The greatest players in Duke men’s basketball history

The school’s first consensus All-American basketball player and first member of Duke’s program to have his jersey retired (No. 10). In 1950-51, the two-time All-American averaged 25.2 points, and one season later, he put up 26 points per game as a junior. He was honored as national player of the year in 1952. While Groat spent one season in the NBA, he was an eight-time Major League Baseball All-Star, two-time World Series champion with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the 1960 NL MVP.

In the storied annals of Duke basketball, Heyman’s 25.1 career scoring average still ranks No. 1. The aforementioned Dıck Groat sits second at 23.0 per game. His 10.9 career rebounding average sits fourth all time in school history. The most notable of Heyman’s three seasons came in 1962-63, when he averaged 24.9 points and 10.8 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance and earn national player of the year honors from The Associated Press.

Part of the first two Duke teams to reach the Final Four (1963, ’64), Mullins averaged 21.9 points (fourth in school history) and 9.0 rebounds (11th) during his three seasons with the Blue Devils. Mullins was both the ACC Player and Athlete of the Year in 1964, and he was a three-time first-team all-league selection. Mullins, who won Olympic gold with the United States men’s basketball team in 1964 and posted 182 collegiate coaching victories over 11 seasons at Charlotte, had his No. 44 Duke jersey retired in 1994.

Gminski was a force from the moment he stepped on the Duke campus. He averaged 15.3 points and 10.7 rebounds to earn co-ACC Rookie of the Year for the 1976-77 campaign. When Gminski’s four seasons at Duke ended, he totaled 2,323 points (fifth-most in school history) and 1,242 rebounds (second all time). He also ranks second in school history with 345 blocks, and he’s the Blue Devils’ all-time leader with 63 double-doubles. Gminski was a first-team consensus All-American in 1979, when he was also the ACC Player of the Year. 

The Duke basketball record book is littered with Dawkins’ name. He was a two-time first-team All-American (1985, ’86) and the Naismith Player of the Year as a senior in 1985-86 when he averaged 20.2 points and shot 54.9 percent for the national runner-up Blue Devils. He ranks second in school history with 2,556 career points, and he’s the program’s all-time leader in made field goals (1,026). Dawkins’ No. 24 was retired by the school, and he was part of the ACC’s 50th Anniversary men’s basketball team.

The pride of prep powerhouse DeMatha Catholic under legendary coach Morgan Wooten, Ferry was a prized recruit for Coach K and got better each year at Duke. His career culminated with a senior season in which he averaged 22.6 points on 52.2 percent shooting and 7.4 rebounds to win the Naismith and UPI Player of the Year Awards. A two-time ACC Player of the Year (1988, ’89), Ferry was the first player in ACC history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists. He ranks top-10 in school history for career points (2,155), rebounds (1,003), and assists (506). Ferry’s 58 points against Miami, Fla., during the 1988-89 season remain a single-season school record.

Love him or hate him, there might not be an in-between when talking about Laettner’s legacy at Duke. Regardless, he just could be the best player to come out of the program. The Blue Devils reached the Final Four in each of his four seasons. He won two national titles (1991, ’92), and he was the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in 1991 as well as the consensus national player of the year in 1992. Laettner ranks third all-time at Duke in points (2,460), first in 3-point field-goal percentage (48.5), first in made free throws (713), third in rebounds (1,149), fifth in steals (243) and, of course, second in personal fouls (425). Oh yeah, he also made what’s often considered the greatest shot in NCAA Tournament history.

Another Duke player with which college basketball fans seemed to have a love-hate relationship, though maybe not to the extent of Christian Laettner. Hurley could be an agitator at times, but he also helped the Blue Devils win back-to-back national championships and is the school’s all-time leader with 1,076 assists (also an NCAA record) and 7.7 average assists. He averaged a career-high 13.2 points and 7.6 assists while earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors in 1991-92. A season later, Hurley was named a consensus first-team All-American.

Joining Christian Laettner and Bobby Hurley on those back-to-back national title squads, Hill also has his Duke uniform retired like the other two. And not just because he threw the long inbounds pass to Laettner against Kentucky. As a freshman on the Blue Devils’ 1991 title team, Hill averaged 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds. A consensus All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 1994, Hill is the first player in that league’s history to record more than 1,900 points, 700 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 steals, and 100 blocks. 

While Duke endured a nine-year national championship drought during the 1990s and early 2000s, the program was not void of elite talent. Langdon was a highly touted recruit from Alaska and overcame a serious knee injury that wiped out his entire sophomore season to enjoy a strong career at Duke. By the time his collegiate career ended, Langdon was Duke’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers (342) and ranks second with a 42.6 percent effort from beyond the arc. For his Blue Devils’ career, the three-time All-ACC first-teamer and second-team All-American (1999) averaged 14.5 points on 45.1 percent shooting.

