As the college basketball season looms, it's finally time for the Blue Zone to preview the 2022-23 Duke women's basketball roster. We previously looked at Bo Shaffer, Emma Schmidt, Jiselle Havas and Lee Volker. Next up is Imani Lewis:
Imani Lewis
Year: Graduate student
Height: 6-foot-1
Position: Forward
2021-22 statline: 3.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 7.9 MPG
Game breakdown: Imani Lewis came to Duke having been an interior force at Wisconsin, where she ranked in at least the 93rd percentile in two-pointers per game, at least the 97th percentile in free-throws per game, and at least the 89th percentile in rebounding rate all three years in Madison, per Her Hoop Stats. But her first year as a Blue Devil saw her as the fourth-string center on a team desperate for quality post play.
Undersized for a center in the ACC, Lewis’ strengths come from her motor and drive. That makes her a viable change-of-pace big, but not someone that can hang for more than a few minutes at a time. She can pressure opposing post defenders, get some boards and keep the offense moving. That won’t be worth much against players similar to Elizabeth Kitley and Lauren Ebo in the conference, but it can make a difference in the non-conference slate.
Role on the team: With the Blue Devils featuring Kennedy Brown, Taya Corosdale and Mia Hiede all playable at the five, this year’s team should be a lot less wanting for help at center. Lewis should provide some help against Duke’s relatively light non-conference schedule, but if all goes according to plan, she’ll be a true reserve after New Year’s.
Projected stats: 0.1 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.5 MPG
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