By: Ben McCormick
June 10, 2024
All photos from Duke Athletics
The sequel to the Top 15 Players of the 2020s list, the 2010s needed a bit more space to account for all of the talent. Fifteen slots just wasn't enough. Due to the massive increase in one-and-done talent at Duke, the 2010s is almost inarguably the decade with the largest quantity of talent at Duke.
The diversity in careers made this one of the most difficult rankings to produce too. How do you weigh a single season, which may have been better than any single season a successful four-year player had, versus that entire fruitful career? It's not easy.
Still, I took a stab at it.
It is determined solely based on their overall play at Duke. NBA performance or potential is not taken into consideration. For players that also played in the 2000s or 2020s, they qualify in whichever decade they played the most time in. If it is an equal split, then whichever decade contained their most successful season will get the nod. For instance, Nolan Smith is included (2008-2011), but Jon Scheyer is not (2007-2010). Likewise, Jack White hypothetically could be included (2017-2020), but Tre Jones is not (2019-2020).
For now, explanations are not included on the article because an episode of the Duke Wisdom Podcast breaking down the list is dropping on the morning of Tuesday, June 11.
Other Honorable Mentions: Frank Jackson, Trevon Duval, Miles Plumlee, Marshall Plumlee
Top HM.) Kyrie Irving
Year(s): 2011
Team Accomplishments: ACC Tournament Champion
Individual Accolades: NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 1st pick / 13 years (2011-present)
25.) Andre Dawkins
Year(s): 2010-2012, 2014
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2010), Final Four (2010), 2x ACC Tournament Champion (2010, 2011), ACC Regular Season Champion (2010)
Individual Accolades: 1,014 career points (67th all-time), 231 three-pointers made (10th all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: Undrafted / 1 year (2014-15)
24.) Matt Jones
Year(s): 2014-2017
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2015), Final Four (2015), ACC Tournament Champion (2017)
Individual Accolades: ACC All-Defense (2017), NCAA Tournament All-Region (2015)
NBA Draft/Experience: Undrafted / N/A
23.) Cam Reddish
Year(s): 2019
Team Accomplishments: ACC Tournament Champion
Individual Accolades: N/A
NBA Draft/Experience: 10th pick / 5 years (2019-present)
22.) Gary Trent Jr.
Year(s): 2018
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 37th pick / 6 years (2018-present)
21.) Justise Winslow
Year(s): 2015
Team Accomplishments: National Champion, Final Four
Individual Accolades: ACC All-Freshman, NCAA All-Tournament, NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 10th pick / 8 years (2015-2023)
20.) Ryan Kelly
Year(s): 2010-2013
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2010), Final Four (2010), 2x ACC Tournament Champion (2010, 2011), ACC Regular Season Champion (2010)
Individual Accolades: N/A
NBA Draft/Experience: 48th pick / 4 years (2013-2017)
19.) Rodney Hood
Year(s): 2013-2014
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: 2nd team All-ACC (2014), ACC All-Tournament (2014)
NBA Draft/Experience: 23rd pick / 8 years (2014-2022)
18.) Wendell Carter Jr.
Year(s): 2018
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: 2nd team All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman
NBA Draft/Experience: 7th pick / 6 years (2018-present)
17.) Amile Jefferson
Year(s): 2013-2017
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2015), Final Four (2015), ACC Tournament Champion (2017)
Individual Accolades: 2x ACC All-Tournament (2014, 2017), 1,079 career points (61st all-time), 137 career blocks (9th all-time), 150 games played (1st all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: Undrafted / 2 years (2018-2020)
16.) Austin Rivers
Year(s): 2012
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: 1st team All-ACC, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Tournament
NBA Draft/Experience: 10th pick / 11 years (2012-2023)
15.) Tyus Jones
Year(s): 2015
Team Accomplishments: National Champion, Final Four
Individual Accolades: Final Four Most Outstanding Player, 3rd team All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman, NCAA All-Tournament, NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 24th pick / 9 years (2015-present)
14.) Brandon Ingram
Year(s): 2016
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: ACC Freshman of the Year, 2nd team All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman, NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 2nd pick / 8 years (2016-present)
13.) Jayson Tatum
Year(s): 2017
Team Accomplishments: ACC Tournament Champion
Individual Accolades: 3rd team All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Tournament
NBA Draft/Experience: 3rd pick / 7 years (2017-present)
12.) Seth Curry
Year(s): 2010-2013
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2010)*, Final Four (2010)*, 2x ACC Tournament Champion (2010*, 2011), ACC Regular Season Champion (2010)*
