Category: Duke basketball

  • Duke Blue Devils Star Makes Final Decision on Entering NBA Draft

    Duke Blue Devils Star Makes Final Decision on Entering NBA Draft

     

     

    The Duke Blue Devils powered their way to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament, and while they ultimately fell to the Houston Cougars after a disastrous final stretch, it marked one of the program’s most successful seasons since their national championship run in 2015.

     

    A major factor in that success was the breakout performance of their freshman trio: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach. Knueppel has already declared for the upcoming NBA draft, while fans are still awaiting Flagg’s decision. That said, he’s widely expected to go pro, as the projected No. 1 overall pick.

     

    Despite the freshmen’s impact, Duke also benefitted from experienced leadership, most notably from guard Tyrese Proctor, who delivered a historic shooting stretch during the month of March.

     

    Proctor, who still had eligibility remaining, was thought by some to be considering a potential return. However, he officially announced on Friday that he will declare for the NBA Draft—joining Knueppel and, likely, Flagg and Maluach in taking the next step toward the professional level.

     

    Duke reacted to the news by posting, “League next. Duke forever. Thank you [Tyrese Proctor].”

     

    Proctor entered the Blue Devils program as a highly touted prospect out of high school and quickly became a cornerstone of the team, spending the last three seasons in Durham, North Carolina.

     

    This past season, he averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. From the ACC Championship through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Proctor delivered a scorching stretch, recording three consecutive games with six or more made three-pointers.

     

    Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg and guard Tyrese Proctor

    Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg and guard Tyrese Proctor. © Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

    Throughout his three-year career at Duke, he consistently shot well from long range, never dipping below 32% from beyond the arc in any season. That reliable shooting will now become an asset to whichever NBA team selects him in June.

     

     

  • Top transfers at Duke, Houston turned down more money elsewhere to hunt for a national championship

    Top transfers at Duke, Houston turned down more money elsewhere to hunt for a national championship

     

     

    Increasingly in college basketball, cash is king. The money the best players can command in NIL is rapidly approaching some of the dollars that the best coaches make and while many of today’s players are entering the transfer portal to make as much money as possible, there are exceptions.

     

    Duke and Houston are slated to do battle on Saturday at the Final Four in San Antonio. Each team’s attack is bolstered by key transfers — who all told CBS Sports could have made more money at other programs.

     

    While Houston’s LJ Cryer and Milos Uzan along with Duke’s Sion James, Mason Gillis and Maliq Brown are certainly doing quite well financially, each made decisions based on more than just who could show them the most money and those choices have them knocking on the door of a national championship.

     

    “For sure,” said Uzan when asked if he could have made more elsewhere. “Some of the numbers that are out there are crazy.”

     

    However, the junior guard who transferred from Oklahoma had a bigger picture in mind.

     

    “I entered the portal to get better,” Uzan said. “I didn’t really look at it as who is going to pay me the most. I entered to be the best version of myself. I’d seen what coach Sampson does with his point guards here and when I saw what type of love they were showing me it was a no brainer.”

     

    Duke’s fifth-year bully of a guard who transferred from Tulane, James never even expected to get paid in college. Having already played for free, he just wanted a situation to best prepare for the next level and didn’t care about being the highest-paid player or the main man.

     

    “My goals in the portal weren’t necessarily financial,” James said. “When I came into college it was before NIL so I knew that I signed up to play for zero dollars and I didn’t mind playing for nothing, I knew what I signed up for. When I was in the portal it was really about preparing myself for the next level and being able to play in the NBA and I felt like this gave me the best chance.

     

    As Lumbee Tribe looks for federal recognition, Kelvin Sampson is ‘carrying the banner’ for more than Houston

    “I never cared too much about being the featured player. Obviously, if you sign up to play for a team with Cooper Flagg you know that your role is going to look a little different. That’s not what I ever cared about, I just wanted to find a place where I could be myself, play with other good players and fight for what I want.”

