Why the Smallest Player on College Basketball’s Tallest Team is ‘a Blessing’ for Duke

On a team as powerful as No. 1 Duke — with 27 wins in their last 28 games and one of the most efficient seasons in college basketball history — it’s tough to picture an underdog story.

The Blue Devils don’t merely beat their opponents; they dominate them. They lead the country in scoring margin (+20.8), rank in the top three nationally for offensive and defensive efficiency, and have the tallest roster in college basketball according to KenPom.

And yet, there’s Spencer Hubbard.

The 5-foot-8 senior and former walk-on enters games when Duke is wrapping up yet another blowout victory. Despite his limited minutes, when Hubbard takes the floor, the crowd reacts. The Blue Devil starters, now resting, lean in. And when he sinks a late-game 3-pointer, it becomes one of the few feel-good moments in a season defined by Duke’s dominance.

“I love Spencer, man, and our guys, the way they respond to him,” Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said on March 1 after Hubbard scored a career-high five points in four minutes against Florida State. “The thing is, Spencer can really play… so at the end, I’m not surprised at all when he makes those plays.”

When Hubbard is on the court, Duke wins. While that’s not why the No. 1 seed Blue Devils are 31-3 heading into the NCAA Tournament, he’s part of their success. Hubbard represents something deeper. To his coaches and teammates, he’s more than just a fan favorite to close out blowouts — he embodies the grit, work ethic, and selflessness that define this Blue Devils team.

“He’s a hell of a player, and I think a lot of work goes on behind the scenes that he doesn’t get credit for,” said Duke veteran starter Tyrese Proctor. “He’s a really important part of our team, and he’s one reason we’ve won a lot of games.”

Hubbard’s low center of gravity, agility, and dribbling skills consistently challenge his teammates in practice as part of Duke’s scout team.

Freshman Isaiah Evans laughed as he admitted that Hubbard has given him and his fellow guards trouble, especially in one-on-one drills, and issued a warning to future opponents.

“You might look at him and think he’s small, so he can’t score — that’s the last thing you want to think,” Evans said. “I promise, if we released practice footage of him schooling us on scout team, he’d probably get a scholarship somewhere, I’ll be honest.”

Evans was quick to thank Hubbard for helping him with his defense. Throughout the season, Hubbard often stayed after practice to help Evans work on his lateral quickness.

At first, the former walk-on dominated Evans. The freshman recalled times he was repeatedly scored on, leaving the gym thinking, “Man, I’ve got to figure this out.”

Eventually, Evans adapted. Thanks to Hubbard’s quickness and offensive talent, their practice sessions became “a match made in heaven,” Evans said.

For Proctor, a junior, this isn’t new. He noted that guarding Hubbard for three years is why his defense “is where it is.”

Proctor recalled that leading up to Duke’s win over No. 2 Auburn in December, Hubbard “kicked our butts in practice all week.” The junior guard credited Hubbard for waking the team up and preparing them for the high-profile top-10 matchup.

‘I Showed Up Every Day’

Hailing from Los Angeles, Hubbard attended Harvard-Westlake before joining Duke as a practice player — which he described as “somewhere between a walk-on and a manager” — in the 2020-2021 season.

“I showed up every day, worked hard, [and] just brought my competitive edge to practice,” Hubbard said. “I think, maybe it’s something that Coach recognized and picked up on.”

Soon, Hubbard earned a walk-on spot as a sophomore, a moment he calls one of the greatest of his life, and quickly became known for his consistency — pushing his teammates and doing whatever he could to be an asset. That commitment paid off in September 2023, when he received a full scholarship.

Hubbard described the moment, which went viral on social media, as “really emotional” and a testament to his years of hard work.

“Being in the program and working your butt off for four years… it was really a tribute to the whole process,” Hubbard said.

When asked about his best memories at Duke, Hubbard doesn’t focus on the easy wins. He recalls the tough moments: waking up at 6 a.m. for team runs, grinding through fitness tests, running a mile, or completing eight laps in 12 minutes. For Hubbard, these moments of shared hardship — when the entire team is “suffering together” — are the most rewarding because they are the most challenging.

The 2023-2024 season marked a breakthrough for Hubbard. His perseverance began to pay off: he scored his first basket and assist against Dartmouth, logged a season-high four minutes against Bucknell, and made his debut in an ACC regular-season game during Duke’s win at Miami.

Most notably, he drained his first career 3-pointer against Louisville — his first points against an ACC opponent — and sent the Cameron Indoor crowd into a frenzy.

‘A Blessing’

This season, Hubbard continued to build on his role with more memorable moments. On Nov. 8, he hit a three-pointer in Duke’s victory over Army West Point, reaching 10 career points with that shot. But the highlight of the season came in Duke’s 110-67 win over Illinois at Madison Square Garden in February.

With under a minute remaining, the Duke coaches called for senior center Stanley Borden to set a screen at the top of the key for Hubbard. The play worked. As both defenders rolled with Borden toward the basket, a small window opened for Hubbard, and he took the shot.

As the ball flew through the air, Hubbard’s teammates on the bench stood in anticipation. And when the shot swished through the net, they erupted in excitement.