Over the last few months, the seven former Duke men’s basketball players who entered the transfer portal have found new homes. The Blue Zone is here to recap their decisions:
Jeremy Roach: Baylor
After four seasons and 1,496 points scored as a Blue Devil, senior guard Jeremy Roach decided to officially call it a career at Duke by announcing his entry into the transfer portal April 16. Five days later, the two-time Blue Devil captain committed to Baylor. With one year of college eligibility left, Roach joins a talented roster that includes top-five recruit V.J. Edgecombe and standout Miami transfer forward Norchad Omier, who averaged 17 points and ten rebounds in the 2023-24 season. Led by longtime head coach Scott Drew, the Bears are expected to contend for the national championship next year, and Roach, who is coming off his best collegiate campaign, should play a major role in Baylor’s quest for a second national title.
Mark Mitchell: Missouri
Sophomore forward Mark Mitchell proved to be one of Duke basketball’s most reliable players in his two seasons as a Blue Devil, averaging 10.3 points on 50.5% shooting during his career while offering strong wing defense. However, Duke’s incoming talent in the frontcourt, most notably in the form of phenom Cooper Flagg, led Mitchell to enter the transfer portal. The Kansas City, Kan., native, announced his commitment to Missouri April 19. He should provide an immediate impact to a Tigers squad that lost all 18 of its in-conference games during the 2023-24 season. Alongside head coach Dennis Gates, Mitchell will hope to lead Missouri back towards tournament contention during his junior year.
Sean Stewart: Ohio State
Duke basketball’s outstanding recruiting inevitably leads to some freshman players seeing limited playing time. Forward Sean Stewart came to Durham as a five-star recruit and played in 33 of 36 games for the Blue Devils last year, but only averaged 8.4 minutes and 2.6 points per contest. The Windermere, Fla., native showed several flashes of his high potential throughout the 2023-24 season, especially in Duke’s away contest against N.C. State, but never truly carved out a consistent role on the team. As a result, Stewart entered the transfer portal and announced his commitment to Ohio State May 3. The rising sophomore should be a valuable asset for the Buckeyes in the midst of their rebuild under new head coach Jake Diebler.
TJ Power: Virginia
Similar to Stewart, freshman forward TJ Power struggled to get on the court during the 2023-24 season, averaging less than seven minutes per game. Much of Power’s playing time came in blowout wins, though head coach Jon Scheyer did occasionally turn to Power when trailing due to the forward’s pedigree as an elite shooter. Nonetheless, the arrival of several frontcourt recruits led the Shrewsbury, Mass., native to enter the transfer portal. Power committed to ACC rival Virginia May 6, where he will hope to provide an offensive spark to a Cavaliers squad that ranked near-last in points per game last season. While the rising sophomore will not return to Cameron Indoor Stadium in the 2024-25 season, he and the Cavaliers will play the Blue Devils at home, granting him an opportunity for revenge against his former team.
Jaylen Blakes: Stanford
As one of Duke basketball’s last remaining players from the Mike Krzyzewski era, junior guard Jaylen Blakes served as an occasional contributor to the Blue Devils in his three seasons with the program. While the Blair Academy product’s offensive limits were clear, his tenacious defense earned him several opportunities to shine last season, such as his three-steal performance against Vermont in the NCAA tournament. After graduating from Duke, Blakes opted to enter the transfer portal as a graduate student and announced his commitment to Stanford May 31. The Somerset, NJ., native will return to Durham in 2024-25 as a Cardinal, as Stanford will face off against the Blue Devils during the regular season.
Jaden Schutt: Virginia Tech
Sophomore guard Jaden Schutt’s Duke career proved brief and mostly disappointing. The Yorkville, Ill., native only played 14 games in the 2022-23 season. He shot 35% from outside the arc in that span, a disappointing mark considering his reputation out of high school as a knock-down shooter. Schutt redshirted the 2023-24 season before entering the transfer portal in the offseason and announcing his commitment to Virginia Tech May 11. Like Blakes, Schutt will return to Cameron Indoor Stadium during the 2024-25 season, this time as a Hokie under head coach Mike Young.
Christian Reeves: Clemson
As the first Blue Devil to enter the transfer portal this offseason, sophomore Christian Reeves’s decision to leave Duke came to the surprise of few. The center failed to make much of an impact during his time with the Blue Devils, only logging 58 minutes in 16 total games played. Reeves played just three games in the 2023-24 season before missing the rest of the campaign after undergoing surgery. With Duke’s incoming frontcourt talent, especially fellow centers Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba II, Reeves announced his decision to enter the portal April 3 before committing to Clemson May 9. Like Power, Blakes and Schutt, Reeves will play his old squad during the 2024-25 season at Littlejohn Coliseum. With three years of college eligibility remaining, the Charlotte, N.C., native will hope to carve out his role for the Tigers under head coach Brad Brownell.
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