Talented guard might enroll early at Duke

If the Blue Devils thought the offseason couldn’t get any worse, a complete change of fortunes has brought life back into next season.

Andre Dawkins, the No. 3 ranked shooting guard in the class of 2010, is expected to be cleared to play for Duke next season — a year ahead of schedule, according to Foxsports.com reporter Jeff Goodman.

An athletic guard and excellent 3-point shooter from Virginia Beach, Va., Dawkins has completed his core academic requirements and is close to graduating, his father told High School Hoop.

With the loss of Gerald Henderson to the NBA draft and Elliot Williams to Memphis, the Blue Devils were left thin at guard with only three scholarship players: Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith and little-known Jordan Davidson.

Still, Dawkins, if he does in fact enroll a year early, will be expected to fill the athletic gap left from the Henderson and Williams departures.

Duke will still be short a true point guard and needs Ryan Kelly and Mason Plumlee to be as good as advertised in the paint to win the ACC, but with Dawkins that task will get much easier.