Projecting Who’s Staying and Who’s Leaving from Duke After NCAA Tournament Loss
Duke’s drive for a national championship in the 2024 men’s NCAA tournament is over because of a loss to 11th-seeded North Carolina State in Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup.
But the hype for next season is almost set to begin.
Although the Blue Devils are prepared for a couple of NBA draft departures, there is an absolutely stacked recruiting class on the horizon. Jon Scheyer and his staff have assembled a ridiculously talented group.
The well-respected freshmen will join a handful of expected returners on what might be the nation’s preseason No. 1 team in 2024-25.
Great question, really.
It seems the safest answer is Caleb Foster, who played well in a complementary role as a freshman. He’s more likely to appear on the NBA draft radar in 2025, even if he goes through the process in 2024.
Sean Stewart played about eight minutes per night as a freshman and could join the starting lineup next season. TJ Power is a strong candidate to earn a larger role, as well.
Reserve guard Jaylen Blakes has another year of eligibility, though his departure from the rotation is a notable point to remember.
Thanks to a high-powered recruiting class, the amount of potential transition at Duke won’t be viewed as devastating.
However, the Blue Devils currently have 17 scholarship players for next season with room for 13. No less than four changes are coming.
Kyle Filipowski is very likely bound for the NBA draft, and freshman guard Jared McCain can join him. B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman recently projected both of them as top-20 picks.
Jeremy Roach has another season to play, but he’s a four-year contributor and seems unlikely to return. Tyrese Proctor has reason to stick around after not meeting expectations in 2023-24. Still, he’s a talented guard and may appeal to teams during the pre-draft process.
The wild card is Mark Mitchell, a starter for the last two seasons. He didn’t progress as hoped this season but likely has a professional future, and a wing-heavy freshman class may nudge him toward the draft.
Sixth-year reserve Ryan Young has exhausted his eligibility, and the Blue Devils could lose a couple of transfers.
Listen closely, and you’ll soon hear the Duke Hype Train approaching.
The nation’s top-ranked class includes No. 1 overall prospect Cooper Flagg, who has landed praise as a generational talent. And he’s merely the start of a diamond-studded haul.
NBA Academy Africa product Khaman Maluach, who’s ranked sixth nationally, committed to Duke in March. Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel and Patrick Ngongba II are 5-stars, and 4-star Darren Harris—a teammate of Ngongba in high school—all signed in November.
Because of all that talent, Duke doesn’t need to utilize the transfer portal. Unless one of Roach, Proctor or McCain return, adding a veteran guard to ease the roster’s transition would be a smart choice, though.
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