As basketball season approaches, the Blue Zone provides a detailed preview of each player on Duke men's basketball's 2024-25 roster. We’ve already looked at Cameron Sheffield, Patrick Ngongba II, Darren Harris and Isaiah Evans. Next up is graduate student forward Mason Gillis:
Mason Gillis
Year: Graduate student
Height: 6-foot-6
Position: Forward
Last year’s stat line: 6.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG
Game breakdown: Coming from Purdue, a team that fell 15 points shy of a national championship last season, Mason Gillis brings experience and great behind-the-arc shooting to the Blue Devils. Gillis appeared in 132 games with 63 starts during his Boilermaker career, averaging 21.8 minutes per contest as well as 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists. During the 2023-24 season, he was named Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. Though he never started in his final season for Purdue, he played in all 39 games and maintained a 46.8% 3-point percentage, ranking sixth nationally among players that made at least 50 triples.
Being a lethal shooter is not all this former Boilermaker offers, as Gillis held a 2.06 assist-to-turnover ratio in his final season. The New Castle, Ind., native was also a four-star recruit in high school. Overall, Gillis possesses phenomenal shooting, strong leadership and unwavering dedication that his fellow teammates can depend on in the Blue Devils’ rigorous schedule.
Role on the team: Gillis’ shooting and ability to space the floor will prove valuable for Duke’s team this year. The graduate student brings leadership qualities and experience of winning over 100 games with Purdue, which will certainly bolster Duke and its six-person freshman class. With that being said, Gillis will likely compete for playing time with freshman Kon Knueppel as well as fellow graduate transfer Sion James. He was accustomed to playing off the bench during his time at Purdue, and may face a similar situation at Duke.
Part of what makes the Blue Devils so talented this year stems from their powerful post presence, particularly freshmen Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach. With this dominant backcourt, Gillis’ ability to drain a large percentage of 3-pointers will make Duke’s offense a force to be reckoned with this season. Yet if teams were to overplay Gillis given his high shooting percentage from behind the arc, his 2.06 assist-to-turnover ratio will lend him the opportunity to dish the ball to his teammates. In order for Gillis to leave a mark, his shooting ability and spacing on the court will have to be coupled with his experience and leadership skills.
NBA comparison: Gillis’ high field goal percentage resembles that of Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson. Last season, the UCLA graduate averaged 6.7 points and 18.6 minutes per game while maintaining an average field goal percentage of 46.5%. As the similar stat lines show, both forwards can maintain a reliable presence from behind the arc despite posting lower point averages and minutes. Though Watson is dealing with a hamstring injury this season, Gillis’ consistency and leadership skills are a couple of salient factors that may contribute to Duke’s success this year. Head coach Jon Scheyer’s team will hope to make it far in the postseason tournament, which certainly won’t be new territory for Gillis.
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