Alex O'Connell to Transfer

Alex O’Connell will enter the transfer portal and look at finishing his career elsewhere. The guard/forward who just finished his junior year made the announcement on Twitter, saying, “These past three years have been filled with nothing but blessings and love from Duke. However, I will be opening my recruitment and exploring other options. I want to thank all of the Duke fans and crazies as well as the Duke coaches and staff. #NewBeginnings.”

🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/6mQvq0M9nQ
— Alex O'Connell 🐰 (@Alex_OC11) March 21, 2020

O’Connell averaged 5.2 ppg this year, up 0.8 from the previous season. His shooting and three-point accuracy both fell off substantially, however.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski urged O’Connell and teammate Jordan Goldwire to “play like juniors” throughout the season. While Goldwire improved on both sides of the ball and became a regular in the starting lineup, O’Connell saw his minutes shrink, playing 10 or fewer in 10 of the last 12 games.

There were signs late in the season that O’Connell’s relationship with the program could be fraying.

Following the Blue Devils’ loss at Wake Forest, O’Connell could be heard yelling about the team’s play selection as the team went past the media room to its locker room. He played a total of three minutes the rest of the season. O’Connell was also late to the team’s senior night pregame ceremony, rushing out to join his teammates on the court just as it began.

The decision helps explain Duke’s recent activity in the transfer portal with a pair of Ivy League wing players—Seth Towns of Harvard and Jordan Bruner of Yale.