2025 Men's Basketball Recruiting

Folks gonna hate me for saying this... I am kinda skeptical that Nate and Isaiah will both be on the roster. Sorta feels to me like one or the other. Not sure they fit all that well together. I'd love to be wrong.

And I still have this entirely irrational hope that Proctor returns.
Hasn't it been reported that Evans is going to the NBA regardless after this year? This is how I see it playing out next year.
PG: Foster/BOOZER
SG: Harris (Boozer Backing up)
SF: Ament
Forward: Boozer
Center: Maliq/Ngbongo

In an ideal world you hope Proctor comes back next year because Harris can play the 2 or the 3. If Proctor does come back I see Harris having a role similar to Foster this year playing 16-18 minutes a night obviously if Proctor leaves his minutes get bumped up to 25-30. Might need another backup big or a SF to play minimal.

Guys on bench who I don't see playing much Shelton Henderson, Khamenia
 
Hasn't it been reported that Evans is going to the NBA regardless after this year? This is how I see it playing out next year.
PG: Foster/BOOZER
SG: Harris (Boozer Backing up)
SF: Ament
Forward: Boozer
Center: Maliq/Ngbongo

In an ideal world you hope Proctor comes back next year because Harris can play the 2 or the 3. If Proctor does come back I see Harris having a role similar to Foster this year playing 16-18 minutes a night obviously if Proctor leaves his minutes get bumped up to 25-30. Might need another backup big or a SF to play minimal.

Guys on bench who I don't see playing much Shelton Henderson, Khamenia
Where did you see a report about Evans going pro this summer? I've never seen that.
 
Nate Ament is 185 pounds soaking wet. He’s not a 4. Plus Boozer is the 4 next year. Ament would play the 3 with Evans at the 2, although with Nate and Isiah next to each other people will think there’s something wrong w the food we’re serving dem boys in Derm.
I love Evans just as much as the next guy, but he has a long way to go if he wants to start for Duke next year.
 
Hasn't it been reported that Evans is going to the NBA regardless after this year? This is how I see it playing out next year.
PG: Foster/BOOZER
SG: Harris (Boozer Backing up)
SF: Ament
Forward: Boozer
Center: Maliq/Ngbongo

In an ideal world you hope Proctor comes back next year because Harris can play the 2 or the 3. If Proctor does come back I see Harris having a role similar to Foster this year playing 16-18 minutes a night obviously if Proctor leaves his minutes get bumped up to 25-30. Might need another backup big or a SF to play minimal.

Guys on bench who I don't see playing much Shelton Henderson, Khamenia
we better hope that Foster improves as a PG if your lineup bears out. He might be a decent SG for us next year, but if he doesn't improve as a PG then we'll have the same offensive collapse we see this year when he comes in to run the point. Per JE's comment, it might be better to have Ament than Foster, and maybe go to the portal for a back-up PG.
Also, i know DBR has been hyped on Proctor since he arrived, and he certainly has NBA height for a PG or SG, a very good handle for a SG and maybe good enough for PG, but doesn't shoot well enough to be a SG and isn't overwhelmingly athletic the way the NBA wants its PG or SG. He's a very good defender, and if he can show improvement on his 3pt shot he could maybe become a 3nD guy, but unfortunately his 3pt shot has been merely ok so far. This is the 3rd year the DBR is talking about "what is Duke gonna do when Proctor gets drafted?!?!?!" I'm not sold on that fact.
It's been reported the plan all along was for him to be one and done unless something change.
I hope Evans is evaluating his options intelligently and thinking "that plan to go to the NBA next year? Notagoodone. I think i'll stay at Duke and make WAY more money via NIL than in the G-league." The kid can shoot, but what is a 3nD player who isn't a good defender worth?
 
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It's been reported the plan all along was for him to be one and done unless something change.
I have not heard that reported or rumored by anyone. As a guy with a very underdeveloped frame, the presumption has always been that it would take Evans a little time to really be ready for the draft. His elite shooting does make him attractive to NBA teams, but they will need to see more to pull the trigger on using a draft pick and giving him a guaranteed deal.

Unless something really dramatic changes in the next several weeks, Isaiah Evans will be in college next season... the only question is where he will be playing.
 
The hope Evans comes back the thing for him is 2025 draft is loaded 2026 isn't so much. He could get some NIL money and then be a top 10 pick next year. I honestly hope our lineup looks like this next year.
Proctor/Boozer
Harris/ Foster
Evans/Ament
Boozer/Ament
Maliq/Ngbongo
 
I have not heard that reported or rumored by anyone. As a guy with a very underdeveloped frame, the presumption has always been that it would take Evans a little time to really be ready for the draft. His elite shooting does make him attractive to NBA teams, but they will need to see more to pull the trigger on using a draft pick and giving him a guaranteed deal.

Unless something really dramatic changes in the next several weeks, Isaiah Evans will be in college next season... the only question is where he will be playing.
I hope we have a scenario where Evans and Harris are both on the roster next year both might be 2 of the top shooters in college next year.
 
we better hope that Foster improves as a PG if your lineup bears out. He might be a decent SG for us next year, but if he doesn't improve as a PG then we'll have the same offensive collapse we see this year when he comes in to run the point. Per JE's comment, it might be better to have Ament than Foster, and maybe go to the portal for a back-up PG.
Also, i know DBR has been hyped on Proctor since he arrived, and he certainly has NBA height for a PG or SG, a very good handle for a SG and maybe good enough for PG, but doesn't shoot well enough to be a SG and isn't overwhelmingly athletic the way the NBA wants its PG or SG. He's a very good defender, and if he can show improvement on his 3pt shot he could maybe become a 3nD guy, but unfortunately his 3pt shot has been merely ok so far. This is the 3rd year the DBR is talking about "what is Duke gonna do when Proctor gets drafted?!?!?!" I'm not sold on that fact.

