Matthew Hurt had an unspectacular yet solid Freshmen campaign. He was not on the level of some of the other recent 5 star Freshman that have put on the Duke jersey, but that was never expected of Hurt. Hurt had some very positive moments in year one but also stretches where he really struggled. To demonstrate how up and down his play was, look no further than his minutes played. In ACC play, Hurt had five games where he played 12 minutes or less and seven games where he played 25 or more minutes. There were nights when he was a liability and Coach K had to pull him entirely and others where he was a major asset.
This play perfectly encompasses Hurt’s Freshmen season. You can see the impressive skillet, but he cannot finish due to not possessing the frame to go up strong and the rim while absorbing contact. Being able to seamlessly dribble around the back while driving demonstrates the wide ranging offensive skill set Hurt has. However, it is ultimately all for not as he cannot finish at the rim due to his lack of strength.
Here we see, once again, Hurt impressively putting the ball on the floor. But instead of driving towards the rim, he ultimately shy’s away from the contact and settles for a difficult shot attempt. Knowing he lacked strength created several scenarios similar to this play on the season where he settled for more difficult shot attempts while trying to avoid contact.
Hurt simply does not go up strong enough to convert near the rim on this play. At the college level, especially in ACC play, Hurt encountered defender after defender with “grown man strength”. From a physicality standpoint, he was not ready to match up with a lot of these guys. Finishing at the rim was an issue for him all season. Defenders were just bigger and stronger and this made things very difficult for Hurt.
While Hurt shot an impressive 39.3% from beyond the arc, that percentage would have been better if it were not for poor shot selection at times. When he had an open look, he was very accurate. But here were too many instances where the three was forced.
In this play, Hurt is being closely defended by Mamadi Diakite, a very long and rangy defender. He employs a jab stab that did not create much separation and takes a difficult shot that ultimately did not even end up hitting the rim. It is a good thing that Hurt has supreme confidence in his shot. However I would like to see him limit the forced three point attempts.
Defensively, he was often attacked on switches by opposing guards and this was certainly an area where he struggled. As alluded to earlier with the reference to occasional limited minutes, this was often due to Hurt not being able to effectively defend guards in these situations where he was being hunted on defense. There is no question this was an issue, but this is an issue for most guys who are 6’9 or taller. I give him a bit of a pass for struggling defensively in these match ups because there a few guys who are actually versatile enough to defend several positions. After going back through the season film, I am of the mindset Hurt is a better defender than he gets credit for.
He does a great job here of moving his feet and staying in front of the quick Christen Cunningham, forcing him into an offensive foul. This shows that while defending quicker guards is a problem for Hurt, he is capable of at least being competent in that regard. He has to stay in the right defensive mindset.
He displays great defensive foot work on this possession. He stays with his man the entire time, and caps it off with a blocked shot as well.
This play shows Hurt’s impressive defensive awareness. He beautifully reads where the help is needed, and slides over for the blocked shot. Perfectly executed help defense.
Offensively, he proved that he can be a real threat. His smooth jumper is the most appealing part of his offensive package, but he is effective in other ways as well.
There is a bit of a misconception around Hurt that he is a soft player. Plays like this are a good example of the aggression he plays with. He is not afraid to crash the boards and make plays at the rim. I believe the misconception he played soft at times is because of a lack of strength, and certainly not due to a lack of effort.
He’s also a lot more than just a spot up shooter. Here he executes a beautiful step back three pointer. This is another example of his offensive versatility.
I expect many plays similar to this during his Sophomore campaign. His ability to put the ball on the floor like this is arguably his greatest offensive weapon. The fact his shooting ability has to be respected leads to opportunities for driving lines when defenders over commit. With added strength, he can be even more effective in situations where similar to this where he is able to get to the rim.
All things considered, there are plenty of reasons to be excited for what Hurt has in store for year two. His shooting ability is going to be key for Duke as this will open up the floor for slashes such as Jalen Johnson and Wendell Moore. I will have more to come about Matthew Hurt in my season preview, but I expect a very good season and would not be surprised if he lands on one of the All-ACC teams.