As we noted recently, Duke’s iconic stature and the number of outstanding players in the NBA puts Duke in a different orbit than almost any other program. Perhaps only Kentucky is close, and Kentucky isn’t a big a deal outside of, well, Kentucky. Duke has gone from being a regional program to a national program to now an international presence.
That’s why Duke can pull off something like Pro Devil Days and bring back guys like Jayson Tatum, Paolo Banchero, Cooper Flagg, Rodney Hood, Dahntay Jones,
Chris Duhon – we could go on – and let them hang out with, educate and advance the current Duke players.
Look at the freshman class. Obviously the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, got a dose of the Brotherhood from their dad Carlos. Well, they got more on Pro Devil Days. What about Sebastian Wilkins, are Sarr and Nikolas Khamenia? This gives those guy access to something most young players can’t easily get – a walking, talking NBA database of former players.
It’s also a great recruiting opportunity. If you were on campus during this event and got to meet players like Tatum, Banchero and Flagg – oh, my! It would be hard to not be impressed.