I hope Evans is evaluating his options intelligently and thinking "that plan to go to the NBA next year? Notagoodone. I think i'll stay at Duke and make WAY more money via NIL than in the G-league." The kid can shoot, but what is a 3nD player who isn't a good defender worth?
If Foster is the starting point-guard, we're in trouble. I can see him as 2-guard but not a point-guard. As for Evans, everyone agrees he's too slim and needs to add strength. Ament is not any bigger but most everyone thinks he starts if he picks Duke. I had rather have a sophomore Evans than Ament. I think Jon will take a look at point-guards in the portal. As for Harris, we don't know what he can do because he's not seen the court much this season. Not even in a 17-point win at home against the Cheats. I have to believe if Evans transfers, other schools will use that against Duke when approaching recruits.

GoDuke!
 
The hope Evans comes back the thing for him is 2025 draft is loaded 2026 isn't so much. He could get some NIL money and then be a top 10 pick next year. I honestly hope our lineup looks like this next year.
Proctor/Boozer
Harris/ Foster
Evans/Ament
Boozer/Ament
Maliq/Ngbongo
I disagree with your assessment about the current draft and the expected quality of the 2026 draft.

The very top of the 2025 draft looks good. Flagg is the clear #1 and following a year where there wasn't such a clear choice. After that, Harper is a good prospect and Bailey has obvious skills. As you get past the top 3-5 players, though, things get a lot thinner as far as the talent pool is concerned.

Looking at 2026, there are three absolute studs in AJ Dybantsa (who might be an even better long-term prospect than Flagg), Darren Peterson, and Cameron Boozer. Each of those three would go ahead of Harper if not Flagg.
 
Duke will lose at least five players (Mason, Sion, Cooper, Kon, and Khaman) from this year's roster. Adding the incoming freshman, the frontcourt could have Cameron, Nikolas, Pat, and Maliq. I don't think the last two are as sure a thing as many seem to be assuming. Yes, they would both have a significant role on next year's roster, but it may not be their desired role. Cameron will start at one frontcourt spot, and I could easily see Pat and Maliq wanting to be the other starter. Much like The Highlander, there can be only one. I can easily see Jon looking to add an additional frontcourt player via the portal.

The backcourt/wings could have Tyrese, Caleb, Isaiah, Darren, Cayden, Shelton, and potentially Nate. That is seven players for four, maybe five spots. It doesn't seem outlandish that there is some attrition, and unless there is significant attrition, I have a hard time seeing the need for a portal wing/guard.

I do think Jon loves what Sion, Mason, and Maliq have brought to this year's roster and would love to replicate it for next year's roster. I'm just not sure how he gets there without players accepting a much smaller role or spots opening up.
 
I hate to be negative, and there is a lot of basketball still to be played, but I would be surprised if Jon doesn't bring in at least 2 ready-to-play transfers and at least 2 players leave either to the portal or to the pros (Tyrese).
 
If Foster is the starting point-guard, we're in trouble. I can see him as 2-guard but not a point-guard. As for Evans, everyone agrees he's too slim and needs to add strength. Ament is not any bigger but most everyone thinks he starts if he picks Duke. I had rather have a sophomore Evans than Ament. I think Jon will take a look at point-guards in the portal. As for Harris, we don't know what he can do because he's not seen the court much this season. Not even in a 17-point win at home against the Cheats. I have to believe if Evans transfers, other schools will use that against Duke when approaching recruits.

GoDuke!
I heard a coach once say that it's his job to find someone better than you. It's your job to make sure he can't.

I think this line of thinking applies more now that ever before. It's why we lost so many transfers and got 3 who seem to make our team better.

So for Evans and Foster. It's Jon Scheyer's job to find someone better than them. It's Caleb's and Isaiah's job to make sure he can't. I think gone are the days where we automatically accept that Duke wants a player back or guarantees a player a certain role.

I believe the same thing will happen next year. Each player on Duke's team will most likely be offered a role the staff envisions, it is up to them to accept.

As far as your last sentence, I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.

Are you saying schools will say Duke has mishandled Evans. That's fine if they say that. Isaiah has to do more if he wants to earn playing time on a national championship caliber team.

But sure, someone may say that. Duke recruiting is such a well oiled machine, when also combined with the ability to add in the portal, I don't think it hurts Duke even in the slightest.
 
So for Evans and Foster. It's Jon Scheyer's job to find someone better than them. It's Caleb's and Isaiah's job to make sure he can't. I think gone are the days where we automatically accept that Duke wants a player back or guarantees a player a certain role.

I believe the same thing will happen next year. Each player on Duke's team will most likely be offered a role the staff envisions, it is up to them to accept.
Yeah, agree with this. Free agency is a two-way street. This Duke team would be way worse if we hadn't added our 3 transfers, and instead just rolled with the guys from last year's team.

Neither Evans nor Foster is playing close to what Jeremy did last year, and we saw how that worked out for Jeremy this year. I wouldn't assume that either Evans or Foster is back if they (as of now) expect a significant role next year. Their time on the court hasn't earned it.
 
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