Duke women's basketball 2016-17 player preview: Oderah Chidom

Oderah Chidom

• Year: Senior
• Height: 6-foot-4
• Position: Forward
• Last year’s statline: 9.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.2 BPG

Game Breakdown: Since being brought in as a highly recruited freshman in 2013, Chidom expanded her game each year. The 6-foot-4 forward tallied a career-high 9.6 points per game during her junior campaign last season, but is regarded more as a versatile forward than a pure scorer, posting respectable numbers in the rebounds and blocks columns throughout her college career.

Entering her senior season, Chidom is only getting better. She started the final 13 games of the 2015-16 campaign and stepped up when star forward Azurá Stevens got injured with 14.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 assists per game in the season's final eight contests. After being ranked 16th in rebounds, ninth in field-goal percentage and 12th in blocks in the ACC last season, Chidom has the potential to elevate her game even further.

Role on the team: After starting 25 games as a junior, Chidom should now be penciled in as the full-time starter for Duke in the post. She will be expected to embrace the leadership role that comes with being a senior, as she was named one of the three captains for this team along with Rebecca Greenwell and Lexie Brown.

Duke missed the NCAA tournament last season for the first time since 1994. Chidom will be expected to reinvigorate the team after the disappointing year and will be counted on as the Blue Devils' primary rebounder and post threat.

Projected stats: 11.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.8 BPG

Thanks for following The Blue Zone for our women's basketball player preview series. Previous players previewed include Leaonna Odom, Haley Gorecki, Faith Suggs, Crystal Primm, Kyra Lambert, Lyneé Belton, Erin Mathias, Lexie Brown, Rebecca Greenwell and Kendall Cooper.