Other than possibly Dereck Lively, Dariq Whitehead is the Duke freshman most people are excited to see.
He’s probably the most athletic player on this year’s roster and, happily, he is a committed defender.
We’re sure an NBA scout will find flaws in his game and certainly analytics will reveal gaps. This is not an exact comparison and we’re not comparing him to Grant Hill, but when Hill was a freshman, one analyst said all he needs to work on is a three point shot. And that was about right.
Whitehead also comes to college as a highly polished freshman, as the Chronicle’s latest profile underscores:
“On the offensive end, Whitehead has an explosive first step that allows him to drive past a defender and finish smoothly at the rim.