Duke guard Jeremy Roach – the last remaining connection to Mike Krzyzewski’s latest Blue Devils team – declares for the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal, he said announced on social networks Tuesday evening.
Roach – who averaged 14 points and 3.3 assists per game this season, while shooting a career-best 42.9 percent from 3-point range – has one season of eligibility remaining, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the role he played in the transition between the Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer eras, Roach deserves to be remembered as one of the most endearing Duke players in history. He was a part-time starter for most of his first two seasons in Durham, including his freshman year, when Duke had its worst season since 1995 and missed the NCAA Tournament — until March 2022, when which he re-entered Duke’s starting lineup and became an integral part of. to the team participating in the Final Four.
Roach hit a late dagger against Michigan State in the Round of 32 and steadied the Blue Devils in their hard-fought Sweet 16 win over Texas Tech. After the Final Four, Roach and guard Jaylen Blakes (who also entered the transfer portal this month) were the only two players from Krzyzewski’s final team to remain on Scheyer’s first team. Roach was quickly named team captain and shared that title this season with Tyrese Proctor and Ryan Young.
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But Roach had his best college season for Scheyer’s second team, which advanced to the Elite Eight. Roach’s senior season was highlighted by his new career mark of 3. One of the first pivotal moments of Scheyer’s tenure occurred midway through his freshman season, when he moved Roach off the ball and moved Proctor to point guard. Duke quickly reeled off 10 straight wins, including an ACC tournament title, behind this revamped backcourt combination. This season, Roach improved his previous career 3-point mark by just over 8.5 percent, which helped him finish as Duke’s third leading scorer behind Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain.
The former five-star recruit, who played for Paul VI in high school – the same program that produced Trevor Keels and 2024 signees Patrick Ngongba and Darren Harris – should be a hot commodity in the transfer portal due to his extensive academic experience. and 3-point production.
Duke guard Jeremy Roach announces he is declaring for the NBA draft while retaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal.
One of the key figures in Duke basketball history for how he weathered the Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer eras. pic.twitter.com/HehLTm1WeK
– Brendan Marks (@BrendanRMarks) April 17, 2024
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(Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images)