Prospect Profile: Brandon Ingram

College Career15-16 (FR): 36 G / 17.3 PPG / 44.2 FG% / 80 3FGM / 41.0 3FG% / 68.2 FT% / 6.8 RPG / 2.0 APG / 41 STL / 49 BLKSince 1947, the first year that the NBA conducted a draft, the Duke basketball pipeline has churned out nearly 90 pros.  Three of them were number one overall picks – Art Heyman in 1963, Elton Brand in 1999, and Kyrie Irving in 2010. Following a sterling freshman season in Durham, Brandon Ingram just might be set to join that trio.  And if he doesn’t end up going first on June 23rd, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that, at the very worst, he’ll be the fourth Blue Devil ever taken second.  In his lone collegiate campaign, Ingram stood out in the deep ACC.  He ranked sixth in the conference in scoring, 13th in rebounding, seventh in three-point percentage, sixth in three-pointers, ninth in blocked shots, and eighth in minutes played.  At year’s end, Ingram was tabbed ACC Rookie of the Year, and named an All-American Honorable Mention.  He placed third on Duke’s all-time freshman points chart, and his 80 triples were the second-highest total ever for a rookie in the program.After a few uneven showings against high-caliber non-conference opponents like Kentucky, VCU, and Georgetown in his first month, Ingram ripped through December, generating 21.3 points per game and connecting on 15 of his 33 three-point heaves (45.5 3fg%).  Then, when the calendar flipped from 2015 to 2016, and Duke’s ACC schedule began, the smooth, athletic, and rangy 6’9″ tall, 195-pound swingman upped his two-way play.  During an eight-game stretch from January 18th through February 17th, Ingram manufactured five of his eight double-doubles.  In his final five appearances in a Duke uniform, he averaged 2.6 steals per game, all of which were post-season outings. Along those lines, one of the most eye-catching aspects of Ingram’s season was that he delivered in the NCAA Tournament.  Heading into February, the Blue Devils were struggling, having endured four losses in five games.  Ingram was heavily involved in turning around his squad’s fortunes, helping guide Duke to the Sweet 16, where it fell to top-seeded Oregon.  He tallied at least 20 points in all three of the Devils’ tournament tilts, while shooting 45.1 percent from the field.   Throughout his basketball career, Ingram has only experienced success.  As a senior at his hometown Kinston High School, about two hours south of Duke, the McDonald’s All-American accounted for 24.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 blocks.  His points per game average rose by nearly 12.0 over the last three years of his career.  Kinston won four straight state championships with Ingram in the fold.Also worth highlighting is that Ingram represented the United States on the 2015 Junior National Select Team, and turned in a quality showing at the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit, coming off the bench to deposit 12 points (5-6 fg, 0-1 3fg) in the exhibition.Just how likely is it that Ingram will be this year’s top pick?  All you have to do is leaf through various mock drafts from the last two months to see that he has a legitimate shot.  For the most part, it’s been either Ingram or LSU forward Ben Simmons occupying the first slot. Skillset SnapshotShootingWithout question, Ingram’s knack for shooting the basketball was a skill that stood out, especially given his size.  On the year, he connected on 39.6 percent of the jumpers he took, with those shots accounting for more than 53.0 percent of his total field goal tries.  In particular, Ingram excelled in spot-up situations, with a 44.7 field goal percentage.  He also graded out to be an elite catch-and-shoot threat.  In the clip below, Ingram displays both his spot-up and catch-and-shoot touch by nailing a go-ahead three-pointer in Duke’s eventual 84-79 overtime loss to Notre Dame in the second round of the ACC Tournament. Interestingly enough, Ingram’s shooting efficiency increased the farther away from the basket he went.  As steady as he was on the perimeter, where he buried 40.0 percent of his attempts, he also fared well (albeit with a much smaller sample size) from two-point mid-range territory, punching in 11 of 27 shots (40.7 fg%) from distances between 17 feet and the three-point arc.  Here, in Duke’s January 16th pairing with the Irish, Notre Dame’s Steve Vasturia (#32) proves no match for Ingram.  Ingram gets free with a nice jab step / slash combination, then holds the follow through after sticking a successful left wing “j.”Before moving on, here’s one last example of Ingram’s shooting touch, taken from Duke’s NCAA Tournament opener versus UNC-Wilmington, ultimately a 93-85 Blue Devils’ victory.  Needing only a few strides and one dribble, Ingram fluidly steps into a top-of-the-arc three that snaps the twine. FinishingAnother critical facet of Ingram’s offensive game at the college level was that he could drive and finish.  He had success doing so in half-court sets, as seen below from Duke’s February 13th 63-62 win over Virginia, a top-10 defensive team. Ingram also proved he could drive and finish when roaming in the open floor, evidenced here, in Duke’s regular season finale versus North Carolina. Making the sequence from the UVA game that much more impressive is that Ingram reaches the rim by beating Cavaliers’ swingman Anthony Gill (#13) off the dribble.  Gill was considered one of the better defenders in the country last season.  In the gif from Duke’s home pairing with UNC, not only does Ingram effectively deal with the contact he makes with Justin Jackson (#44), his move to the hoop is preceded by him sustaining a smooth handle all the way from the opposite baseline to the interior. Worth noting is that Ingram seemed to post better results going to his left than to his right.  He converted roughly 36.0 percent of his right-side drives, while scoring on about 53.0 percent of his left-side drives. Pick-and-Roll ImpactThroughout the season, Duke utilized Ingram in pick-and-roll offensive sets.  He seemed especially comfortable and effective as a ball-handler.  Looking to put away Wake Forest on January 6th, Duke ran this next play.  With Ingram stationed on the left wing, Marshall Plumlee (#40 moves up to set a pick on Cornelius Hudson (#25).  With Ingram then dribbling right to the top of the arc, Plumlee releases, and dives to the tin.  Ingram hits Plumlee with an accurate pass that leads to two energizing Duke points.  Giving an after-the-fact fist pump, Ingram appears particularly fired up. DefenseOn the whole, Ingram produced some quality defensive measurables.  Players he guarded combined to shoot just 35.0 percent from the floor, and he surrendered 0.806 points per possession.  To supply visual evidence of the impact Ingram had on the defensive end, check out this segment from Duke’s January 23rd 88-78 win at North Carolina State.  Ingram finds himself going up against Anthony Barber, who cranked out an ACC-best 23.5 points per game last year.  Look at how hard Ingram makes Barber work before he uses his length to force Barber into a mid-range, late shot clock floater.Boasting a 7’3” wingspan, Ingram again relied on his length to be disruptive in this development against Georgia Southern.  He reads Devonte Boykins’ (#1) pass attempt perfectly, poking the ball free, and subsequently creating a run-out jam opportunity. Outside ObservationDuke head coach Mike Krzyzewski on Brandon Ingram following Ingram’s April 4th announcement that he would be declaring for the NBA Draft:”Brandon Ingram was a special player at Duke this year, and his basketball is still ahead of him.  He is a no-maintenance player who loves the game, has a strong desire to get better and competes every time he steps on the floor.  I have absolutely loved coaching Brandon.”Mock Draft Projections (latest projections as of 6/3)NBA.com: #1 (76ers)DraftExpress.com: #2 (Lakers)NBADraft.net: #2 (Lakers)ESPN.com: #2 (Lakers)