Bryson Howard has spent most of the summer as the quiet name in Duke’s loaded freshman group, but that could change quickly once the games start.
Jon Scheyer’s class gets talked about through Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Deron Rippey Jr. and Cameron Williams, and for good reason. Those are the names drawing the loudest buzz. But Howard was a five-star recruit in his own right, ranked No. 23 overall in the composite, and he has barely gotten the same attention heading into his first season in Durham.
That might not last.
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein watched Duke practice on Tuesday and singled out Howard as one of the standouts. Rothstein said:
“Duke freshman Bryson Howard is shining here at practice. 6-4 lefty is drilling three-point shots with ease.
No other team in college hoops will bring three guards off the bench like Howard, Deron Rippey, and Cayden Boozer.”
Howard’s path to minutes looks tied to the wing, where he appears to be battling Sebastian Wilkins. Wilkins has the size edge at 6-foot-8, but Howard brings something that can force Scheyer’s hand: real shooting gravity. If he’s knocking down threes the way Rothstein described, it becomes a lot harder to keep him parked on the sideline.
There’s also a broader rotation picture that could work in his favor. Duke is expected to have Caleb Foster and John Blackwell in the starting backcourt, with Cayden Boozer, Rippey and Howard all in line for meaningful minutes. With Boumtje Boumtje and Patrick Ngongba II projected to start inside, and Cameron Williams and Drew Scharnowski coming off the bench, Scheyer has the kind of frontcourt depth that can let him go smaller on the perimeter.
Howard’s frame helps, too. He plays bigger than his listed size, and his wingspan was measured at 6-foot-11, according to 247. That gives him a chance to slide into the three and potentially become the main backup to Dame Sarr rather than getting squeezed into an already crowded guard mix.
The shot is the most eye-catching part of his game, but it’s not the only one. Howard can put the ball on the floor and attack downhill, and he brings the kind of effort on defense Scheyer demands from anyone hoping to see the floor.
He still has work to do before he can lock down a real role. But after flying under the radar all summer, Howard has started to look like a freshman Duke may need sooner than most people expected.
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There is still an adjustment period ahead as he settles into college basketball, but the early buzz around Boumtje Boumtje is real enough to have his teammates talking. Sophomore Dame Sarr, another former FC Barcelona player, has been among those expressing confidence in what Boumtje Boumtje can become, and Duke will be counting on that transition to keep moving in the right direction as his role grows. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge, as Scheyer sees it, is that the Blue Devils cannot simply assume last seasons formula will show up again in the same way. The pieces that made that group so difficult to copy are not easy to replace, and the next step is making sure this roster keeps strengthening its foundation while aiming to compete deep into the season. [Read more 🡒]