Three Duke players set to return for upcoming season as seventh player enters transfer portal
Duke Basketball Faces Major Turnover as Freshman Stars Enter Transfer Portal
Duke Basketball Faces Massive Turnover as Freshman Stars Enter Transfer Portal
College basketball fans are accustomed to Duke showcasing a new crop of freshman stars each year, but the turnover for the upcoming season is set to reach unprecedented levels.
Sean Stewart, a five-star recruit from last year’s top-ranked Rivals freshman class, announced his decision to enter the transfer portal in pursuit of “the continued growth and development of my basketball goals.” Stewart becomes the seventh member of Duke’s roster from last year to make this move, joining fellow classmates TJ Power, Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, Jaylen Blakes, Christian Reeves, and Jaden Schutt.
The departure of Stewart, Power, Roach, and Mitchell, all five-star recruits, along with Reeves and Schutt, who were four-star recruits, signals a significant exodus from the team. Additionally, with Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, Duke is projected to have only three returning players from the squad that reached the Elite Eight last season.
The returning players include junior guard Tyrese Proctor, sophomore guard Caleb Foster, and senior walk-on Stanley Borden. Proctor and Foster have confirmed their decision to stay, while Borden still has eligibility remaining.
Despite the mass exodus, Duke fans have reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season, thanks to the incoming freshman class. The Blue Devils have secured the top recruiting class in the country, headlined by Rivals’ No. 1 overall recruit Cooper Flagg. Flagg is joined by three other five-star recruits, Kon Kneuppel, Isaiah Evans, and Khaman Maluach, as well as four-stars Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris.
In addition to the talented freshman class, Duke is expected to be active in the transfer portal, targeting players like Maliq Brown (Syracuse), Brandon Angel (Stanford), and Mason Gillis (Purdue).
Next season will mark Duke head coach Jon Scheyer’s first without a single player from the Mike Krzyzewski era. With high expectations and pressure to deliver, Scheyer will look to lead his team to new heights and finally break through to the Final Four after falling short in his first two seasons at the helm. Duke fans are eagerly anticipating what the future holds for their beloved Blue Devils.
