Senior guard Jeremy Roach will not return to Duke for his fifth year of college eligibility.
Roach will enter the 2024 NBA Draft while retaining his college eligibility and entering the NCAA transfer portal, he announced Tuesday evening on Instagram.
Roach averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 35 games and 33 starts in 2023-24.
He made 130 appearances and 108 starts in four seasons at Duke.
Roach’s departure marks the exit of the Blue Devils’ last starter coached by former head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Krzyzewski retired at the end of the 2021-22 season after 42 seasons with Duke.
The former coach recruited Roach, then made him a starter on the Duke team that reached the Final Four in 2022.
Roach thanked Krzyzewski in his farewell message, alongside second-year head coach Jon Scheyer.
The move comes as no surprise to Roach’s teammates. Blue Devils players, including Tyrese Proctor, Jared McCain, Caleb Foster and Kyle Flipowski, bid farewell to Roach in a tribute video shared by Duke ahead of Roach’s senior night.
While leading the Blue Devils in three-point shooting with a 42.9 percent rate from behind the arc, Roach was again a key player during Duke’s NCAA Tournament run during his senior season.
He scored 14 points in the second half of the Sweet 16 win over Houston that sent the Blue Devils back to the Elite Eight for the first time since Krzyzewski’s final season.
After opting out of the 2022 NBA Draft, Roach declared for the 2023 draft before withdrawing his name and returning for a fourth season at Duke.
NBA rules allow players to enter the draft three times before losing their NCAA eligibility. So Roach could always decide to return to another school for his final college season.
If Roach enters the NCAA transfer portal, he will likely be highly sought after as a leader after four years of starting and two years of team captain at Duke.
Roach’s exit continues a losing streak for the Blue Devils roster. Christian Reeves, Mark Mitchell and Jaylen Blakes have also entered the transfer portal.
