The Duke Blue Devils are losing another one of their players to the NBA Draft. This time, it’s their top scoring option, Luke Kennard, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.
The sophomore out of Franklin, Ohio put his name in the draft after averaging 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. He shot 49 percent from the field and also shot 43.8 percent from three on 5.4 attempts per game.
Luke Kennard garnered multiple awards after his second season with Duke. He was named a Second Team All-American, a Wooden Award Finalist, and a Naismith Award semifinalist. He led the ACC in minutes played, turnover percentage, points produced, Offensive Rating, Offensive Win Shares, and Win Shares. He was number two in scoring in the conference and second in field goals. Kennard was third in three-point field goals made and true shooting percentage, and he was fourth in free throw percentage.
The 20-year-old was recently mocked to the 18th spot in Def Pen’s NBA mock draft. He’s a first round pick who likely won’t go any later than 25.
Soon after the Blue Devils lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, two of Kennard’s teammates declared for the draft. Freshmen Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum both decided to forgo their next three years of college basketball in order to try their hand in the NBA.
Luke Kennard will know which team he will be playing for on June 22 when the NBA Draft is held.
