From reserve to superstar: Luke Kennard's precise footwork makes him one of the top scorers in the country

<p>Kennard's sophomore campaign has been similar to Grayson Allen's marked improvement in 2015-16.&nbsp;</p>

Kennard's sophomore campaign has been similar to Grayson Allen's marked improvement in 2015-16. 

With 10 seconds left and Duke trailing Wake Forest by one on the road Jan. 28, freshman Harry Giles set a screen in the paint to free up Luke Kennard.

Frank Jackson released a pass from the top of the key with Kennard—who had already scored 27 points in the second half that afternoon—still several feet inside the 3-point line. The sophomore guard then made several fundamental moves in about three seconds.

He took two long strides to the arc with the ball approaching, caught it with his feet in the air, rotated his body, planted his feet to somehow get squared up and balanced, elevated and drained the game-winning triple.

It was a shot with a high degree of difficulty with his momentum going away from the basket, but Kennard made it look easy. The ACC’s scoring leader has made similar feats look easy all year because of the elite footwork that he honed in the offseason. The game has slowed down for him on offense, and his preparation to shoot before he receives the ball has helped him become an NBA-ready shooter and rise into the first round of mock drafts.

“Last year, I was trying to get used to the speed of the game. This year, it’s been great so far, especially throughout the summer when we played a lot of open-gym games,” Kennard said at the team’s preseason media day. “Picking up the speed of the game is really the main thing that I’ve kind of gotten used to and gotten better with.... I’ve been in the gym a lot.”

When head coach Mike Krzyzewski called Kennard the Blue Devils’ best player in practice after Duke’s first exhibition game in October, the declaration raised a few eyebrows. The Franklin, Ohio, native had a solid but inconsistent freshman season and may have even come off the bench before freshmen Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden went down with preseason injuries.

But when the door opened for playing time, Kennard seized his chance and never let it go, playing 35.6 minutes per game during the regular season and making the most of every minute on the court. He shot 13.0 percent better from beyond the arc and 8.3 percent better from the field than he did last year on his way to pouring in 20.1 points per contest.

With backcourt mate Grayson Allen hobbled by an ankle injury, Kennard has played at least 36 minutes in every game since the start of February.

“He’s been our most consistent player the entire season and one of the better players in the country,” freshman Jayson Tatum said. “He’s just someone you can look up to on the court, and he helps us out every day in practice and throughout the games. We’re trying to get up to par to where he’s at.”

Although Kennard has become a more consistent outside shooter and is sixth in the ACC in 3-point percentage, his midrange game has been even deadlier. The 6-foot-6 guard is taking 58.9 percent of his shots from inside the arc this season—compared to 48.7 percent last year—and is converting on 54.1 percent of his 2-pointers.

Kennard is not as fast as most of the players he matches up against, but keeps his defenders off balance with an array of smooth spin moves and turnarounds and a quick release on his jumper once he gets to his spots.

“He set the table in November and December for what you could expect, and then he’s delivered. He’s there. He’s really good. His footwork in the lane is beautiful,” Krzyzewski said Friday before the North Carolina game. “When he comes off of stuff, and his ability to use right or left hand—he’s been a really outstanding player this year. And he’s a no-maintenance guy. He’s just so easy to coach.”

In a season marred by injuries to most key players and Allen’s one-game suspension, Kennard has been a constant. He is one of just two Blue Devils that played in every regular-season game, along with senior co-captain Matt Jones and started all but one.

Kennard heads into the postseason having scored in double figures in 15 straight games and has scored at least nine points in every contest this year after he was held scoreless three times last season. He single-handedly willed the Blue Devils to wins at Wake Forest and against Clemson, scoring 15 straight Duke points in the second half of a 64-62 win against the Tigers.

The All-American candidate is the only Power-5 conference player averaging 20 points per game and shooting better than 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

“You guys see him doing that stuff last year, it just wasn’t as consistent I guess. That’s the biggest thing. He’s consistent. He’s worked on his body and he’s worked on his game,” graduate student Amile Jefferson said after the game against the Tigers. “He’s confident in his shot, he’s confident in his playmaking ability, and when guys were down, he stepped up.”

Kennard’s impact on the team has grown even more obvious in the last two weeks, when Duke has not been able to withstand a few cold nights from its leading scorer. He shot 40.7 percent from the field as the Blue Devils dropped three of their last four games, though he did find his stroke again with 28 points in a loss in the regular-season finale at North Carolina.

The only unanimous first-team All-ACC selection, Kennard’s regular season rivaled one of the best by an underclassman in program history. His 1,048 points are just 36 behind all-time leading scorer J.J. Redick’s total by the end of his sophomore year, but Kennard may not give himself the chance to make a run at the record.

NBA teams will certainly come calling whenever Duke’s season ends, and the chance to jump to the next level will be tempting if Kennard is guaranteed to go in the first round.

“He has not just been steady, he’s been terrific,” Krzyzewski said Friday. “The best players in the country are consistently excellent, and that’s why there aren’t that many. There are some that are good, then excellent, but he’s been right there.”

Brian Pollack and Sameer Pandhare contributed reporting.

Discussion

Share and discuss “From reserve to superstar: Luke Kennard's precise footwork makes him one of the top scorers in the country” on social media.