Duke Basketball Forward Sebastian Wilkins Finding Important Role

It sure looks as though fifth-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer trusts second-year Blue Devil Sebastian Wilkins enough to be one of the first players off the bench this season. That was the case throughout the squad’s 3-0 run in preseason action.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound Boston native, who reclassified as a prep to arrive in Durham a year early and ultimately redshirt last season despite his four-star status, received a bench-high 21 minutes of playing time in Duke’s 90-84 road exhibition win over the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday afternoon. And there’s no doubt Wilkins’ emphatic finishes and other contributions played a part in the victorious trip, as he finished with seven points, four rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

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His offensive efficiency was on display, tallying zero turnovers while shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 1-for-2 at the foul line. And once again, Wilkins had an all-around impact with his versatility on defense.

Note that Wilkins’ point total at Kansas was actually lower than in Duke’s previous preseason outings. He posted 19 points, 11 boards, and three steals between his combined 42 minutes off the bench in the Blue Devils’ 102-62 home exhibition victory over the Belmont Bruins on Oct. 8 and the 103-64 home exhibition win over the Tennessee Volunteers on Oct. 20.

“He’s a reliable guy,” Scheyer said about Wilkins in his press conference after Duke sent the Volunteers home with a blowout exhibition loss in tow. “I think you’re looking for consistency. He’s going to play a role for us, knowing he’s not going to try to do too much. [He can] make open threes. He’s going to crash the boards. He can guard multiple positions. He’s tough.

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“I think that says it all right there. And I’m proud of him. I think it speaks to the different guys in our program that can be successful.”

Wilkins ended up with the highest minutes average (21.0) of any Duke basketball reserve across the team’s three preseason games, edging out freshman guard…

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Publish date : 2026-10-28 01:01:00

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