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The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has signed guard Luke Kennard to his rookie contract.
Kennard, 6-6, 206, was selected 12th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft from Duke. He averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 31.2 minutes during his two-year career as a Blue Devil. As a sophomore at Duke last season, Kennard averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 31.2 minutes in 37 games. A consensus Second Team All-American as a sophomore, Kennard led Duke in scoring (19.5 ppg), while shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc. A final-five candidate for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year award and a member of the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, he was named the MVP of the 2017 ACC Tournament, averaging 20.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, helping Duke to the ACC Tournament Championship. During his sophomore year, he ranked second in the ACC in scoring (19.5), three-point field goal percentage (43.8%), fourth in free throw percentage (85.6%), seventh in three-pointers per game (2.38) and eighth in field goal percentage (48.9).
A native of Middletown, OH, Kennard averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 26.7 minutes in 36 games as a freshman. His three 20-point games as a freshman were the most by a Duke freshman and he ranked seventh among ACC freshmen in scoring (11.8 ppg).
