Brandon Ingram is the latest in Duke’s developing lineage of great wings

Coach K has a type. They usually stand at least 6’9, though Justise Winslow would need to grow his hair out even more to hit that mark. They come with a complete skill set: the ability to handle the ball and shoot from three, with the length to play multiple positions. And when they arrive at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski enters the agreement knowing he will only have them on campus for one year.

For the last few seasons, a big, versatile wing entering the program as a 5-star recruit has been central to everything Duke does. This year, that player is Brandon Ingram. The freshman had his coming out party on ESPN Wednesday night, hanging 24 points and six rebounds on Indiana in a 20-point Duke blowout victory.

Ingram started the game with three straight long jumpers and kept that rhythm going all night. He shot 10-for-15 from the field and 4-for-6 from three-point range, showing the type of smooth shooting stroke that should help make him a top-five pick in the 2016 NBA Draft come June.

Ingram isn’t simply a 6’9 player who can shoot -- he’s a shooter who happens to be 6’9. He gets his shot off quickly and has a high release point that no opposing college wing is blocking. When he’s feeling it, the ball barely touches the net.

Indiana simply had no matchup for a player with Ingram’s length, quickness and shooting ability. To be fair, not many teams will.

Ingram is a wonder to behold in person. With a 7’3 wingspan packed into a 195-pound frame, Ingram is remarkably gangly. He’ll need to add a significant amount of strength when he goes on to the next level, but he has plenty of time for that. Ingram just turned 18 years old in September, making him the youngest of this year’s elite freshmen. He’s seven months younger than Josh Jackson, the star wing a grade level below him who might be the best high school player in the country right now.

Most players with Ingram’s birthday would be playing down a year, but Ingram never considered the option. He stayed in the class of 2015 throughout his high school career, shooting up from No. 31 to No. 4 Rivals’ rankings in the span of one year. At this point, there’s no question he’ll be a lottery pick in the next NBA draft. The only wonder is how high he’ll go. It might be No. 1 overall.

Ingram’s length is a big part of what makes him so special. That 7’3 wingspan is a weapon on both ends, whether he’s shooting over defenders or grabbing steals in the passing lane. He isn’t a great (or even good) on-ball defender yet, but the tools are there. With this type of reach and closing speed, there’s no ceiling on how disruptive he could be defensively:

Ingram is the longest player projected at the top of 2016 NBA mock drafts right now, measuring ahead of centers like Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere and Utah’s Jakob Poeltl, as well as fellow superstar freshman Ben Simmons. As NBA teams become more liberal with switching screens, Ingram’s length is going to be a major asset at the next level.

Ingram is also showing an increased comfort level putting the ball on the floor. He isn’t a great creator at the moment (he only has 13 assists in his first eight games), but that’s part of his game that can grow. With spot-up shooters around him at Duke like Matt Jones and Grayson Allen, he’ll get plenty of chances to practice kicking out to the open man.

He can also just finish the drive and take it to the rim himself:

Coach K got an up-close view at how valuable oversized, versatile wings can be when he coached USA Basketball to two gold medals with the likes of Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. From Jabari Parker to Winslow to Ingram to next year’s star wing, St. Louis native Jayson Tatum, Duke is creating a monopoly on a certain type of elite player.

Ingram is far from a finished product at this point, but his effort against Indiana shows how enticing his future can be. The gifts he was born with are elite even at the highest levels of the game. It will take some time for his to realize his potential as a player, but Duke will be happy to live with his growing pains.