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Duke Blue Devils lost to NC State Wolfpack in the Elite Eight contest of March Madness 2024. Subsequently, several players opted to enter the transfer portal, and a couple of top players declared for the NBA draft.
Jon Scheyer went on to rope in some top talents to build a strong roster. The Blue Devils are favorites to win the NCAA Tournament 2025.
Jared McCain and Kyle Flipowski declared for the NBA draft. Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, Sean Stewart, TJ Power, Jaylen Blakes, Christian Reeves and Jaden Schutt entered the transfer portal this year.
Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor decided to return to the side and bypassed the NBA draft for the second year. Scheyer brought top players from the transfer portal like Mason Gillis, Sion James and Maliq Brown. Scheyer also recruited six newcomers headlined by Cooper Flagg.
Top three Duke players to watch out for in 2024-25 season
#1 Cooper Flagg
Flagg is a newcomer to the Blue Devils program and a top overall high school player. He attended Montverde High School and has demonstrated excellent defensive and offensive capabilities.
Flagg, a consensus five-star recruit has won several awards and recognition. The 17-year-old was named Mr. Basketball USA, Naismith Prep Player of the Year and 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.
At the Peach Jam tournament, Flagg played for Maine United in the EYBL and averaged 25.4 points, 13 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 6.9 blocks.
#2 Tyrese Proctor
Tyrese Proctor will be the most experienced player on the roster for the 2024-25 season. In 32 games last season, he averaged 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists and shot 42.3 percent from the field and 35.2 from the 3-point range.
In the 2022-23 season, Proctor averaged 9.4 points and shot 38.1 percent. He didn't have a smooth season in 2023-24, but Duke fans are pinning great hopes on him.
#3 Sion James
James spent four years at Tulane and averaged 14 points and 5.4 rebounds and shot 51.4 percent from the field and 38.1 from the 3-point range.
The star played in 31 games last season and withdrew his name from the 2024 NBA draft to commit to Duke. After withdrawing from the draft, James revealed his motivation to join Duke as quoted by 247Sports:
"I chose Duke because it gives me a chance to impact winning and compete under the brightest lights in college basketball. I get to work with a talented, experienced staff that knows how to win games and develop players, and I get to play with some of the most talented players in the country."
While social media criticized Jon Scheyer for not being able to hold players, the famed coach seems to have piled a huge arsenal for the big season ahead.
What do you think about the new roster of the Duke Blue Devils for the 2024-25 season? Let's know in the comments section below:
