Ryan Young will turn 24 a month into the 2023-24 Duke basketball season. He's in his sixth year of college (four at Northwestern before transferring to Duke last year) as a fifth-year senior on the court.
Plus, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center is now a co-captain for the Blue Devils alongside senior guard Jeremy Roach and sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor.
So, there's no doubt Young brings experience and leadership to the second Duke basketball squad under Jon Scheyer's command as they gear up for a season in which they'll likely begin at No. 2 or No. 3 in the AP Top 25.
But the veteran's seemingly new gifts on display have folks wondering how high Young, pursuing an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, might fly in his final college campaign as a weapon in games.
This week, the official Duke basketball account posted a "SNEAKY BOUNCE" highlight of Ryan Young — certainly not known for his dunking prowess last season. As one can see, his teammates went wild after watching him sky for an alley-oop flush, with his head nearly reaching the rim in the program's practice facility:
Now, factor in the Ryan Young 3-point stroke that Duke advertised a few times this offseason.
Yes, the New Jersey native and reigning ACC All-Academic selection, who was one of four to play in all 36 games for the 2022-23 Blue Devils (27-9) but averaged only 6.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per outing, looks ready for a giant leap.
Literally.
More must-reads: