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Rookie Outlook: Ingram and Zubac's Top Performances

In his one year at Duke, Brandon Ingram displayed enough promise to convince the Lakers to use the No. 2 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft on him. The ACC Rookie of the Year put on quite a few eye-popping performances, including 14 games of 20-plus points and eight double-doubles.

The best of Ingram’s best extend beyond the box score, as he showed up in big moments such as late-game situations and in replacement for an injured teammate.

Duke vs. Yale (March 19, 2016)
At the end of practice the day before, Ingram sunk 67 consecutive free throws. With his team up by just three with less than a minute left on college basketball's biggest stage, the NCAA Tournament, he calmly sunk two more to dash the upset hopes of 12th-seeded Yale.

Ingram provided 25 points largely by using his length to get to the rim at will in Duke's 71-64 victory. He also drained three 3-pointers and used a variety of post moves to shoot 7-of-19 from the filed. The Blue Devils led by as many as 27 points before the Bulldogs mounted a second-half rally, but Ingram's free throws were just part of his contribution toward stopping that. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski credited his players' ability to stop Yale's run to their execution of the 1-3-1 zone, which featured Ingram — and his 7-foot-3 wingspan — at the top of the defense.

Duke vs. Virginia (Feb. 13, 2016)
Virginia boasted arguably the best defense in college basketball this season, allowing the second-fewest points in all the NCAA (60.1 per game). Regardless, for five and a half minutes, Ingram set fire to the Cavaliers.

Duke trailed by seven midway through the first half when Ingram singlehandedly took over and scored all of the Blue Devils’ next 18 points. By the end of the flurry, which included back-to-back 3-pointers and a high-flying slam, he had put his team up by one. Thanks largely to Ingram’s 25 points (10-of-22) and seven rebounds, Duke finished off seventh-ranked Virginia, 63-62.

Duke vs. Georgia Southern (Dec. 15, 2015)
Sure, No. 7 Blue Devils were up against an overwhelmed Georgia Southern team that finished the year 14-17, but Ingram's season-high 26 points and 14 rebounds in only 31 minutes put his talent on full display during Duke's 99-65 win.

An injury to Duke's best big, Amile Jefferson, forced Ingram to shift from his natural small forward position to power forward, and he delivered by collecting eight offensive rebounds while shining on both ends of the floor. Whether it was posting up smaller defenders or splashing wide-open 3-pointers, he shot 9-of-13 to cap off a run of three straight games with 23 points or more. He also provided the night's highlights with a pair of sensational, and-1 slam dunks.

Honorable Mentions
Dec. 2, 2015 vs. Indiana (W 94-74) 24 pts (10/15; 4/6 3P), 6 reb (4 orb)
Dec. 28, 2015 vs. Elon (W 105-66) 26 pts (11/16), 11 reb, 3 stl
Jan. 9, 2016 vs. Virginia Tech (W 82-58): 16 pts (4/7), 9 reb, 6 blk
March 9, 2016 vs. North Carolina State (W 92-89): 22 pts (7/14; 5/7 3P), 7 reb, 4 ast (ACC Tournament)
March 24, 2016 vs. Oregon (L 82-68): 24 pts (9/20), 5 reb (NCAA Tournament)

The Lakers’ second-round pick, Ivica Zubac, has also caught some attention while playing overseas. The 7-foot-1 Croatian may not have as bright a spotlight as Ingram’s, but he, too, has put on a few shows in his young career.

Croatia vs. United States (July 5, 2015)
With a gold medal on the line, Zubac sure played like it, notching a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double for Croatia in the finale of the FIBA U19 World Championship. Despite shooting a subpar (for his standards) 6-of-13 clip, Zubac put in work down low on both ends, collecting seven offensive boards and swatting three shots.

He also scored with 50 seconds left in regulation to bring Croatia within one. However, the Americans were led by the three top players of the 2016 college recruiting class — Harry Giles, Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum — and their firepower allowed the U.S. to pull away with a 79-71 win in overtime.

Mega Leks vs. KK Borac Cacak (May 24, 2016)
There was simply no stopping Zubac on this day, as he scored 31 points in as may minutes while shooting 13-of-19 from the field. He also tallied seven rebounds and three blocks, but Zubac’s skills were clearly highlighted on the offensive end.

The 7-foot-1 teenager claimed post positioning at will against an overmatched Borac Cacak frontcourt. He also displayed some nimbleness in pick-and-roll actions during Mega Leks’ 102-74 smackdown.

Mega Leks vs. OKK Konstantin (May 8, 2016)
In his debut with Mega Leks, Zubac — who had been sidelined for four months by a knee injury — made an immediate splash with his new club, tallying 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting with five rebounds in 25 minutes.

Zubac helped his team thrash its opponents from the Serbian League, 93-63, in part by blocking five shots and providing the type of rim protection that the Lakers hope he can develop at the NBA level.

Honorable Mentions
July 1, 2015 vs. China (W 75-68) 23 pts (10/11), 9 reb (4 orb) (FIBA U19 World Championship Round of 16)
July 3, 2015 vs. Canada (W 84-71) 19 pts (9/11), 6 reb (FIBA U19 World Championship Quarterfinals)
July 4, 2015 vs. Turkey (W 91-56) 20 pts (9/14), 9 reb, 4 ast (FIBA U19 World Championship Semifinals)
Dec. 19, 2015 vs. KK Tajfun Sentjur (W 90-79) 21 pts (8/17), 5 reb (for KK Cibona)
June 10, 2016 vs. FMP Beograd (W 74-52) 16 pts (7/11), 6 reb