Tag: jeremy roach

Former Duke basketball player makes game-winning shot for his new team

A former Duke basketball player buried a go-ahead bucket for his new college in the closing seconds of a Saturday night game.

The Duke men’s basketball team didn’t play basketball on Saturday night, but a former Blue Devil summoned some heroics for his new program.

Jaylen Blakes, who transferred to Stanford this offseason after three years in Durham, made a go-ahead jumper for the Cardinal with 2.0 seconds left against Santa Clara.

Blakes kept control of the ball the entire way down the court, switching hands as he weaved through traffic before stopping abruptly at the elbow of the paint. He got the shot off before his defender could react, and the attempt never even touched the rim as it found its target.

The bucket provided the winning margin in a 71-69 victory, maintaining Stanford’s perfect 6-0 record to start the season. Blakes finished the game with eight points, his lowest output of the year thus far, but he did dish out 10 assists. He’s averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game with his new team.

Blakes’ winning shot comes just days after [autotag]Jeremy Roach[/autotag], another former Blue Devil who hit the portal after 2023-24, made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give Baylor a surprise victory over St. John’s.

Former Duke basketball star Jeremy Roach makes game-winning buzzer-beater for Baylor

Former Duke basketball captain Jeremy Roach hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for his new school on Thursday night.

[autotag]Jeremy Roach[/autotag] might not play at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season, but the fifth-year guard won over his new fanbase for good on Thursday night.

Roach transferred to Baylor this offseason, and he made a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to take down St. John’s in his fifth game with the Bears.

Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor stood at the free-throw line with a 98-96 lead and 4.1 seconds left in the second overtime period. Instead of essentially clinching the game, however, his attempt rattled off the front iron. Norchad Omier, another ACC transfer from Miami, came down with the rebound and passed it ahead to Roach, who pulled from the top of the key with less than a second on the clock.

This won’t surprise any Cameron Crazies who watched Roach make 42.9% of his triples last season, but the shot found its mark for the stunning victory.

Roach finished Thursday’s game with a season-high 20 points, including three triples on five attempts, along with three rebounds and four assists. He’s averaging 13.6 points and making 42.3% of his 3-point looks through five games with his new school.

Roach averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game with the Blue Devils in 2023-24, adding up to an All-ACC Third Team selection. His 1,469 points in a Duke uniform rank 32nd in school history.

ESPN shares feature on Duke basketball fan who attended UNC game for Make-A-Wish Foundation

ESPN released a feature on Tuesday showing Duke basketball fan Bradee Vance meeting the team and attending a rivalry game against UNC.

Countless people across the United States consider themselves die-hard Duke basketball fans, but few can measure up to West Virginia teenager Bradee Vance. Earlier this year, Vance experienced a one-of-a-kind Blue Devils journey to commemorate that fandom.

ESPN released a feature on Tuesday about Vance, a high schooler who was diagnosed with Alport syndrome at age 13. The disease, which attacks blood vessels in the kidney, required a transplant back in 2022. His aunt provided one of her kidneys for the replacement.

After the successful operation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation took Vance and his family to see the Blue Devils play North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium earlier this spring. Vance and his family got to walk onto the court and sit in the team meeting rooms the night before the rivalry game, and head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] embraced Vance and talked with him.

During a meeting with the team, senior captain Jeremy Roach presented Vance with a custom-made Blue Devils jersey bearing his last name.

He and his family also spent some time with five-time national champion [autotag]Mike Krzyzewski[/autotag] during the day of the game.

Duke fans can watch the full feature down below, an incredibly well-made tribute to his family and their journey.

All-ACC guard Jeremy Roach withdraws from NBA draft, will transfer to Baylor

Former Duke guard Jeremy Roach has reportedly withdrawn from the 2024 NBA draft and will transfer to Baylor.

Former Duke guard Jeremy Roach has reportedly withdrawn from the 2024 NBA draft and will transfer to Baylor, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Roach declared for the draft and entered the transfer portal last month. He announced on April 21 that he would transfer to play for head coach Scott Drew next season over Arkansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Villanova, among others.

The 22-year-old tallied 1,469 points in 114 career games over four years at Duke, becoming one of 68 players in program history to reach that mark. He helped lead the Blue Devils to three appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including the Final Four in 2022.

