2023 Men's Basketball Recruiting

[HayYou]

RE: Blakes. It might be useful to keep in mind that he missed all but a couple—IIRC-of games during his senior year in high school due to COVID restrictions. I suspect rust played a factor in his performance last season.

The staff was high on him for a reason. Like I've said elsewhere, he's got near ideal size and athleticism for PG at the college level, and elite wingspan relative to height. He did some stuff last year, and you could see he was surprised it didn't work. I really see him improving a lot and playing a solid role off the bench.

Keep in mind, Roach should play 30-35 mpg next year. So it isn't like we need Blakes to be a stud. Or even a high quality rotation guy. We need a guy who can be a pest on Defense in certain situations, and one who can handle PG to the point where the wheels don't fall off.

I fully expect DW to be our secondary play maker next year. Further, I fully expect one of DW or Roach to be in the game while the outcome is still in doubt. Foul and injury issues mean this won't be the case all the time, but I expect it will most of the time. So, it isn't like we need Blakes for 25 minutes of high quality play. We need 10ish minutes where the wheels don't come off so that Roach can get a blow. That is it.

[kshepinthehouse]

Heading into his soph year, what had anyone seen of Tyler Thornton that made anyone think he could be a rotation player?

Blakes is plenty athletic for the position. He's got good size, and very nearly elite length. I'm not saying we run Blakes out to be the primary ball handler (Roach and Whitehead could handle all of that assuming no other additions to the roster). Nor am I saying that Blakes should be counted on for any sort of consistent offense.

I am saying, and I think others will agree, that he looked capable on D. Further, after a year of seeing what college hoops was like, I really expect Blakes to work on his game this summer. I think he'll be good for 10-15 MPG next year, primarily as a defender. The staff was high on Blakes for his upside, and I think we'll start to see glimpses of that this year.

How far did Tyler Thornton take us?

[jv001]

The staff was high on him for a reason. Like I've said elsewhere, he's got near ideal size and athleticism for PG at the college level, and elite wingspan relative to height. He did some stuff last year, and you could see he was surprised it didn't work. I really see him improving a lot and playing a solid role off the bench.

Keep in mind, Roach should play 30-35 mpg next year. So it isn't like we need Blakes to be a stud. Or even a high quality rotation guy. We need a guy who can be a pest on Defense in certain situations, and one who can handle PG to the point where the wheels don't fall off.

I fully expect DW to be our secondary play maker next year. Further, I fully expect one of DW or Roach to be in the game while the outcome is still in doubt. Foul and injury issues mean this won't be the case all the time, but I expect it will most of the time. So, it isn't like we need Blakes for 25 minutes of high quality play. We need 10ish minutes where the wheels don't come off so that Roach can get a blow. That is it.

I'm hoping Jeremy plays well enough to get 30-35 minutes this coming season. My main concern is his habit of committing too many fouls that leads to sitting for stretches of the game. Not having several playmakers on the team should give him confidence that he is the point guard and needs to stay on the floor, especially in tight games. At this point it seems Jeremy and Dariq are the two main ball handlers. This past season we had Jeremy, Trevor, Wendell and Paolo.

GoDuke!

[tking]

Don't think anyone can definitively predict Blakes' role or performance next year. But strictly based on the (albeit small) sample size we've seen so far (shooting splits + TO rate + eye test including shooting form), it's hard to see him playing a meaningful role next year. Just really hard to play a guard who can't shoot or playmake without killing your offense. Yes, experience should help, but he's starting from a veryyyy low base.

And functional defense, beyond a minimum bar for athleticism to avoid consistent blowbys (e.g. Joey Baker), is really predicated on team defense and understanding rotations. Both of which comes with experience, and Blakes was a seldom-used rising SO who had a missed COVID year of development.

[heyman25]

Since Proctor is coming this fall,maybe Duke can reach out to this 6'10 perimeter player. Steal him from the Heels.https://247sports.com/player/matas-buzelis-46110694/

[Kedsy]

Since Proctor is coming this fall,maybe Duke can reach out to this 6'10 perimeter player. Steal him from the Heels.https://247sports.com/player/matas-buzelis-46110694/

Duke extended him an offer, but apparently we did not make his top five.

[RetireVergaJersey]

Since Proctor is coming this fall,maybe Duke can reach out to this 6'10 perimeter player. Steal him from the Heels.https://247sports.com/player/matas-buzelis-46110694/

I was thinking the same thing. He would give Duke a great guard tandem for 2023. That being said having Roach back as a senior would be the better option.

[CDu]

Duke extended him an offer, but apparently we did not make his top five.

Yeah, we had an overload of freshmen prior to Proctor’s reclass. Now we don’t have that issue. I suspect Buzelis stopped being an option when Mgbako committed.

[JasonEvans]

Yeah, we had an overload of freshmen prior to Proctor’s reclass. Now we don’t have that issue. I suspect Buzelis stopped being an option when Mgbako committed.

And we don't know which of those freshmen will be back for a soph campaign in 2023. I strongly suspect Jaden Schutt will be back and it would be rather surprising if Lively and Whitehead did not head to the league after one year. But Mitchell and Flip and perhaps Proctor are unknowns until we see more of how they play and whether their skills will translate to the NBA level. And it is not at all impossible to imagine Roach playing 4 years at Duke.

How many hours until the 2023 draft early entry withdrawal deadline?

[Natty_B]

And we don't know which of those freshmen will be back for a soph campaign in 2023. I strongly suspect Jaden Schutt will be back and it would be rather surprising if Lively and Whitehead did not head to the league after one year. But Mitchell and Flip and perhaps Proctor are unknowns until we see more of how they play and whether their skills will translate to the NBA level. And it is not at all impossible to imagine Roach playing 4 years at Duke.

