Two Blue Devils Projected to be Top 50 College Basketball Freshmen Scorers
Freshmen forwards Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles were projected to be Top 50 freshmen scorers in college basketball this season.
Sports Illustrated listed two Duke Basketball freshmen to be among the top freshmen scorers for the upcoming college basketball season. Jayson Tatum is projected to be the second-highest scoring freshman in the NCAA while Harry Giles was ranked 11th.
Sports Illustrated projects Jayson Tatum will average 16.8 points per game and have a 117.7 ORtg to be the second-leading scorer among freshmen players. Tatum will bring versatility to the offense as a wing, and is expected to play a big role with the departure of Brandon Ingram. The 6-9 forward was also projected to be the 5th best player this season in the NCAA earlier this season. Tatum starred in high school averaging 29 points and 9 rebounds per game and was named the national Gatorade Athlete of the Year.
Harry Giles joined Duke as one of the top recruits in the freshman class, but a minor surgery will force him to miss the beginning of the college basketball season. Despite missing games due to injury, Giles is still projected to be the 11th best freshman scorer averaging 12.0 points per game. He is also predicted to have the highest offensive rating among freshmen with a 120.7 ORtg.
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Surprisingly, one key freshman in Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class was left off the list of the Top 50 freshman scorers. Five-star guard Frank Jackson was one of the top high school scorers in the country averaging 28.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game his senior year. Jackson also earned co-MVP honors after leading the McDonald’s All-American Game in scoring. Jackson’s role for this season is still uncertain, but whether he’s starting at point guard, shooting guard, or coming off the bench fans can expect him to contribute in his greatest strength- scoring points.
Duke Basketball is preparing for Countdown to Craziness this weekend to introduce the team and prepare for the upcoming college basketball season. The event will be Saturday at 7:00 pm and fans will be able to see the Blue Devil freshmen in game action during the team’s Blue & White scrimmage.