Duke's Hurt to declare for 2021 NBA Draft

Duke forward Matthew Hurt will declare for the 2021 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility, he told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Wednesday.

Hurt made big strides from his freshman to sophomore seasons, upping his scoring average from 9.7 to 18.3. As a result, he was named to the 2020-21 All-ACC first team.

The 6-foot-9 Hurt also demonstrated strong shooting ability while nailing 44.4% of his 3-point attempts last season. Multiple outlets peg him as a second-round pick due to his combination of size and scoring.

Meanwhile, Duke loses its leading scorer heading into the 2021-22 campaign. However, the Blue Devils are retooling fast, with three players ranked in the top 20 of ESPN's recruiting rankings signed to play in Durham next season.