Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer — Photo credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Duke Basketball in Position to Totally Ignore Transfer Portal

For the second straight year, Duke basketball likely won't require any inbound scholarship transfers.

Author:
Matt Giles
Mar 6, 2024 9:18 PM EST

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The Duke basketball coaches appear to be promoting pure roster meritocracy. With Wednesday's celebrated pledge from NBA Academy Africa five-star center Khaman Maluach, the Blue Devils boast six top-notch 2024 recruiting prizes. In addition, they have 11 current scholarship players with eligibility remaining beyond this year.

That totals 17. But only 13 can be on scholarship each season.

Granted, sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski is a projected lottery pick. There are several other candidates to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft in sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor, sophomore forward Mark Mitchell, and freshman guard Jared McCain.

And senior guard Jeremy Roach may opt not to use the extra year of eligibility that the NCAA granted everyone who played in the truncated 2020-21 campaign.

Meanwhile, without naming names, logic suggests a couple of current Blue Devils may seek more playing time elsewhere by entering the transfer portal shortly after this season ends.

Nevertheless, barring a surprise decommitment or two, Jon Scheyer and his assistants — the only high-major staff to neither add nor lose a scholarship talent via the transfer route last offseason — should have the luxury of practically ignoring the portal once again while other programs essentially rely upon it for their roster constructions.

Duke basketball's top-ranked 2024 haul consists of Maluach (No. 6 overall on the 247Sports Composite), five-star forward Cooper Flagg (No. 1), five-star forward Isaiah Evans (No. 14), five-star forward Kon Knueppel (No. 17), five-star center Patrick Ngongba II (No. 24), and four-star forward Darren Harris (No. 53).

As for current Blue Devils with eligibility remaining, they are Roach, Filipowski, Proctor, Mitchell, McCain, junior guard Jaylen Blakes, sophomore guard Jaden Schutt, sophomore center Christian Reeves, freshman guard Caleb Foster, freshman forward Sean Stewart, and freshman forward TJ Power.