The Chronicle’s Latest Player Profile: Kale Catchings

The Duke Chronicle’s latest player profile is of 6-5 Harvard transfer Harvey Catchings.

As we’ve discussed before, he fits a Duke profile in that he comes from a basketball family: his mother is Tamika Catchings of Tennessee and WNBA fame and his grandfather is former NBA player Harvey Catchings.

He also fits a couple of other traits: he’s a versatile, mid-sized athlete and he shoots threes pretty well.

From the Chronicle: “Catchings’ best stretch as a senior came during his last four games with the Crimson. The O’Fallon, Mo., native averaged 12.8 points per game, including a 19-point bang against Princeton. Against the Tigers, Catchings displayed his offensive potential, including multiple strong drives to the rim against a quality Tigers defense. Perhaps the most intriguing attribute of Catchings’ game is his ability to guard all positions, which is an attribute that is crucial as a bench piece.”

Like the other transfers, Catchings has an immediate opportunity to contribute. It’s not necessarily as a starter, although he could conceivably play his way into a starting role. Having such a young team, older players could be a huge asset. It may not seem like it, but just having guys who know how to handle a practice, and who can help set standards for the younger guys to reach?

That’s huge.

We may never fully know what his contributions are, but Catchings could become a major asset, even if it’s not obvious.