How many hours until the 2023 draft early entry withdrawal deadline?

Let’s just assume aside from Schutt and maybe Mitchell they are all gone.

[CDu]

Let’s just assume aside from Schutt and maybe Mitchell they are all gone.

Yeah, I strongly agree with this. I'd assume that Schutt, Young, Reaves, and Blakes are returning, and I would expect everyone else to be gone. And I'd not exactly count on both Schutt and Blakes returning, though I certainly hope they do.

[SkyBrickey]

Yeah, I strongly agree with this. I'd assume that Schutt, Young, Reaves, and Blakes are returning, and I would expect everyone else to be gone. And I'd not exactly count on both Schutt and Blakes returning, though I certainly hope they do.

This is a big value of going 8-9 deep during the regular season. It allows Schutt and Blakes to develop, gain confidence and IMO makes it more likely they stick around for next season when we may be even younger than this season’s youngest team ever.

[superdave]

This is a big value of going 8-9 deep during the regular season. It allows Schutt and Blakes to develop, gain confidence and IMO makes it more likely they stick around for next season when we may be even younger than this season’s youngest team ever.

Coach K said as much when Jamal Boykin transferred to Cal, but never adapted to a deeper rotation....

[miramar]

How far did Tyler Thornton take us?

He more than met expectations during his four years. And while Duke lost to Mercer in their first tournament game during Tyler’s senior year, that was on Jabari Parker, Rodney Hood, Amile Jefferson, and Rasheed Sulaimon, who shot a combined 13-43 from the field.

I still don’t understand how those four shot 30% against a team like Mercer, but it happens.

[Dukeblue91]

It seems to me that every time I see all those predictions regarding what happens at and or to Duke, the coaches/ school makes fools of them and does something out of the left field.
Same thing with having another shooting guard from the portal.
Everyone arguing over whom it will be and coach Scheyer was working for weeks with Tyrese on reclassification to this season.
Sorry but it had to be said since there was so much bellyaching about this.
And this was not the first time something like this happened. LOL

[dm9e24]

It seems to me that every time I see all those predictions regarding what happens at and or to Duke, the coaches/ school makes fools of them and does something out of the left field.
Same thing with having another shooting guard from the portal.
Everyone arguing over whom it will be and coach Scheyer was working for weeks with Tyrese on reclassification to this season.
Sorry but it had to be said since there was so much bellyaching about this.
And this was not the first time something like this happened. LOL

...and we get younger and younger every year. Five of our top 7 players will be freshmen next year. I don't expect Roach to be around for his 4th year and 5 of the 6 freshmen will be out the door. So, we will lose at least 7 players again next spring to be replaced with, based on Jon's seeming preference for recruiting high school kids to fill the roster, 4 or 5 more freshmen. Maybe all that is an assumption, but the program building class of 2020 returned only Roach. With Steward and now Keels leaving against all reasons to stay, I don't expect any top 25 recruit to stay at Duke more than one year. Top rated kids don't seem to come to Duke anymore other than it being the quickest way to the next level. Somehow Gonzaga on the West coast and Carolina on the East coast continue to have rosters with both talent and experience on them once spring madness is over.

I have no problem with Proctor being on next years roster. Hopefully he will be marginally better than Keels and Griffith were this year. Both of who were around average as compared to a Banchero or an RJ Barrett or a Tyus Jones. I would have liked to have seen us get some experience out of the portal in the backcourt, much like we did with Young and Catchings in the front court. Some one to have replaced a sophomore to be Keels.

And maybe the staff still will.

[CameronBornAndBred]

So, we will lose at least 7 players again next spring to be replaced with, based on Jon's seeming preference for recruiting high school kids to fill the roster, 4 or 5 more freshmen.

Sucks that we can't get those middle schoolers!

[Phredd3]

I don't expect Roach to be around for his 4th year and...

I don't know about expectations, but I would suggest that the calculus may be different for someone who would hopefully be within sight of a Duke degree, and who is a fringe NBA prospect, at best, at least right now. Perhaps he will surprise on the court, dramatically improve his draft stock, and suddenly be a hot commodity. But barring something extraordinary like that, someone like Roach is likely to be well-served to stay for that fourth and final year. We'll see.

[scottdude8]

I don't know about expectations, but I would suggest that the calculus may be different for someone who would hopefully be within sight of a Duke degree, and who is a fringe NBA prospect, at best, at least right now. Perhaps he will surprise on the court, dramatically improve his draft stock, and suddenly be a hot commodity. But barring something extraordinary like that, someone like Roach is likely to be well-served to stay for that fourth and final year. We'll see.

With all due respect, if I had a dollar for every time someone something along these lines on DBR, I'd have a lot of dollars.

We forget that Jeremy was a consensus 5* prospect and #20 on the RSCI in 2020. We're very lucky to have him around for 3 years (as was discussed with regards to Trevor, the pattern seems to be almost all of the RSCI Top 20 end up being OADs each year). Given his pedigree and the reality that his development was hindered by some high school injuries and COVID, there's every possibility he blows up this year and shows that 5* form and plays himself into a real NBA prospect.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I don't know about expectations, but I would suggest that the calculus may be different for someone who would hopefully be within sight of a Duke degree, and who is a fringe NBA prospect, at best, at least right now. Perhaps he will surprise on the court, dramatically improve his draft stock, and suddenly be a hot commodity. But barring something extraordinary like that, someone like Roach is likely to be well-served to stay for that fourth and final year. We'll see.

I think NIL will be very important to a player like Roach. Kinda like how NIL is important to the 4 remaining UNC starters.

And that may very well be the main driver behind someone like Roach sticking around. I mean, he could stick around for 2 more years, right?