Duke's Henry Coleman to transfer
The transfer portal took one more bite out of Duke’s projected roster for next season, as rising sophomore power forward Henry Coleman III reportedly plans to leave the Blue Devils for another school.
Coleman was a highly-regarded big man when he joined Duke out of Richmond, Virginia’s Trinity Episcopal. He was involved in the team’s social justice work before he’d even played a game with the Blue Devils, speaking at an on-campus rally early in the school year.
Coleman struggled to find a spot in the playing rotation early. He did not play in five of the team’s first 13 games before getting minutes in each of Duke’s last 11. He averaged 1.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in five minutes of playing time a night.
As fellow freshman big man Mark Williams blossomed into a contributor, Coleman saw his playing time increase slightly, averaging 10.3 minutes a game in Duke’s last three games, including a season high 15 in the ACC Tournament opening game against Boston College. He also matched his career highs with four points and five boards in that game.
Coleman likely saw his path to more playing time slowed by Duke’s offseason additions to the roster at his position. The Blue Devils will bring in one of the top power forward recruits in the nation and an SI All-American in Paolo Banchero. Duke also added Theo John, a shot-blocking power forward/center from Marquette who will be playing his super senior season with the Blue Devils.
With Mark Williams returning and expected to be a key contributor as well, Coleman likely would have been the team’s third or fourth option in the post.
"I want to thank Duke University for the opportunity to be a part of this program," Coleman said in a statement from the team. "Since the season ended, I have had discussions with my family and my coaches at Duke and have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal. I'm so appreciative for what the coaching staff, the support staff and so many others on campus have done not only for me, but for all of my teammates. The relationships that I have built will be with me forever. Lastly, I want to show my love for the Duke fans who stuck with us throughout this unusual season. Although you weren't able to see us in person, your support meant so much. Thank you Duke."
"I want to thank Henry and his family and offer my support to his decision," coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "We certainly will miss what Henry brought to our team. His has a terrific career in front of him and we wish him well."
