Two Duke basketball players who will stun the world next season

Who will be Jon Scheyer's first superstars?

Author:
Matt Giles
Jul 11, 2022 3:16 PM EDT

Although the 2022-23 Duke basketball frontcourt will feature two top-five incoming first-year players in center Dereck Lively II and power forward Kyle Filipowski, inexperience among big men often becomes apparent at the college level. The lack of experience shouldn't be as glaring, however, in the backcourt and out on the wing.

Two Blue Devils stand out as playmakers who should anchor head coach Jon Scheyer's first squad from Day One.

One is a junior, and the other is a rookie. So let's look at each and explain why they are in a perfect position to stun many in the college basketball world as bonafide studs.

1. Duke basketball junior point guard Jeremy Roach

It's rare for any former heralded prep to stick around at Duke for more than a season or two these days.

But two exceptions come to mind as prime examples of guards who blossomed into stars as upperclassmen in Durham. These players' massive leaps were crucial to the Blue Devils winning their past two national championships.

Nolan Smith went from 8.4 points per game as a sophomore to 17.4 as a junior in 2009-10. Then Quinn Cook boosted his scoring by almost four points to 15.3 per game as a senior in 2014-15.

Jeremy Roach could join that club, assuming the former five-star recruit from Virginia permanently flips on the "Better Call Terminix!" switch he implemented toward the end of his sophomore campaign.

During Duke's run to the program's first Final Four since Cook was a Blue Devil, there sometimes didn't seem to be enough Raid on the planet to stop Roach in his tracks.

When the 6-foot-2, 170-pound point guard fully trusted his instincts and explosive moves to the basket while limiting his 3-point stroke to high-percentage attempts, he looked like one of the most potent backcourt weapons in the country.

Expect Roach, who averaged only 8.7 points across his first two college seasons, to build on that emergence as likely the young bunch's sole captain next season:

As the only returning starter in town, chances are he routinely turns in performances similar to his outing against Syracuse in Duke's first ACC Tournament game last season. In that game, Roach tallied 19 points, two boards, two assists, one steal, and only one turnover in 24 minutes on the floor while shooting 5-for-10 from deep.

He'll be 21 years old by the time the Blue Devils tip off the season at home against Jacksonville on Nov. 7.

And it should help Jeremy Roach to have the following projected insta-sensation by his side.

2. Duke basketball freshman small forward Dariq Whitehead

The reigning Naismith Boy's High School Player of the Year. The reigning SI All-American Player of the Year. The reigning McDonald's All-American Game MVP. The No. 2 overall prospect on the final 247Sports 2022 Composite.

One would think with all those accolades in hand that Dariq Whitehead will have a tough time surprising anyone with his array of talents next season. That said, the top-dog confidence level and multifaceted repertoire for a mere 18-year-old may shock some.

In the case of Whitehead, a New Jersey native whose Montverde (Fla.) squads won the past two GEICO High School Nationals titles, words can't adequately describe the starry, trustworthy qualities that are visible in his mixtapes:

RJ Barrett. Dwyane Wade. Those well-known perimeter players come to mind when watching the 6-foot-6, 190-pound small forward dominate as a three-level bucket-getter and sly defender.

Simply put, Dariq Whitehead is prone to sizzling. And given his advanced moves, top-shelf athleticism, ever-present competitiveness, and ability to run the point when necessary, he's a top candidate — along with Jeremy Roach — to pace the Blue Devils in the playing-time department.

Should Roach and Whitehead commit to being dogged defenders, there is every reason to believe they will serve as stunning Duke basketball superstars and make Jon Scheyer's job significantly easier.

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