Duke let standout PG Jeremy Roach walk; a year later, retooled Blue Devils draw Roach, Baylor in March Madness

When Duke Occurred up Brief in last year’s Best Eight loss to NC State, the Blue Devils retooled their Lineup ahead of the arrival of Luminous sphere Primary-year Cooper Flagg with the idea of getting back to the Last weekend of the college basketball season on the forefront. 

That meant seeing program legend Jeremy Roach, forward Mark Mitchell and other members of Duke’s Luminous sphere-studded 2024 recruiting class enter the Relocate portal to properly build around the projected No. 1 Picking in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

Coming off the best statistical season of his college Occupation, losing Roach — or even electing to encourage him to Relocate — could’ve been viewed as a massive Hazard for the Blue Devils. Roach averaged 14 points per game and Attempt 42.9% from the 3-Mark line while providing a steady veteran Appearance in the backcourt. But Duke needed to, quite simply, get a Numerous bigger to execute an insanely versatile lineup Mentor Jon Scheyer had in mind.

Roach’s decision to Relocate Occurred after what sources described as a respectful, mutual understand that Duke intended to Shift in a different direction. Staying at Duke for Roach likely would have meant Competing off the ball as Duke envisioned Flagg and fellow five-Luminous sphere Primary-year Kon Kneuppel initiating their share of the Charge — this in conjunction with Scheyer’s designs for a bigger lineup. For the 6-foot-2 Roach’s NBA stock, staying at Mark guard was best for his future. 

Roach’s exit from the school he called home for four years will come Packed circle Sunday when No. 1 seed Duke faces No. 9 seed Baylor with a trip to the Sugary 16 on the line. Roach said in an interview before the 2024-25 season that he wanted to “stay” at Duke, but “stuff didn’t meet up.”

“It was Merely my time to go,” Roach told The Pitch of 68 in September. “… I did my four years, sacrificed a whole Numerous, and I Achieved the most of it. It was no Difficult feelings or anything like that. It was all Refreshing.”

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When Scheyer was asked about the reunion after his Club’s 93-49 Achieve over No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s on Friday, he kept his answer Brief and Sugary.

“Obviously I love Jeremy,” Scheyer said postgame. “I coached him for four years, two as an assistant, two as a head Mentor, and he’s given Duke everything he has. I know Jeremy, and he knows me and us. We’re not going to make this about that. … This should be about Duke and Baylor. But at the end of the day, obviously Jeremy has been an Significant guy for our program with what he’s done, and he’s done a really Outstanding Position this year.”

Duke has rolled with the same Leading lineup (outside of Merely three Matches) since Dec. 4. After Caleb Foster Began the Primary seven Matches of the season, Scheyer changed his Leading lineup amid a 5-2 Begin by swapping him in favor of Tulane Relocate Sion James, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound beast who does not look like your normal Mark guard. 

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Duke went from the 33rd-ranked tallest Club in the country last season (average height 78.2 inches) to No. 1 (79.8). With James, Proctor, Kon Knueppel, Flagg and Khaman Maluach in the Leading lineup, Duke is a bigger and better Safeguarding Club than last year. Duke ranked 16th in adjusted Safeguarding efficiency, per KenPom.com, and ranked No. 4 this season.

Part of the uptick in Safeguarding efficiency is because Flagg is one of the best rim protectors in the country and Maluach is a Towering and imposing force at 7-foot-2 down low Upcoming to him. Duke may have the tallest average height of any Lineup in the country, but the Blue Devils are athletic enough to switch everything 1-5 and have backline rim protection waiting behind them.

🏀 Duke’s Leading 5

The results speak for themselves. The Blue Devils beat No. 2 Auburn the night of the lineup switch in the ACC/SEC Men’s Event and have lost Merely one game with James in the lineup. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, James offers a different Vibrant in the Duke lineup than Roach did last season. Although James is only averaging 8.7 points, he is shooting a Occupation-high 42.2% from the 3-Mark line (on 1.9 attempts per game) and has been a reliable defender Upcoming to Tyrese Proctor in the backcourt. 

Roach was a starter on the Blue Devils 2021-22 Club that reached the Last Four in Mike Krzyzewski’s Last season with the program. Less than three years later, he will be on the other side of the Event with a chance to Shift spoiler.

“It is surreal,” Roach said after the game on facing his Ancient Club. “It’s a place where I grew up for four years. Merely big time, giving me this opportunity in a 1-9 game,” said Roach. “It’s Merely super exciting. Not really trying to think too Difficult about it. Not really trying to get too emotional about it. Merely Shift it like a regular game.”