Sean Stewart, a five-star recruit from Duke’s top-ranked Rivals freshman class last year, recently announced that he will be entering the transfer portal to further his basketball goals. He joins six other members of last year’s Duke roster, including classmate TJ Power, in the transfer portal.
The departure of Stewart and other high-profile players, along with graduations and declarations for the NBA Draft, means that Duke is projected to return with only three players from last season’s Elite Eight team. This includes junior guard Tyrese Proctor, sophomore guard Caleb Foster, and senior walk-on Stanley Borden.
On the bright side, Duke has signed a highly-touted freshman class, headlined by Rivals’ top recruit Cooper Flagg. Flagg is joined by three other five-star recruits and two four-star recruits. The incoming class is expected to make a significant impact and may have influenced some of the players entering the transfer portal.
In addition to the incoming freshmen, Duke is reportedly targeting several transfers to bolster their roster for next season. The team is aiming to make a strong push, especially with head coach Jon Scheyer entering his first season without any players from the Mike Krzyzewski era. Scheyer is looking to build upon the team’s recent success and take Duke to new heights on the court.