The Duke Blue Devils are set to kick off the defense of their National Championship Thursday afternoon when they take on UNC Wilmington at 12:15. This Duke team is not quite as good as last years version, but they are still extremely talented and that is led by dynamic duo Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram.
Ingram has been the subject of a lot of talk recently, but it hasn't had much to do with Duke. The freshman is considered one of the best NBA prospects in the nation and has even recently moved past Ben Simmons as the projected number one pick in the NBA Draft. Ingram is fully expected to enter the draft after Duke's season does end, but top prospects usually at least say that they are considering staying regardless of where they are projected to be selected.
Ingram has not come out and said anything about his future, but his head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, did, as he said that this will be his only NCAA tournament experience while addressing the media. This shouldn't really come as much of a surprise to anyone considering Ingram was always expected to be a one-and-done player, but it makes this tournament all that more watchable for Duke fans.
If you haven't seen Ingram play this year, you should make sure that you do during this tournament because it is a pleasure, as the kid can do many different things on the floor. Ingram has a wingspan that tops seven feet, and he can shoot the ball from deep as well as almost anyone. The star freshman has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant in his one year at Duke, and while those may be a little bit over the top for now, he has a similar type of game and body to Durant, and that shows how highly people think of this kid.
Ingram is not the first one-and-done Duke has had, and he likely will not be the last. But these statements from Coach K make you realize how short of a time span some of these players have in the college game. Because of this, you can expect Ingram and the rest of the Blue Devils to be extra motivated to send him and senior Marshall Plumlee out on a winning note.
