David Duke is a player that shows readiness on the basketball court. He shows to be aware of everything going on and his playmaking skills come to good use. The Providence Friars sit at 5-8 in the Big East with a lot to improve upon. Despite the early struggles, Duke has once again had a great individual year.

Looking at Duke’s Game

Duke displays to be a volume scorer for Providence. He can break down the defense from the three point line and can be dangerous from beyond. Throughout his emergence this season, it has allowed Duke to be in the top 10 in three-pointers made. Once he breaks apart the defense by shooting or penetrating, most team’s collapse because he will figure a way to put the ball in the basket. Through the past few seasons, Duke has found a way to elevate his game. He continues to assert himself on offense, which carries over to different aspects of the game.

Duke is averaging 18 points per contest along with six rebounds. He continues to build confidence in his shot and is allowing himself to stay confident in his shot. His field goal percentage still needs work, to say the least. Duke shows to be more of a marksman from the three-point line compared to two point range.

Duke is a great perimeter scorer, but a priority for him is learn to become consistent from the mid-range. We see how he displays tremendous size by attacking the rim. Teams are going to learn to take his easy opportunities away from him. A great example of that is earlier this season against Villanova, where Duke only scored 10 points on 4-17 shooting. Once team’s take away his openings and good looks, he tends to be non-effective. Duke will figure out new ways to become more effective on offense.

Performances Through This Season

Duke has had tremendous performances throughout this season. The best one has to be his 31 point effort against Marquette. From the start of the game, Duke was once again a sniper from three-point land. But the significant part of the game was his movement off the ball. Duke did a tremendous job at setting screens for his teammates and cutting to the rim. He and his teammates showed to have a great feel for one another, which turned into easy opportunities. Although Marquette’s defense made him work for opportunities, it wasn’t enough as Duke shined in Providence’s overtime win.

His 28 point effort against TCU was another example of Duke pulling through when his team needed it. As Providence began to pull away in the second half, Duke once again showed his passing skills by dropping dimes for players in their pockets. When his scoring and facilitating match together, the Friars tend to be a dangerous team. Duke seems to understand how to be the focal point in his team’s success during games.

What’s Next for Duke?

Many can agree, David Duke is a tremendous level of talent. But what is the best decision for him going forward? If Duke is considering pursuing his NBA career, the best decision for him is to remain at Providence after this season. Let’s remember, Duke came into Providence his freshman season with a lot of holes in his game. Throughout the years, he has grown into a phenomenal talent who shows to be a leader on offense. The thing is, if Duke declare’s for this year’s draft, there may be a chance that he is a low first-round, early second round pick.

It is not a knock on David Duke and his tremendous upside. But his lack of consistency causes him to be an overlooked player. He also should prioritize in becoming more of a defensive anchor on the floor. Another senior season at Providence could potentially unleash Duke at his highest potential. Continuing to grow into his game should be the important key for he and his team. Duke’s continued development could help his value heading into the NBA.

In Conclusion…

As the Friars look into their next matchup against UCONN, the team will look to get back into the win column. It has been a very up and down season, to say the least. But the important thing the team should do is take care of business on their home floor.

David Duke continues to evolve before our very own eyes. After Alpha Diallo departed from the program, the keys were in Duke’s hands to take control completely. As this season continues to progress, Duke will only look to display even better performances than he has so far.