It was North Carolina Brady Manic. KS has Remy Martin. And nearly every team that made it to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight had at least one, and sometimes multiple, key players contributing to key roles that started their careers in other schools.
As they did early in the Era and Era, Duke has moved away from using the NCAA Transfer Portal for more than minor parts, but this upcoming season will test that practice and should change the approach.
Unlike previous seasons when Duke pulled out Theo JohnAnd the patrick tape, and other players, there is a convergence of needs and opportunities in Durham for a number of high-profile players. In the past, Duke was only able to offer the expected reserve role. not since Seth Carrey And the Rodney Hood Was there an opportunity (and need) for a player who could come in and be one of the team’s best options?
And as every year, players are already reaching out to Duke to notify the Blue Devils of their interest in joining the program and demonstrating that they can produce on the biggest stage in college basketball.
Looking at Duke’s projected roster at this very early stage, the Blue Devils are currently sitting with the following projected depth chart:
PG – Jeremy Roach (Son) , Jaylene Blakes (And therefore.)
SG – jaden shot (the father)
SF – Darg Whitehead (the father)
PF – Kyle Filipovsky (father), Mark Mitchell (father)
C – Derek Lively II (father), Christian Reeves (father) *
* – Reeves is expected to join the tournament
There is plenty of talent on paper with five former five-star and two four-star players, but also the roster woefully inexperienced.
and depth.
While Schutt is considered one of the best three-point shooters in the country, there are questions about how quickly he can adapt to the rigors of ACC Basketball. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Illinois can certainly surprise you, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any recruiting analyst who thinks he’ll be ready for Duke’s starting minutes in November.
Likewise, Christian Reeves is considered a big man on a long-term project who could play a role in the rotation in a year or two, but is not expected to play during the 2022-23 season as a red shirt.
Those two cases leave Duke an expected six-man cycle led by Roach, four freshmen and potential Blacks who, as noted above, have not played this season.
Given the expectations, Duke will likely be in the market for at least two guards – one a starting caliber shooting guard and the other capable of scoring and handling the ball in the combo guard role. Duke will also need to find at least one other player, like John this season, who is willing to challenge two top Novices daily and can provide instant minutes during a rotation.
Finding these three players is, of course, easier said than done. Duke will have to balance the idea of profit in the short and long term. Having already secured commitments from three five-star recruits as of 2023, Duke will likely be looking for players who can come in and contribute, but also make it onto the program’s projected roster going forward. The ideal candidate for the transfer will have several years of eligibility remaining but is also a high enough player who can not only contribute but also become one of the team’s most reliable producers.
It would be hard to find pieces like this, but as we’ve seen around college basketball this season…it’s totally possible. Duke (and Scheyer) should just dive in.