Mikayla Boykin
- Year: Redshirt Freshman
- Height: 5-foot-9
- Position: Guard
- Last year's stat line: 4.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 24 MPG
Game Breakdown: After playing in her first 10 games as a freshman, starting in eight of them at the two guard position, Boykin established herself as the most talented freshman early on. However, an ACL injury kept her off the court for the remainder of the season, forcing her to redshirt her rookie year. The Clinton, N.C. native has great court vision and offensive awareness, and has the ability to knock it down from beyond the arc. Boykin, fearless when slashing to the rim, makes it easy for her teammates when she is in the game, as her constant offensive attack draws double teams on drives which leaves other players open.
Boykin only had a limited amount of time to play behind former Duke All-American Lexie Brown, who could have shown her the ropes in real game time. However, Boykin’s inability to learn on the court did not hinder her ability to learn about the collegiate game while off the court. Because of the mentorship from Brown to Boykin, the latter could emerge as a top point guard in all of college basketball.
Role on the team: The Clinton High School product has yet to return to on-court action, as her knee is still in recovery. However, it is expected that Boykin will come back some time this season. This will not only add another elite player to Duke’s lineup, but it will also add another guard to an already stacked backcourt. In Boykin’s final games before her injury, redshirt junior Haley Gorecki received the nod from head coach Joanne P. McCallie over Boykin, indicating that Gorecki may have a higher spot on the depth chart. This doesn’t mean that Boykin can’t start once she gets healthy, as Duke lost its two best guards to the draft last season.
Projected stats: 6.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 26 MPG
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