Brand’s Duke career spanned just two seasons, but he was quite productive during that time. The Blue Devils might have been upset by Connecticut in the 1999 national championship game, but Brand enjoyed a memorable individual campaign. He averaged 17.7 points on 62 percent shooting, with 9.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks en route to earning consensus national player of the year honors. His 61.2 career field-goal percentage ranks third all time and .909 wining percentage (50-5) remains the highest of any Duke player with a minimum of 50 games played.

While Battier’s all-around game is impressive, he might be the best defensive player in Duke history. A three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year, Battier ranks second in school history with 266 steals and the all-time leader with 111 charges taken. Battier helped the Blue Devils win the 2001 national championship — when he was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player and consensus national player of the year while averaging 19.9 and 7.3 rebounds. His 70 ACC victories are a league record. Meanwhile, his .897 winning percentage (131-15) is the highest among all Duke players with at least 100 games played. 

Boozer’s time at Duke lasted three seasons, and he averaged nearly 15.0 points and a little more than 7.0 rebounds for his collegiate career. Boozer’s best Duke season came in 2001-02, when he averaged 18.2 points while shooting 66.5 percent and 8.7 rebounds to earn third-team All-American honors from the AP. He was also the ACC Tournament MVP that season. Boozer’s .882 winning percentage (82-11) is fourth-highest in school history among those who played at least 50 games.

A two-time first-team All-American, Williams won most of the major national player of the year awards in 2002. He averaged more than 21 points in each of his last two seasons at Duke, and he started all 108 games he played in three collegiate campaigns. In terms of the school’s basketball book, Williams ranks second in average assists (6.0), fourth in career assists (644), second in average steals (2.8), and third with 313 made 3-pointers. His 2,079 career points are tied for eighth-most in school history, and his 841 from 2000-01 rank third for a single season.

After Williams left Duke, it was Duhon’s turn to shine. Sure, his career numbers aren’t all that impressive to the eye (8.8 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.4 rpg, 2.1 spg), but Duhon will go down as one of the more dependable and important players in school history. He was the ACC Rookie of the Year when Duke won its third national title in 2001. Duhon remains the school’s all-time leader with 301 steals and second in assists (819). He’s also second at Duke in career minutes (4,813), fourth in overall victories (123), third in ACC wins (62), and tied for sixth in games played (144).

When it comes to pure Duke scorers, it must begin with Redick. If only because he’s the program’s all-time leader with 2,769 points. The two-time national player of the year (2005, ’06) is the ACC career leader with 457 made 3-pointers. He also tops Duke’s career list in free-throw percentage (.912), consecutive free throws made (54), 20-point games (70), and 30-points games (20). He joins Dıck Groat as the only Blue Devils to score at least 40 in a game three times. Redick, whose No. 4 hangs in Cameron Indoor Stadium, averaged 19.9 points and shot 40.6 percent from 3-point range for his career.

From Duke’s all-time leader scorer in JJ Redick to the school’s career rebound king. Williams pulled down 1,262 boards during his four seasons, averaging 9.1. His 422 blocks are also the most by any Blue Devil. In 2003-04, Williams became the first player in the Mike Krzyzewski era to average double figures for points (15.5) and rebounds (11.2). Williams, a consensus first-team All-American (2006) who had his No. 23 retired by the school, was the first player NCAA history to post at least 1,750 points (1,928), 1,250 rebounds, 400 blocks, and 150 steals (161).

Singler isn’t the first name that comes up when talking great Duke basketball players. In fact, his spot on this list is debatable. But Singler’s numbers and accomplishments don’t lie. He ranks fourth all-time at Duke in career points (2,392), sixth in made 3-pointers (267), seventh in rebounds (1,015), and he’s the school leader in minutes played (4,887), consecutive games played (148), and starts (147). The 2008 ACC Rookie of the Year was also named Final Four Most Outstanding Player when Duke won the 2010 national championship.

Sure, Duke has become more of a one-and-done program over the last few decades, but Bagley’s lone season for the Blue Devils is certainly worth celebrating. In 33 games, the 6-foot-11 Bagley averaged 21.0 points on 61.4 percent shooting from the field and 39.7 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down 11.1 rebounds per contest and averaged 1.5 assists. Duke lost to Kansas in the regional finals that season, but Bagley was tabbed ACC Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American.

The hype and attention that surrounded Williamson during his only season at Duke was like a circus. Despite missing the final five regular-season games as a freshman, the 6-7, 285-pound Williamson essentially lived up to the hype. He shared the team lead averaging 22.6 points, topped the Blue Devils at 8.9 boards per contest, and recorded 2.1 assists and steals on average. He also joined Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis as the only freshmen to post at last 500 points (746), 50 steals (70), and 50 blocks (59). A consensus first-team All-American, Williamson swept the major national player of the years awards in 2019.