November 28, 2024

Transfer recap: Where Roach, Mitchell and Duke’s other outgoing transfers ended up

Over the last few months, the seven former Duke men’s basketball players who entered the transfer portal have found new homes. The Blue Zone is here to recap their decisions:

After four seasons and 1,496 points scored as a Blue Devil, senior guard Jeremy Roach decided to officially call it a career at Duke by announcing his entry into the transfer portal April 16. Five days later, the two-time Blue Devil captain committed to Baylor. With one year of college eligibility left, Roach joins a talented roster that includes top-five recruit V.J. Edgecombe and standout Miami transfer forward Norchad Omier, who averaged 17 points and ten rebounds in the 2023-24 season. Led by longtime head coach Scott Drew, the Bears are expected to contend for the national championship next year, and Roach, who is coming off his best collegiate campaign, should play a major role in Baylor’s quest for a second national title.

Mark Mitchell: Missouri

Sophomore forward Mark Mitchell proved to be one of Duke basketball’s most reliable players in his two seasons as a Blue Devil, averaging 10.3 points on 50.5% shooting during his career while offering strong wing defense. However, Duke’s incoming talent in the frontcourt, most notably in the form of phenom Cooper Flagg, led Mitchell to enter the transfer portal. The Kansas City, Kan., native, announced his commitment to Missouri April 19. He should provide an immediate impact to a Tigers squad that lost all 18 of its in-conference games during the 2023-24 season. Alongside head coach Dennis Gates, Mitchell will hope to lead Missouri back towards tournament contention during his junior year.

Duke guard Jeremy Roach announces return for 2022–23 season - Sports  Illustrated

Sean Stewart: Ohio State

Duke basketball’s outstanding recruiting inevitably leads to some freshman players seeing limited playing time. Forward Sean Stewart came to Durham as a five-star recruit and played in 33 of 36 games for the Blue Devils last year, but only averaged 8.4 minutes and 2.6 points per contest. The Windermere, Fla., native showed several flashes of his high potential throughout the 2023-24 season, especially in Duke’s away contest against N.C. State, but never truly carved out a consistent role on the team. As a result, Stewart entered the transfer portal and announced his commitment to Ohio State May 3. The rising sophomore should be a valuable asset for the Buckeyes in the midst of their rebuild under new head coach Jake Diebler.

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