There’s a good chance, or at least it seems, that Jeremy Roach won’t be in Durham next season for a fifth Duke basketball campaign. Even if he was, given the recently announced return of two proven backcourt weapons, sophomore Caleb Foster and junior Tyrese Proctor, coupled with the influx of five-star freshmen in program, it’s conceivable Roach will have to accept a role off the bench. .
There are other pieces that still need to fall into place for the Blue Devils.
As it stands, third-year head coach Jon Scheyer and his cohorts have as many as three scholarship spots to fill, assuming Roach leaves. And they’ll likely find that talent through the transfer portal over the next few weeks, potentially even landing a player or two worthy of a starting nod and thus adding more experience to the main roster.
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But even without any transfer commitments so far, several roster combinations look formidable, albeit relatively young.
On that note, here’s a look at a Duke basketball draft starting five using just the 10 guys who are either part of the six-person 2024 recruiting class or among the four-person group expected to return:
1. Junior guard Tyrese Proctor; 6 feet 5 inches, 183 pounds; 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists per game last season
2. Sophomore guard Caleb Foster; 6 feet 5 inches, 197 pounds; 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game last season
3. Freshman forward Cooper Flagg; 6 feet 9 inches, 200 pounds; No. 1 overall in the 247Sports 2024 Composite
4. Sophomore forward Sean Stewart; 6 feet 9 inches, 227 pounds; 12.7 points, 15.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2.3 blocks per 40 minutes last season
5. Freshman center Khaman Maluach; 7 feet 1 inch, 250 pounds; No. 6 overall in the 247Sports 2024 Composite
The above lineup could thrive, first and foremost as a defensive juggernaut, due to its remarkable size, length and athleticism, not to mention the fact that all five were five-star preps.
That said, an argument could be made that any of the 10 scholarship players currently in the running could pull off a starting nod. They include sharpshooters in new recruits Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel and Darren Harris and projected returning sophomore TJ Power, as well as another five-star center in freshman Patrick Ngongba II.
Depending on how the situation develops with the transfer route and Roach’s decision, Duke Basketball could match its No. 2 preseason ranking last year.
Stay tuned Land of the Blue Devil on SI for more Duke basketball news.
