As Duke basketball fans continue to wait for the upcoming season, the Blue Zone is here to break down film from the new additions to both the men’s and women’s teams. We've already looked at Jenessa Cotton, Riley Nelson and Toby Fournier. Last up is Arianna Roberson:
Roberson, who comes to Duke as a highly touted freshman, finished her high school career ranked as the 17th-best player in the class of 2024 according to ESPN. She figures to play a major role in the frontcourt with the offseason departures of centers Kennedy Brown and Camilla Emsbo. After winning a state championship to cap off her senior season, the 6-foot-4 San Antonio native has been busy. Most recently, she helped Team USA win gold at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, averaging 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in only 12.3 minutes per game. Let’s take a look at what the highly touted young prospect will bring to the floor in Durham.
Young centers usually have a hard time developing an offensive skill set in the post early in their careers, as it can take time to adjust to an improved level of competition down low. However, Roberson seems to be ahead of the curve in this regard, as she has shown an ability to score in a variety of ways around the basket and establish consistent position in the paint. With minimal true post scorers returning to Durham next season, Roberson’s package down low will be immensely valuable when the team needs some easy offense. Check out the nice bucket here:
At her size, Roberson also has a knack for crashing the glass, as evidenced by her impressive rebounding numbers in limited minutes with the national team. The newcomer pulled down seven or more boards in three of her four games sporting the red, white and blue. The affinity for rebounding can also turn into instant offense, as Roberson frequently converts putback attempts. Watch one such instance from the state championship game here:
However, it is not all offense when it comes to the Texan. Roberson also possesses an elite defensive skill set, as her length allows her to be an imposing presence in the paint. Notably, her brother Andre was an All-Defensive selection during his time in the NBA, and his little sister seems to have a similar level of play on that end of the floor. Check out this nice swat from the McDonald’s All-American Game:
Overall, head coach Kara Lawson may demand a lot from Roberson early due to the lack of pure post players on the roster, but the freshman seems more than capable of making a sizable impact once she dons the Duke jersey.
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