Former Duke Basketball Guard Withdraws From NBA Draft

Duke basketball alum Jeremy Roach is locked in on wrapping up his college career at Baylor.

Duke basketball guard Jeremy Roach / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

There was little doubt that Jeremy Roach would withdraw his name from the NBA Draft before the NCAA-imposed May 29 deadline to retain his extra year of college eligibility. After all, despite being a four-year Duke basketball starter, two-year captain, and 2023-24 All-ACC Third Team selection, the 22-year-old's name rarely appeared anywhere on mock drafts.

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As of Tuesday, Roach, who had also entered the transfer portal in mid-April and committed to Baylor head coach Scott Drew less than a week later, is no longer an early draft entrant, CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported.

The same goes for a fellow Baylor portal prize in former two-time All-ACC forward Norchad Omier out of Miami. As Rothstein noted, the now-official confirmations of Omier and Roach, presumably in store for significant NIL earnings as fifth-year college players, solidifies the Bears' standing as a bonafide national threat next season.

Sources: Norchad Omier and Jeremy Roach have both officially withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft and will play for Baylor next season.

The Bears will enter 2024-25 as a Final Four contender under Scott Drew.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 21, 2024

Of course, the Duke basketball program that Jeremy Roach left behind also appears in good shape for the 2024-25 campaign, even though second-year head coach Jon Scheyer lost seven talents to the transfer portal.

Duke returns Roach's former backcourt running mates in rising sophomore Caleb Foster and junior Tyrese Proctor. Plus, the Blue Devils are set to welcome a six-deep, top-ranked recruiting class to Durham, not to mention four veteran transfer additions of their own.

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Last summer, Scheyer produced his first two NBA Draft selections in Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead. He should tally two more on June 26 in projected first-rounders Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.