     

    In Brown’s case, a call from Duke when he left Syracuse gave the junior forward a chance to fulfill a childhood dream of playing for the Blue Devils.

     

    “I wasn’t worried about the money situation so going somewhere I was going to make the most money wasn’t what I thought about,” he said.

     

    “Before even going into the portal, Duke was a dream school during my childhood. So going into the portal, my phone was ringing the first couple of days from all the schools but when I first got the call from Duke it was incredible and it wasn’t something I wanted to pass up, so I locked in. I didn’t want to be a prisoner of the moment, so I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision and my family trusted me with my decision.”

     

    Last season, Gillis made the Final Four at Purdue. He wanted to take the next step in his final year, which meant he had to make a tough decision to leave. The financial aspect of his decision was certainly part of his equation, but it was just one of three main factors that mattered most.

     

    “I just told everybody that one, I’m looking to be around a winning program and two I want to be around competitive guys that want to get better every day, go to the NBA and win a national championship,” Gillis said. “The last point was that yes, I know the money is out there and I’ve got a business mind so I’m going to get what I deserve, but that wasn’t my priority.”

     

    When the Cougars and Blue Devils meet on Saturday, nobody will have a greater appreciation of what is on the line and what it means to prioritize winning over cash than Cryer. He was part of Baylor’s national championship team in 2021. He’s an All-Big 12 player and with a title and tons of individual accolades, the guard from Katy, Texas could have made a bundle in the portal. In fact, rumors swirled during the 2023-24 season that he would play his final year at a new program.

     

    Instead, Cryer concluded Kelvin Sampson was the guy for him and they were on the verge of doing something special, so he stayed put and has the opportunity to move one step closer to a second title on Saturday.

     

    “Coach Sampson doesn’t care who you are, from top to bottom, to the coaches, to the players to the managers he’s going to hold you accountable,” Cryer said. “I felt that was something I really needed.

     

    “I just felt like I grew a lot as a player here. I knew the tradition of Houston and how they can get the best out of their players. The grass isn’t always greener at other places and I knew I had it pretty good here.”

  • Jon Scheyer’s Postgame Exchange with Star Freshman Gains Attention After Duke’s Final Four Berth

    Jon Scheyer’s Postgame Exchange with Star Freshman Gains Attention After Duke’s Final Four Berth

     

     

    The No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils have been as dominant as any team in the country this season, and they’ve continued that trend on their way to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament after defeating No. 2 seed Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday night.

     

    This marks the team’s first Final Four berth since 2022, and under head coach Jon Scheyer, the program has continued to thrive since he took over for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski.

     

    Following the win over the weekend, Scheyer’s postgame exchange with Duke’s freshman star Khaman Maluach gained significant attention for the strong relationship he has cultivated with his players.

     

    “Congrats, Coach Scheyer,” Maluach said to Scheyer. “Love you, coach.”

     

    “You’re a killer, you know that?” Scheyer responded.

     

    Maluach has been one of the key sources of production all season for the Blue Devils. Not only is he the starting center, but he’s also the enforcer on the defensive end. While he often falls in the shadows of other freshmen like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, Maluach has been vital to the team’s success, and his contributions have been on full display throughout the NCAA Tournament.

     

    Against Alabama in the Elite Eight, he tallied 14 points and nine rebounds, following that up with 13 points and six rebounds in the Sweet 16 win over Arizona. If he decides to enter the NBA draft, he’s projected to land around the back end of the lottery, and his performance this season certainly warrants that consideration.

     

    This season, the 7-foot-2 center is averaging 8.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks while shooting an impressive 71.4% from the field and 76.4% from the free-throw line.

     

    To choose a program like Duke, knowing that your numbers, minutes, and volume may be impacted by the other talent around you, speaks to Maluach’s commitment to Jon Scheyer’s culture and the idea of winning. That commitment has paid off, as Duke has been a consistent contender all season long, with Maluach playing a critical role in their success.