Whether you love them or hate them, you have to admit that the Duke Blue Devils have had a massive number of star players over the years. Specifically, the Blue Devils have had an inordinate number of great shooters over the years. But you probably don’t need us to tell you that. Of course, there have been so many great shooters in Duke history that we decided to sift through all of them and pick out the best of the best.
Johnny Dawkins
Dawkins is unfairly overlooked on the list of Duke’s great shooters because he only had a 3-point line for his freshman season before the NCAA made it standard practice. While he shot a modest 33% from beyond the arc in the NBA, he did a lot of damage during his four years at Duke from where the 3-point line would have been.
Keep in mind that he averaged at least 18 points per game in each of his four seasons and finished his career with over 2,500 points. If Dawkins could have scored an extra point on just a couple of his shots every game, he might have been one of the best 3-point shooters in Duke history.
Jon Scheyer
Before becoming an assistant at Duke, Scheyer was one of the program’s most accomplished players. While not a great athlete, he was a smart, skilled, and well-rounded point guard.
Scheyer was also one of Duke’s most consistent shooters. When he got hot, every shot felt like it was going in. Even when he had an off-day, he was confident the next shot would be good. Plus, Scheyer was never afraid of taking the final shot, which is a trait of a great shooter.
Jay Williams
While Williams was a great point guard who could dish out assists and get to the basket, he was always an incredible 3-point shooter. In his three seasons as a Blue Devil, he made 39% of his shots from behind the arc.
When he led Duke to a national championship in 2001, Williams made 43% of his long-range shots while also leading the ACC in 3-pointers made. He wasn’t just a shooter, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t an elite shooter.
J.J. Reddick
Reddick is the textbook definition of a pure shooter. Every team he faced knew that they couldn’t give him an open look, and yet, he knocked down shot after shot for the Blue Devils, usually in clutch situations.
As a freshman, Reddick made a hair under 40% of his perimeter shots and was hitting at a 42% clip as a senior while averaging 26.8 points per game. Of course, he’s high on the list of the most hated players in Duke history, largely because he was always able to hit the big shot.
Trajan Langdon
If only his parents had the foresight to name him “Trey-jan” Langdon. Until Reddick broke his record, Langdon owned the Duke all-time record for 3-pointers made. Even after a knee injury sidelined him for a full season, the “Alaska Assassin” came back strong for three more seasons, being a first-team All-ACC player in all three years.
Langdon had one of the sweetest shooting strokes you’ll ever see. When all was said and done, Langdon drained 340 3-point shots at a rate of 43%, making him the best shooter in Duke history.