Duke basketball veterans may be in limited supply for Jon Scheyer’s third batch of Blue Devils.
The Duke basketball team has a lot to be excited about heading into the next season. Forward Cooper Flagg leads the nation’s top recruiting class, which is six-deep. Jon Scheyer, the third-year head coach, might improve another two rounds in the NCAA Tournament. Many of the younger players who are expected to participate next season will benefit from this experience.
However, something is emerging on the horizon that could cause problems for the 2024-25 Blue Devils. Every year in March Madness, veteran leadership on the court appears to overcome skill, and Duke may be missing out in that regard.
Jeremy Roach, a senior guard and two-year captain, has one year of eligibility remaining, but no word on his decision has surfaced.
Freshmen Jared McCain, Caleb Foster, TJ Power, and Sean Stewart, as well as sophomore Tyrese Proctor, who was once predicted as a first-round pick but is now rarely seen in either round of mock drafts, will join Roach in making judgments. The general consensus is that Foster, Power, and Stewart will return, although this is all dependent on portal decisions.
McCain is a true wild card. His decision seemed to set in motion a chain reaction of events. The 20-year-old sniper is a predicted first-round draft pick, but he recently expressed interest in playing alongside Flagg next season.
Cooper Flagg is making his presence known. 👀🔥@Cooper_Flagg | @DukeMBB pic.twitter.com/1WoX6ROubO
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) April 3, 2024
If Roach, McCain, and Proctor choose professional possibilities rather than returning to Durham, Duke basketball may be left with only senior guard Jaylen Blakes and a sophomore in Foster as seasoned backcourt players. On that topic, Blakes hasn’t seen much action as a Blue Devil, while Foster missed this year’s postseason due to a right ankle injury.
With sophomore forward Mark Mitchell already in the portal and the expectation that predicted lottery pick Kyle Filipowski will forfeit his last two years of eligibility, Duke may lack impact players with tournament experience next year.
As Duke seeks its sixth championship, Scheyer will most likely go to the portal for experience and grit in next year’s team.
However, there is much to be said for Blue Devil experience, which the personnel cannot provide through the transfer portal.
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