Jayson Tatum's college career: How much did the Boston Celtics superstar average at Duke?
Through seven years in the NBA, Jayson Tatum has solidified himself as one of the better players in the sport, taking the Boston Celtics to four Conference Finals appearances (the most in that timeframe), and a solitary trip to the NBA Finals as well.
The 6-foot-8 small forward has developed into a consistent 25 ppg scorer, breaking the mark in each of his last four seasons, while earning five nods to the All-Star Game.
However, as he remains locked in a fierce 2024 NBA Playoffs race with the best record in the regular season, fans are beginning to wonder about his collegiate career.
After averaging 26.9 points this season and holding a career scoring average of 23.1 ppg, this article aims to answer one question: How much did the Celtics superstar average at Duke?
Did Jayson Tatum win an NCAA Championship at Duke?
A one-and-done with the Duke Blue Devils, Jayson Tatum averaged 16.8 ppg in his lone season with the team, as they got knocked out in the second round by South Carolina in an 81-88 defeat.
After missing the first eight games of the season with a foot injury, Tatum became an immediate contributor to the offense, while showing flashes of defense with multiple games tallying two or more blocks.
He finished the year with averages of 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds while adding more than a steal and a block per game. He was critical in leading the team to a 23-8 record for fifth place in the ACC regular season standings, earning a nod to the ACC All-Freshman Team as well as a Third-Team All-ACC selection.
He was critical in the team's run through the ACC Tournament, where they became the first team to win four matches in four days and win the Championship. In the semifinals, Tatum scored 24 in a win over rivals North Carolina, before adding 19 in the Finals against Notre Dame.
During the tournament, he averaged 22 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 1.5 spg, earning a spot on the All-ACC Tournament team as well. In the NCAA tournament, he was right around his season average over two games, as Duke's season ended early.
Who were Jayson Tatum's teammates at Duke?
Under Mike Krzyzewski, Jayson Tatum played just one season with the Blue Devils, rubbing shoulders with a few other future NBA players. Current Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard was a sophomore when JT came on the team, declaring for the NBA draft alongside him.
Joining them was former Sacramento Kings role player Harry Giles, who was a fellow first-round pick in the 2017 NBA draft. Tatum also found a teammate in guard Grayson Allen, who just signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with the Phoenix Suns after leading the league in three-point percentage at 46.1%.
Also on the team was former Detroit Piston Frank Jackson, who remains a free agent. Justin Robinson, son of NBA Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Champion David Robinson, was also on the 2016-17 Duke squad.