The Duke basketball program's recent mass exodus of players may just signal Jon Scheyer's ever-growing understanding of what it takes to succeed in a new era.
Around this time last year, Duke basketball fans were marveling at head coach Jon Scheyer's ability to keep a roster together. Not one player transferred out of the program. Dereck Lively II and Dariq Whitehead went pro, but they were projected first round draft picks.The usual projected-lottery-pick gang jumped for the NBA, consisting of sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski and freshman guard Jared McCain. But the big difference lies in the seven Blue Devils hitting the transfer portal.
For the last 12 years or so, Duke has watched pretty much the same offseason story play out over and over again. Recruit an insanely talented high school class, lose most of the class from the previous year to the pro ranks, and hope one or two promising weapons stick around for the long haul and develop.
What the Blue Devils were left with, in a nutshell, were two non-ideal situations come March: freshmen with zero tournament experience and upperclassmen who never could carve out starring roles. Scheyer, preparing for this third season at the helm following back-to-back 27-9 campaigns, seems to understand you can’t win titles in the transfer portal era with an outdated philosophy. Top high school players are going to continue to choose Duke, as evidenced by the top-ranked incoming 2024 class. As much as it hurts to see intriguing youngsters like Sean Stewart and TJ Power not hit their ceilings at Duke, they can't guide incoming freshmen like older portal players can.
A player like former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown, the Blue Devils' first transfer prize this offseason as of Saturday, or Mason Gillis, a veteran from Purdue high on Duke's radar, know who they are as players and can bring real battle-tested experience to Durham. They also come with only a year or two of eligibility left, helping to keep the door wide open for top high school players and older portal players alike for the following year.
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