Duke women's basketball 2016-17 player preview: Lexie Brown

Lexie Brown

• Year: Redshirt Junior
• Height: 5-foot-9
• Position: Guard
• Statline (sophomore season at Maryland): 13.3 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.3 RPG

Game Breakdown: After sitting out the 2015-16 season with the Blue Devils, Brown is likely to step in as a leader in Duke's backcourt right away. The Maryland transfer has two years of eligibility left to play for the Blue Devils and provides them with an experienced, dependable ball-handler. The Boston native was a McDonald’s All American in high school and averaged double figures in scoring in both her years with the Terrapins. As a sophomore in 2014-15, she helped lead the team to the Final Four and was a third-team All-American.

Brown is a threat from the perimeter—she shot 34.5 percent from the 3-point line as a sophomore—and she is also a good facilitator with 4.5 assists per game and a 1.7 assist-to-turnover ratio that year. On the defensive end, Brown will challenge some of the best guards in the ACC with her quickness after notching 127 steals in her two seasons at Maryland.

Role on the Team: Duke has a big hole to fill this year after leading scorer Azurá Stevens transferred to Connecticut and point guard Angela Salvadores left to play professionally in Europe. Brown could help replace some of the scoring the Blue Devils lost and will change their style of play this year after last season's offense revolved around Stevens in the post.

Brown will join guards Kyra Lambert and Rebecca Greenwell to create a fast-paced game in transition, and opponents will have to respect Brown and Greenwell from 3-point range, which will help space the floor. Turnovers have also plagued the Blue Devils in recent years, but Brown is the most talented and disciplined point guard they have had in years.

Projected stats: 15.0 PPG, 4.8 APG, 3.2 RPG

Stay tuned to the Blue Zone for our continuing player previews with redshirt junior Rebecca Greenwell tomorrow. Previous players previewed include Leaonna Odom, Haley Gorecki, Faith Suggs, Crystal Primm, Kyra Lambert, Lyneé Belton and Erin Mathias.