Which Duke basketball players are leaving? Who’s staying? What we know

Since Duke basketball’s season ended with a 65-52 loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament second round on March 18, the coaching staff has been working to craft next season’s roster.

As usual, the Blue Devils have players leaving early for the NBA Draft and a highly regarded recruiting class set to arrive this summer.

But what other moves does coach Jon Scheyer want to make for his second team since he replaced Mike Krzyzewski as Duke’s head coach? Scheyer has indicated he wants to build more experienced teams going forward, and the Blue Devils are looking to add a veteran big man through the transfer portal.

Here’s where Duke’s roster stands and what decisions have yet to be made as of April 5.

Which Duke players are going to the NBA?

Two Blue Devils freshmen, 7-1 center Dereck Lively and 6-7 forward Dariq Whitehead, have announced their plans to turn professional and not return to school. Both players are projected to be first-round picks in this summer’s NBA Draft.

Which Duke players have entered the NCAA transfer portal?

No Duke players from last season’s team have formally made a move to transfer.

The NCAA’s transfer portal window for basketball players opened on March 13, the day after the NCAA tournament bracket was announced. The 60-day window will close on May 11, meaning players who wish to transfer must begin the process by entering their name in the portal by that deadline.

Which Duke players will return next season?

▪ Two Duke freshmen, point guard Tyrese Proctor and forward Mark Mitchell, announced during the last week of March they will return to play as sophomores for the Blue Devils. Both are returning starters.

▪ Ryan Young, a 6-10 transfer from Northwestern, said he’ll use his final season of eligibility with the Blue Devils next season. He played in all 36 games for Duke this season.

▪ Three other deep reserves, sophomore guard Jaylen Blakes, freshman guard Jaden Schutt and freshman center Christian Reeves, are also scholarship players set to return next season.

Who has yet to decide?

Two key players from this season’s ACC championship Duke team have yet to announce their plans for next season.

▪ Freshman 7-footer Kyle Filipowski, who led Duke in scoring (15.1 points) and rebounding (8.9) this season, is projected as first-round pick if he enters the NBA Draft. But he could return to Duke and possibly become a lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

▪ Junior guard Jeremy Roach averaged 13.1 points and 3.1 assists for the Blue Devils this season. He is not projected as a first-round pick if he leaves Duke a year early, though.

Who are the incoming freshmen?

Duke has signed the nation’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class, which includes five 5-star rated players. Three 6-8 forwards, Sean Stewart, Mackenize Mgbako and TJ Power, are coming to Duke along with 6-5 guard Caleb Foster and 6-2 guard Jared McCain.

Scholarship situation

Including the five incoming freshmen, Duke has 13 scholarships allotted to players for the 2023-24 season. That means none are available for either a late addition to the freshmen class or to award to a transfer player.

Still, Duke is actively seeking to add a veteran interior player via the transfer portal. The coaching staff has been in contact with Kadin Shedrick, formerly of Virginia, and Kel’el Ware, who is transferring from Oregon. That means the coaching staff is anticipating more movement, like a player transferring or declaring for the NBA Draft.