Duke freshman guard Gary Trent Jr. has declared for the NBA Draft and will sign with an agent, he announced on Saturday morning.
Trent is the third Blue Devil freshman this season, and the program’s 15th freshman overall, to declare for the NBA Draft. He joins a group that includes Corey Maggette (1999), Luol Deng (2004), Kyrie Irving (2011), Austin Rivers (2012), Jabari Parker (2014), Tyus Jones (2015), Jahlil Okafor (2015), Justise Winslow (2015), Brandon Ingram (2016), Jayson Tatum (2017), Harry Giles (2017), Frank Jackson (2017), and teammates Marvin Bagley III (2018) and Trevon Duval (2018).
“Gary was the best three-point shooter in the ACC,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. “At the NBA level, that’s what they’re looking for. He has the size of a two-guard who will be able to fit in the NBA. We appreciate everything Gary brought to Duke Basketball and wish him the best as he begins his journey in professional basketball.”
Trent enjoyed one of the best shooting seasons by a rookie in Duke history. The Columbus, Ohio native broke the Duke freshman record for three-point field goals with 97, surpassing the mark of 95 set by J.J. Redick in 2003. His 97 threes were third-most in the ACC, while his three-point percentage of .402 ranked fourth in the conference and stands seventh all-time by a Duke freshman. Trent’s free-throw percentage of .876 ranks fifth on Duke’s freshman list.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity that Duke Basketball gave to me,” said Trent. “And a special thanks to Coach K for bringing me in with open arms and teaching me and showing me so much. Our team grew a lot this season and we bonded on and off the court, and these memories will last a lifetime. It has been a dream of mine, since I was a little kid, to play for Duke University and for Coach K. Now I’ll set out to achieve another dream of mine and play in the NBA. I just want to say thanks to the fans, my teammates and my coaches for the support.”
Trent, who hit at least one three-pointer in each of the final 28 games this season, matched the Duke freshman record for made threes in a game with six on four different occasions — at Boston College, vs. Wake Forest, at Miami, vs. Notre Dame. Trent was twice named ACC Rookie of the Week and garnered Player of the Week honors after pouring in a career-high 30 points in a win at No. 25 Miami. Trent was Duke’s second-leading scorer over the second half of the season, averaging nearly 16 points per game.
Duke has produced at least one first-round NBA Draft pick in each of the last seven years. Coach K has mentored 35 first-round picks, including a draft-record 23 lottery selections. The Blue Devils matched a school record with four draft selections last season, including three first-round and two lottery picks.
In the latest ESPN NBA Mock Draft, Trent is the No. 44 pick to the Denver Nuggets.
Release via: Duke Athletics
