scoring record that Redick later broke.

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Whatever the reasons, it's encouraging to see the newbies pay homage to some greats who cemented Duke basketball as a powerhouse. On that same note, it's nice to hear that at least three of the four (Foster, Power, Stewart) grew up as Blue Devil fans.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for daily doses of Duke basketball news.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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