Duke’s starting lineup next season will be entirely different as freshman forward Wendell Carter Jr. became the fifth and final Blue Devils starter to declare for the NBA Draft on Monday.
“I want to thank Duke University, my coaches and teammates for helping me so much, not only on the court, but off it as well,” Carter said in a statement on Instagram. "We’re all brothers, we all have each others’ backs. I’m really going to miss being around my friends, but I’m really going to cherish the moments we had together. I’m very excited and very happy to say I was part of something special here at Duke.”
Duke freshmen Marvin Bagley III, Gary Trent Jr. and Trevon Duval, and senior Grayson Allen will also be available in the draft.
According to The Undefeated, Carter’s mother wanted him to return to Duke, while his father encouraged him to turn pro.
“Taking that next chapter in my life is difficult,” Carter said. “There are going to be a lot of ups and downs coming up this next year. I just saw the pros and cons of both situations. It was difficult to say no to one thing and follow my heart with the other thing."
Carter, a 6-10 Georgia native, averaged 13.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds in his one season at Duke.
