Probable Duke Basketball Transfer Target Among Best in Portal
The Duke basketball staff still has two unfilled scholarship spots on the 2023-24 roster. That means Jon Scheyer and his assistants could welcome back 2022-23 captain Jeremy Roach, who declared for the NBA Draft but has until May 31 to withdraw his name and return to school, while snagging a player from the transfer portal.
And judging by recent reports, the Blue Devils now have significant interest in one transfer: former Utah Valley big man Aziz Bandaogo. After transferring from Akron, where he spent two years, the 7-foot, 225-pound nimble giant became the WAC Defensive Player of the Year as a Utah Valley junior last season.
According to a tweet on Thursday from ESPN's Jeff Borzello following Hunter Dickinson's announced transfer to Kansas, Bandaogo is one of the top nine talents remaining in the portal, regardless of position. Some sites rank him No. 2 among available centers behind Moussa Cisse out of Oklahoma State.
Bandaogo, a 22-year-old Senegal native who announced his entry in the transfer portal on Monday, averaged 11.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks as a full-time starter for a Utah Valley team that finished atop the WAC standings.
He has the option to play two more seasons in college.
There has been no word yet on Bandaogo planning a trip to Durham to check out the Duke basketball program in person. Furthermore, while there's no doubt the coaches are interested, he hasn't yet revealed an offer from the Blue Devils, who already have enough projected firepower to sit atop way-too-early preseason national rankings.
But it wouldn't be surprising if such news popped up in the coming days. After all, not only does Bandaogo seem to boast sufficient talent to potentially draw a starting nod for the 2023-24 Blue Devils, but he perfectly fits the rim-protecting, rim-running mold that Duke is looking for to replace NBA-bound one-and-done Dereck Lively II.
RELATED: Duke Adds Three More Opponents to Schedule
Sure, Aziz Bandaogo isn't guaranteed immediate playing eligibility wherever he ends up since this will be his second time transferring. However, chances are the NCAA will grant him such a waiver, given the head coaching change at Utah Valley and Bandaogo's admitted mental struggles in his current situation.
As of Tuesday, he had reported interest from Duke, Cincinnati, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Cal, St. John's, LSU, and Seton Hall.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball content.
