# The 39 Greatest Duke Basketball Players of All Time

> National players of the year stand next to one-season phenoms and the role players who swung title games. Four championships and seven decades of Cameron Indoor history make this a crowded room.

*By YPB Team · Published October 28, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-39-greatest-duke-basketball-players-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Danny Ferry** — score 1000/1000
   1989 national player of the year who played in three Final Fours.
2. **Grant Hill** — score 965/1000
   Athletic forward on the 1991 and 1992 title teams and the 1994 runner-up, later a seven-time NBA All-Star.
3. **Grayson Allen** — score 960/1000
   Breakout star of the 2015 title game and a high-scoring, often polarising four-year guard.
4. **Christian Laettner** — score 960/1000
   Four-time Final Four forward who won two national titles and hit 'The Shot' against Kentucky in 1992.
5. **Elton Brand** — score 960/1000
   1999 national player of the year and Duke's first early entrant, taken first overall in the NBA draft.
6. **Jon Scheyer** — score 840/1000
   Point guard of the 2010 champions who later succeeded Coach K as head coach.
7. **Mason Plumlee** — score 750/1000
   All-American big man who anchored Duke's 2012-13 team.
8. **Tyus Jones** — score 733/1000
   Most outstanding player of the 2015 Final Four after a clutch display in the title game.
9. **Shelden Williams** — score 733/1000
   'The Landlord', a two-time national defensive player of the year and shot-blocking record holder.
10. **Trajan Langdon** — score 670/1000
   The 'Alaskan Assassin', a long-range shooter and leader of the 1999 national runner-up.
11. **Mike Dunleavy Jr.** — score 670/1000
   Versatile forward whose three-point flurry swung the 2001 national final against Arizona.
12. **Jayson Tatum** — score 670/1000
   Freshman forward who led Duke to the 2017 ACC Tournament title.
13. **Mark Alarie** — score 600/1000
   All-American forward on the 1986 national runner-up team.
14. **Nolan Smith** — score 600/1000
   2011 ACC player of the year and starting guard on the 2010 title team.
15. **Marvin Bagley III** — score 600/1000
   2018 ACC player of the year and a consensus first-team All-American as a freshman.
16. **Jack Marin** — score 600/1000
   All-American forward who helped Duke reach the 1966 Final Four.
17. **Tommy Amaker** — score 600/1000
   Defensive point guard of the 1986 Final Four team and the first national defensive player of the year.
18. **Luol Deng** — score 520/1000
   Freshman forward who helped carry Duke to the 2004 Final Four.
19. **Carlos Boozer** — score 520/1000
   Powerful post scorer on the 2001 championship team.
20. **Chris Duhon** — score 520/1000
   Point guard who started on the 2001 title team and led Duke to the 2004 Final Four.
21. **Justise Winslow** — score 520/1000
   Two-way freshman wing who powered the 2015 national title run.
22. **Johnny Dawkins** — score 520/1000
   1986 Naismith winner who led Coach K's first Final Four team and long held Duke's scoring record.
23. **Mike Gminski** — score 520/1000
   Center who led Duke to the 1978 national final and retired as the school's career scoring leader.
24. **Dick Groat** — score 520/1000
   1952 national player of the year and Duke's first great scorer, later an MLB MVP.
25. **Jeff Mullins** — score 520/1000
   All-American forward of the early 1960s who helped Duke reach the 1964 national final.
26. **Kyle Singler** — score 428/1000
   Most outstanding player of the 2010 Final Four as Duke won its fourth title.
27. **Corey Maggette** — score 428/1000
   Explosive sixth man on the 1999 national runner-up team.
28. **Jahlil Okafor** — score 428/1000
   2015 ACC player of the year and the interior force of the 2015 champions.
29. **Bobby Hurley** — score 428/1000
   Point guard and NCAA career assists leader who ran Duke's back-to-back 1991-92 champions.
30. **Cooper Flagg** — score 428/1000
   2025 national player of the year who led Duke to the Final Four as an 18-year-old.
31. **Shane Battier** — score 428/1000
   2001 national player of the year and three-time defensive player of the year who led Duke to the 2001 title.
32. **Bob Verga** — score 428/1000
   High-scoring guard of the 1966 Final Four team and a 1967 All-American.
33. **Jim Spanarkel** — score 428/1000
   Guard and leading scorer of the 1978 national runner-up team.
34. **Zion Williamson** — score 323/1000
   2019 national player of the year whose one highlight-filled season made him a global phenomenon.
35. **J. J. Redick** — score 323/1000
   Sharpshooter who became Duke's all-time leading scorer and swept 2006 national player of the year honours.
36. **Jason Williams** — score 323/1000
   2001 champion and 2002 national player of the year, an explosive guard who later went by Jay Williams.
37. **RJ Barrett** — score 200/1000
   Prolific scorer who set Duke's freshman scoring record alongside Zion Williamson in 2019.
38. **Art Heyman** — score 200/1000
   1963 national player of the year who led Duke to its first Final Four.
39. **Tre Jones** — score 200/1000
   2020 ACC player of the year and two-time ACC defensive player of the year.

Tags: usa, basketball, players, legends