It’s actually kinda wild to look back at the 2017-18 Duke roster. You had Marvin Bagley III jumping out of the gym, Wendell Carter Jr. being a walking double-double, and Grayson Allen doing, well, Grayson Allen things. But tucked into that rotation was a 6-foot-6 freshman from Columbus, Ohio, who quietly put together one of the most efficient shooting seasons in the history of the program.
Gary Trent Jr. college stats aren't just a footnote; they're a masterclass in how a specialist can thrive in a high-pressure system.
Honestly, people tend to forget that Gary Trent Jr. didn't just play at Duke—he started every single game. 37 starts. Zero missed games. In a world where five-star recruits often struggle with the "one-and-done" transition, Trent was remarkably consistent. He was the guy Coach K leaned on when the defense collapsed on the bigs.
Breaking the J.J. Redick Record
Most fans think of J.J. Redick as the gold standard for Duke shooting. And rightfully so. But during his lone season in Durham, Gary Trent Jr. did something even Redick hadn't done as a freshman. He knocked down 97 three-pointers.
That wasn't just a fluke. It was a new Duke freshman record.
He didn't just chuck them up, either. He shot 40.2% from behind the arc. For a teenager playing against ACC defenses, that’s basically professional-level efficiency. He was essentially a human microwave. If he hit one, the Cameron Crazies knew another three was coming within the next two possessions.
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That 30-Point Explosion in Coral Gables
If you want to understand the "Gary Trent Jr. college experience" in one game, you have to look at January 15, 2018. Duke was at Miami. They were down by 13 points with about eight minutes left. The offense looked stagnant.
Then Trent just... took over.
He finished with a career-high 30 points. He went 6-for-9 from deep. Most importantly, he didn't miss a single shot in those final eight minutes. He was 3-for-3 from deep and 4-for-4 from the line during the comeback. It was the kind of performance that makes NBA scouts drool, yet it also highlighted the specific "niche" he occupied at the time. He was a flamethrower.
The Draft Slip: Why Was He Picked 37th?
You’ve probably wondered why a guy who broke Duke records and shot 40% from three fell all the way to the second round. On paper, it makes no sense. The Sacramento Kings (who later traded him to Portland) got him at 37.
Basically, the "knock" on him at Duke was his perceived lack of versatility.
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- Lateral Quickness: Scouts were worried he couldn't guard NBA-level guards. At Duke, the Blue Devils often played a zone or relied on their massive frontcourt to cover up perimeter blow-bys.
- Creating His Own Shot: At Duke, he was primarily a "3-and-D" prospect—minus the elite "D" at the time. He didn't handle the ball much because Trevon Duval was the point guard and Grayson Allen was the secondary playmaker.
- The "Shadow" Effect: Playing next to Bagley and Carter meant Trent got a lot of open looks. Teams questioned if he could produce as a primary or even secondary option.
It’s kinda funny in hindsight. The NBA is now obsessed with "gravity" and floor spacing. Trent had that in spades. But in 2018, there were still lingering doubts about whether he was "just a shooter."
A Quick Look at the Stats
While I’m not going to bore you with a spreadsheet, the raw numbers from his 2017-18 season at Duke are pretty telling of the role he played:
He averaged 14.5 points per game. That was third on the team. He also hauled in 4.2 rebounds, which is actually decent for a shooting guard who spent most of his time hanging out on the wing. His free-throw shooting? A clinical 87.6%. Basically, if you fouled him to stop a layup, you were just handing Duke two points.
The Elite Eight Heartbreak
The Gary Trent Jr. college story ended in Omaha. Duke was the No. 2 seed, facing off against Kansas in the Elite Eight. It was an absolute war.
Trent played 44 out of a possible 45 minutes in that overtime thriller. He finished with 17 points. He was there until the very end, fighting through screens and trying to find space against a physical Kansas defense. When the buzzer sounded and Duke lost 85-81, it marked the end of an era.
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Within weeks, the "Fab Four" freshmen—Trent, Bagley, Carter, and Duval—all declared for the NBA Draft.
Why His Duke Career Still Matters
Looking back, Trent was the bridge. He provided the spacing that allowed Marvin Bagley III to become the ACC Player of the Year. Without Trent's 97 triples, lanes would have been clogged, and that Duke team would have been much easier to defend.
He wasn't the loudest player on the floor. He didn't have the viral dunks. But he was the most reliable floor spacer the Blue Devils had had in years.
If you're tracking his career now in the NBA, you can see the DNA of his time in Durham. The quick release, the "clutch" gene he showed at Miami, and that absolute refusal to hesitate when he has an inch of daylight. He came into Duke as a five-star recruit with a famous dad, and he left as a record-breaker who proved he could thrive in the brightest spotlight in college basketball.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts
To truly appreciate the value Gary Trent Jr. brought to the college game, compare his freshman shooting splits (41/40/87) to other Duke one-and-done guards like Cam Reddish or Austin Rivers. You'll find that Trent’s efficiency was significantly higher, highlighting his readiness for the pro game even when scouts were skeptical of his ceiling. Watching his 2018 Miami highlights remains the best way to see his "microwave" scoring ability in its purest form.