Individual Accolades: 2nd team All-ACC (2013), 3rd team All-ACC (2012), NCAA Tournament All-Region (2013), ACC All-Tournament (2011), 1,394 career points (37th all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: Undrafted / 11 years (2013-present)
* = while redshirting as a transfer
11.) Quinn Cook
Year(s): 2012-2015
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2015), Final Four (2015)
Individual Accolades: 2nd team All-ACC (2015), 3rd team All-ACC (2013), 1,571 career points (29th all-time), 509 career assists (7th all-time), 236 three-pointers made (9th all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: Undrafted / 5 years (2016-2021)
10.) Jabari Parker
Year(s): 2014
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: 1st team All-American, National Freshman of the Year, 1st team All-ACC, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Tournament
NBA Draft/Experience: 2nd pick / 8 years (2014-2022)
9.) Mason Plumlee
Year(s): 2010-2013
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2010), Final Four (2010), 2x ACC Tournament Champion (2010, 2011), ACC Regular Season Champion (2010)
Individual Accolades: 2nd team All-American (2013), National Big Man of the Year (2013), 1st team All-ACC (2013), 3rd team All-ACC (2012), NCAA Tournament All-Region (2013) 1,384 career points (38th all-time), 1,088 career rebounds (4th all-time), 199 career blocks (4th all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: 22nd pick / 11 years (2013-present)
8.) Luke Kennard
Year(s): 2016-2017
Team Accomplishments: ACC Tournament Champion (2017)
Individual Accolades: 2nd team All-American (2017), 1st team All-ACC (2017), ACC Tournament MVP (2017), ACC All-Tournament (2017), 1,147 career points (51st all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: 12th pick / 7 years (2017-present)
7.) RJ Barrett
Year(s): 2019
Team Accomplishments: ACC Tournament Champion
Individual Accolades: National Shooting Guard of the Year, 1st team All-American, 1st team All-ACC, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Tournament, NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 3rd pick / 5 years (2019-present)
6.) Grayson Allen
Year(s): 2015-2018
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2015), Final Four (2015), ACC Tournament Champion (2017)
Individual Accolades: 1st team All-ACC (2016), 3rd team All-ACC (2018), NCAA All-Tournament (2015), 2x ACC All-Tournament (2017, 2018), 1,996 career points (12th all-time), 291 three-pointers made (5th all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: 21st pick / 6 years (2018-present)
5.) Jahlil Okafor
Year(s): 2015
Team Accomplishments: National Champion, Final Four
Individual Accolades: 1st team All-American, National Big Man of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, 1st team All-ACC, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Tournament
NBA Draft/Experience: 3rd pick / 6 years (2015-2021)
4.) Marvin Bagley III
Year(s): 2018
Team Accomplishments: N/A
Individual Accolades: 1st team All-American, National Big Man of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, 1st team All-ACC, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Tournament
NBA Draft/Experience: 2nd pick / 6 years (2018-present)
3.) Nolan Smith
Year(s): 2008-2011
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2010), Final Four (2010), 3x ACC Tournament Champion (2009, 2010, 2011), ACC Regular Season Champion (2010)
Individual Accolades: 1st team All-American (2011), ACC Player of the Year (2011), 1st team All-ACC (2011), 2nd team All-ACC (2010), ACC Tournament MVP (2011), ACC All-Defense (2011), NCAA All-Tournament (2010), NCAA Tournament All-Region (2010), 2x ACC All-Tournament (2010, 2011), 1,911 career points (18th all-time),
NBA Draft/Experience: 21st pick / 2 years (2011-2013)
2.) Kyle Singler
Year(s): 2008-2011
Team Accomplishments: National Champion (2010), Final Four (2010), 3x ACC Tournament Champion (2009, 2010, 2011), ACC Regular Season Champion (2010)
Individual Accolades: Final Four Most Outstanding Player (2010), 2x 1st team All-ACC (2010, 2011), 2nd team All-ACC (2009), 3rd team All-ACC (2008), ACC Tournament MVP (2010), ACC Freshman of the Year (2008), ACC All-Freshman (2008), NCAA All-Tournament (2010), NCAA Tournament All-Region (2010), 3x ACC All-Tournament (2009, 2010, 2011), 2,392 career points (4th all-time), 1,015 career rebounds (6th all-time), 4,887 minutes played (1st all-time), 148 games played (2nd all-time), 267 three-pointers made (6th all-time), 497 free throws made (10th all-time)
NBA Draft/Experience: 33rd pick / 6 years (2012-2018)
1.) Zion Williamson
Year(s): 2019
Team Accomplishments: ACC Tournament Champion
Individual Accolades: National Player of the Year, National Power Forward of the Year, National Freshman of the Year, 1st team All-American, ACC Player of the Year, 1st team All-ACC, ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-Freshman, ACC All-Defense, ACC Tournament MVP, ACC All-Tournament, NCAA Tournament All-Region
NBA Draft/Experience: 1st pick / 5 years (2019-present)
Ben McCormick | @BenMcC33
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