Late nights in Cameron Indoor, offseason travel fueled Jaylen Blakes’ rise for Duke basketball
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The end of the 2021-2022 season was merely the beginning for Blakes. He and his father, a Division II Half of Fame inductee at Saint Michael’s College, started the training back home in New Jersey; first working out at Blair Academy with his former coach before jet-setting across the country.
The first stop was Atlanta where Blakes worked out with a trainer associated with Overtime Elite Atlanta, a new pro league for young players looking for an untraditional path to the NBA. Then it was off to Phoenix for training with New Jersey native and current Denver Nuggets guard Davon Reed.
In August, Blakes was encouraged by Duke to join the USA East Coast Basketball team for an overseas tour. They traveled to Barcelona where he played against professionals from the Spanish Liga ACB.
He rejoined his Duke team after his international trip with a renewed sense of confidence and an eye on taking a larger leadership role on the team. The Blue Devils returned only one significant player – Jeremy Roach – from last year’s team. Blakes would have a chance to contribute.
After averaging 4.5 minutes in 21 games as a freshman, Blakes set career highs in minutes (21) and points (8) in the season-opener. He played significant minutes (18) against defending NCAA champions Kansas, getting to the free-throw line twice and adding three defensive rebounds.
“It helped me a lot,” Blakes said. “Going to different places and getting comfortable in uncomfortable spots was good for me. I learned a lot about myself and where I could get better. I can’t say I’ve surprised myself because I’ve put a lot of work in to get to this point. I think I’m just excited with what the results are showing.”
His play has garnered high praise from Roach, Duke’s captain, a position Blakes’ former coach believes he will hold one day.
“He came in as a freshman, and obviously there are some ups and downs, but he learned so much from me, Wendell, Trevor, AJ, Paolo, and that gave him the confidence to do what is expected out there and what he knows he can do,” Roach said. “He’s seen us in the Final Four, he’s seen us in the ACC championship, so he’s seen everything. He knows what’s at stake.”
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