As the Blue Devils’ season comes to an end, the Blue Zone is here to break down every player’s performance this year, and compare it to our preseason predictions. We've already looked at TJ Power. Next up is freshman forward Sean Stewart:
Sean Stewart
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-9
Position: Forward
This year’s stat line: 8.4 MPG, 2.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.2 APG
The Blue Zone’s projected stat line: 20.1 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG
Season breakdown: While Duke is known for bringing in an abundance of high-profile recruits every offseason, each player runs their respective race differently. Freshman forward Sean Stewart will hope his mark will grow after only playing a small role during the 2023-24 season.
While Stewart averaged under three points per game, the freshman made a major impact in a few big games this season, most notably in the Blue Devils’ first matchup with N.C. State. With sophomore center Kyle Filipowski in foul trouble, Stewart filled in admirably, logging a season-high 26 minutes, adding 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and containing star big man DJ Burns Jr.
Despite not playing many minutes, the Windermere, Fla., native established himself as one of the best rebounders on the team and, albeit a very small sample size, perhaps even the nation. Stewart had several impressive rebounding performances over the back half of the season, including nine rebounds in 11 minutes against Louisville. As a result of this ability, the youngster spent a portion of the season atop the nationwide leaderboard for rebound rate, a metric that measures the percentage of rebounds a player corrals while on the floor.
Results relative to expectations: Stewart wasn’t expected to play a major role during his freshman campaign, but the inconsistency in his playing time was frustrating to some Duke fans, and likely to himself as well. However, the highly-touted recruit showed flashes of his elite athleticism and rebounding prowess throughout the season. With the departure of graduate center Ryan Young and the likely exit of Filipowski to the NBA draft, Stewart figures to be a major piece in the frontcourt next season alongside former Montverde Academy teammate Cooper Flagg.
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