Cam Reddish Says Not 'Eating Right' Contributed to Average Performance at Duke

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Cam Reddish had a somewhat disappointing freshman season at Duke, and his dietary habits may have played a role.

During an interview Wednesday on First Take, Reddish acknowledged one area in which he struggled off the court.

"Last year I wasn't necessarily doing a great job of taking care of my body and it affected me on the floor," Reddish said. "Now that I'm feeling good, I'm feeling healthy, I feel I'm going to be able to go out there and perform on a consistent basis."

Pressed by Stephen A. Smith for a deeper explanation, Reddish discussed how he didn't exactly eat healthy at Duke: "I wasn't eating right. I wanted to eat pizza and fries and some tenders. I really can't be eating stuff like that in order for me to be successful."

Reddish added the issue was down to a combination of the additional cost of eating healthy foods coupled with the ease one can quickly fall into a college lifestyle. He closed the discussion by saying he has improved his diet in preparation for his jump to the NBA.

Reddish was the No. 2 player in the 2018 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings, but he got quickly overshadowed at Duke by teammates Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals. Most concerning, Reddish shot 35.6 percent from the field and 33.3 from beyond the arc.

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To some extent, occupying a secondary role in the Blue Devils' offense could serve Reddish well because that's likely how he'll be used on whatever team selects him in the draft Thursday. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Reddish to be the eighth overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks, for whom Trae Young is the clear No. 1 scoring option.

And if part of Reddish's inconsistent performance is down to something as easily fixable as his diet, then that's not too concerning in terms of his potential in the NBA.

His new team should just steer clear of letting Dwight Howard give Reddish any food tips.