Duke's Jeremy Roach Enters Transfer Portal, NBA Draft; Last Player of Krzyzewski Era
April 17, 2024
Senior guard Jeremy Roach will not return to Duke for his fifth year of college eligibility.
Roach will enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining college eligibility and entering the NCAA transfer portal, he announced Tuesday night on Instagram.
Roach averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds through 35 games and 33 starts in 2023-24.
He made 130 appearances, and 108 starts, in four seasons at Duke.
Roach's departure marks the exit of the final Blue Devils starter coached by former head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Krzyzewski retired at the end of the 2021-22 season after 42 seasons with Duke.
The former coach recruited Roach, then made him a starter on the Duke team that made it to the Final Four in 2022.
Roach thanked Krzyzewski in his farewell post, alongside second-year head coach Jon Scheyer.
The decision comes as no surprise for Roach's teammates. Blue Devils players including Tyrese Proctor, Jared McCain, Caleb Foster and Kyle Flipowski bid farewell to Roach in a tribute video shared by Duke ahead of Roach's senior night.
While leading the Blue Devils in three-point shooting with a 42.9 percent rate from behind the arc, Roach again served as a key player during Duke's NCAA Tournament run his senior season.
He scored 14 points in the second half of the Sweet 16 victory over Houston that sent the Blue Devils back to the Elite Eight for the first time since Krzyzewski's final season.
After forgoing the 2022 NBA Draft, Roach declared for the 2023 draft before withdrawing his name and returning for a fourth season at Duke.
NBA rules allow players to enter the draft three times before they lose NCAA eligibility, so Roach could still decide to return to another school for his final college season.
If Roach enters the NCAA transfer portal, he is likely to be highly sought after as a leader after four years of starting and two years of serving as team captain at Duke.
Roach's exit continues a series of losses for the Blue Devils' roster. Christian Reeves, Mark Mitchell and Jaylen Blakes have also entered the transfer portal.