Luke Kennard (basketball)


Luke Douglas Kennard is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils.

High school career

Kennard attended Franklin High School in Franklin, Ohio near Dayton. As a senior, he was named the Parade National Player of the Year. He was named the Ohio Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year as junior and senior. Finishing high school, Kennard was one of the most sought recruits in the nation. He finished his career with the second most points in Ohio history. Kennard committed to Duke University to play college basketball.

College career

Freshman season (2015–2016)

On January 6, 2016, Luke scored 23 points in a 91–75 win over Wake Forest. On February 6, 2016, Kennard tallied 26 points in a 88–80 win over NC State. As a freshman at Duke, Kennard averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Sophomore season (2016–2017)

On November 29, 2016, he scored 20 points in a 78–69 win against Michigan State in ACC–Big Ten Challenge. On December 3, 2016, Kennard scored 35 points in a 94–55 win over Maine. On January 28, 2017, Kennard scored 34 points in a 85–83 win over Wake Forest. On February 11, 2017, Kennard tailed 25 points in a 64–62 victory over Clemson. On March 3, 2017, Luke scored 20 points in a 79–72 victory over Clemson in the second round and scored 24 points in a 81–77 win against Louisville in the quarterfinals of the 2017 ACC Tournament. On March 10, 2017, Kennard scored 20 points in a 93–83 win over rival North Carolina in the semifinals. On March 11, 2017, Kennard tallied 16 points in a 75–69 win against Notre Dame in the ACC Championship game. During his sophomore year, Luke averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He led the team both from the three-point range with 43.8% and free throw line at 85.6%. As a sophomore, he was named first team All-ACC.
At the conclusion of his sophomore season, Kennard announced that he would forgo his final two years of collegiate eligibility and enter the 2017 NBA draft.

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2017–present)

2017–18 season

On June 22, 2017, Kennard was drafted 12th overall by the Detroit Pistons in the 2017 NBA draft.
He made his NBA debut on October 20, 2017, against the Washington Wizards, scoring 11 points and recording 2 steals in 18 minutes. Kennard started his first NBA game on December 15, 2017, after Avery Bradley suffered a groin injury, scoring 9 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in a win against the Indiana Pacers. Kennard recorded his first career double-double on January 24, 2018, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. On April 11, 2018, Kennard recorded a former career-high 23 points in a 119-87 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

2018–19 season

In July 2018, the Pistons announced that Kennard suffered a left knee strain and would miss the 2018 NBA Summer League. On October 26, 2018, Kennard suffered a sprain of the AC joint in his right shoulder and would be out for at least two weeks. On December 10, 2018, he recorded a career-high 28 points in a 116-102 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. On April 10, 2019, Kennard recorded 27 points in the last game of the regular season, in a 115-89 win over the New York Knicks.

2019–20 season

On October 23, 2019, Kennard scored 30 points and 3 rebounds in a 119–110 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

Playoffs

College