One of Duke basketball’s key players has declared for NBA Draft. But he could return

Jeremy Roach is ready to explore a professional basketball career while not officially ending his time at Duke.

The 6-2 guard, a starter on Duke’s successful teams the past two seasons, declared for the NBA Draft on Monday while retaining the option to return to school for his senior season.

The decision allows Roach, who averaged 13.3 points and 3.1 assists per game for the ACC champion Blue Devils as a junior, to go through the pre-draft evaluation process in May. Based upon the feedback he receives, he can withdraw from the draft by the May 31 deadline and return to Duke, or end his college career by staying in the draft pool.

“I look forward to gaining valuable feedback and experience in the pre-draft process,” Roach said in a social media post. “As I take this next step, I know I’ll always have the full support and love of my family and coaches. We do this together and I am grateful for that. Playing for Duke is a dream come true and I feel the same about playing this game professionally.”

None of the various NBA mock drafts list Roach as a projected first-round pick if he stays in the draft.

Roach has been a backcourt mainstay throughout his Duke career, starting 75 of the 95 games over the past three seasons. Some of his best play occurred late in his sophomore season during Duke’s run to the 2022 Final Four, when he was named to the all-West Region team.

While averaging 11.8 points in Duke’s five NCAA Tournament games that season, Roach scored 15 points in an 85-76 second-round win over Michigan State. That included a clutch 3-pointer with 1:16 to play that put the Blue Devils up by four points.

In the Sweet 16 round against Texas Tech, Roach scored 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting. That included making three shots in the final 3:35 of a 78-73 Duke win.

As a junior, Roach was the lone team captain for Jon Scheyer’s first Duke team after taking over as head coach for the retired Mike Krzyzewski. Roach battled a nagging toe injury initially suffered in late November. The injury sidelined him for five games scattered over December and January.

Still, he helped Duke to a 29-7 season that included the ACC tournament title. Roach scored 23 points in Duke’s 59-49 win over Virginia in the ACC tournament final and followed that up with another 23 points when the Blue Devils beat Oral Roberts, 74-51, in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.

Though a 32.7% 3-point shooter for his Duke career, Roach improved his season percentage each season. As a junior, he made 46 of 134 attempts (34.3%).

If Roach returns to Duke — he’d be part of a stacked — and crowded, group of guards. Tyrese Proctor, a 6-5 point guard who averaged 9.4 points and 3.3 assists as a freshman, is returning for his sophomore season. Duke has two incoming freshmen who were five-star recruits in 6-5 Caleb Foster and 6-2 Jared McCain.

With Roach making his announcement to declare, Duke awaits one more decision from a current player. Kyle Filipowski, the 7-foot center who led the team in scoring (15.1 points) and rebounding (8.9 rebounds) as a freshman, has yet to decide if he’ll return for his sophomore year or enter the NBA Draft.

Two other Duke freshmen, 7-1 center Dereck Lively and 6-7 forward Dariq Whitehead, declared for the NBA Draft with no intention of returning to school. In addition to Proctor deciding to return, 6-8 freshman forward Mark Mitchell is also staying for his sophomore season.