DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — Duke men’s basketball will have a completely different lineup next season than the team that went to the Final Four this year.
That’s because all five starters have either declared for the NBA Draft, as is the case for freshmen Kon Knueppel, Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach as well as veteran guard Tyrese Proctor, or exhausted their college eligibility, as is the case for point guard Sion James. Mason Gillis, a key player off the bench, is also out of eligibility.
However, Jon Scheyer is in a better position than many other coaches, as no players on scholarship entered the transfer portal — which closed on April 24 — this season. The Blue Devils will return last season’s impactful reserves, including Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown, Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II.
In addition to another top-ranked recruiting class coming in, Duke has had one player commit out of the portal as of April 28. Here’s the running list, which will be updated if any other transfers commit to the Blue Devils, with their position, date of commitment and most recent program.
Duke transfer commitments
Cedric Coward, guard — April 28 (Washington State)
At 6’6″, the guard from Fresno, Calif. gives the Blue Devils length, something that gave Scheyer’s team huge advantages last season. As a senior, Coward played in just six games for the Cougars this past season before an injury ended his year. In limited period of time, he averaged 17.7 points, 7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest. There’s a catch with Coward, however: He has made himself eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft, according to CBS Sports, but is expected to withdraw by the June 15 deadline and enroll at Duke. Coward has one year of college eligibility left.