Sophomore guard Grayson Allen will return to Duke University for his junior season in 2016-17, the school announced Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore had been projected as the No. 31 pick in the NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com, and is now listed at No. 19 in 2017.
He returns to a team that will likely be ranked as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation by many outlets. Bovada has already installed Duke as a 9/2 favorite to win the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
In the backcourt, Duke is expected to return guards Derryck Thornton and Luke Kennard and will add incoming McDonald’s All-American point guard Frank Jackson.
Up front, the Blue Devils return Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson and Chase Jeter and will add Jayson Tatum, Harry Giles, Javin DeLaurier and Australian small forward Jack White. Duke also remains in the mix for 6-10 DeSoto (TX) big man Marques Bolden. They lose Brandon Ingram, a projected top-2 pick.
Tatum and Giles are the projected 1-2 picks by DraftExpress.com.
In 71 games in a Duke uniform, Allen has averaged 13.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from outside the arc and 83.9 percent from the free throw line. He will enter the 2016-17 campaign just 68 points shy of becoming the 65th 1,000-point scorer in program history.
“I talked with my parents and prayed about this decision, and I had the feeling that it was right,” Allen said. “I love Duke and I’ve made relationships with my teammates that will last forever. Coming back next season to play with them is important to me. Earning a Duke degree has always been a dream of mine, so I’ll also be working to get closer to that goal.”
“We are thrilled that Grayson will be back with us next season,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. “Following the season, he put a lot of thought into an important decision that will impact the rest of his life. In the end, he chose to remain at Duke, where he will pursue an undergraduate degree and develop even more as a man and basketball player. Grayson’s passion and commitment to our school and his teammates have been very apparent in our discussions with him.”
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