Roach was named to the All-ACC second team this past season, averaging a career-high 14 points, 3.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range. He ranked sixth in the conference in 3-point percentage.

The 6-foot-2 guard joins a talented incoming class of 2024 for the Bears, headlined by No. 5 prospect VJ Edgecombe. The program also adds No. 25 prospect Robert Wright III and No. 47 prospect Jason Asemota for next season.

Baylor finished third in the Big 12 and earned its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2024. The team beat Colgate in the first round and lost to No. 6 Clemson in the round of 32.

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New Big 12 team emerges as the favorite for Jeremy Roach, per report

Jeremy Roach, a four-year starter for the Blue Devils, entered the transfer portal with one year of eligibility left, and he may be headed to the Big 12.

Duke senior captain Jeremy Roach declared for the NBA draft earlier this week, but he also entered the transfer portal and maintained his college eligibility. With one year left thanks to the COVID-19 extension, is the four-year Blue Devil headed to the Big 12?

According to The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, a longtime college basketball reporter, the Baylor Bears might be the team to watch for Roach’s next home.

Roach averaged a career-high 14.0 points per game last season after shooting 42.9% from 3-point range, another personal best. He also set new career records for assists (3.3), steals (1.1), and free-throw percentage (84.4%).

The four-year starter helped Duke defeat the Bears in December, a 78-70 win at Madison Square Garden a few days before Christmas. Roach scored 18 points after he made five of his nine attempts and seven of his eight free throws.

Baylor, a top-10 team when the Blue Devils took them down in December, finished with a 22-9 record in the regular season. As a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Bears defeated Colgate in the opening round before losing to Elite Eight-bound Clemson.

Kentucky basketball has contacted Duke Blue Devils transfer Jeremy Roach

Kentucky coach Mark Pope has contacted Duke transfer Jeremy Roach.

New Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope has wasted no time in working to build a roster for the upcoming season. He has added one transfer already, and has reached out to several more. One of them is former Duke Blue Devil Jeremy Roach.

Roach was a very important player for the Blue Devils last season, and was a team captain. He averaged 14 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds per game while shooting over 40% from three-point range.

The former Duke point guard is also entering his name into the NBA Draft, so that option is also open. That means there likely won’t be a quick decision on his future.

Kentucky has lost nearly every player from last year’s roster, and Pope will need to completely rebuild it. There are a lot of talented options in the transfer portal that he will be contacting in the coming days and weeks.

Roach will be highly sought after, so Kentucky will have to work hard to secure his commitment. It would be a huge get if they can land him, though.

College Sports Wire lays out five potential landing spots for Duke transfer Jeremy Roach

The four-year Duke starter entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, meaning he could go anywhere for his final season. According to College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton, however, there are a few favorites.

Longtime Duke starter Jeremy Roach, a member of the Final Four run in 2022 and the Elite Eight run this past season, declared for the NBA draft on Tuesday.

However, he also retained eligibility and entered the transfer portal, and the consensus seems to be that he’ll exercise his last year of college basketball with another school. But where?

College Sports Wire’s Andy Patton released an article on Wednesday detailing the five most likely landing spots for the four-year Blue Devil.

Patton first cited an Adam Zagoria report that said St. John’s, Arkansas, and Kentucky were the top options for Roach. The College Sports Wire writer had St. John’s first on his list because of the departures of Nahiem Alleyne and Glenn Taylor Jr., saying head coach Rick Pitino could make waves with Roach’s commitment.

After the Razorbacks and Wildcats, listed second and third in order, Patton had Dan Hurley and the Connecticut Huskies as a fourth potential suitor. The two-time defending national champions will lose Tristen Newton, Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, and more this offseason.

“Roach is the perfect veteran for Hurley to bring into the mix, with his combination of floor spacing and lead guard facilitation a great first addition for the Huskies to build around,” Patton wrote.

Rather than a fifth college team, however, Patton said that the NBA could be a likely suitor for Roach. The College Sports Wire writer believes a good pre-draft process could make the pros a possibility.

“While his age and size may limit his prospects, if he performs well during workouts, he could get a promise from a team as a second-round pick or priority free agent signing,” Patton concluded.

Three schools in the lead for Jeremy Roach’s next home, per report

Jeremy Roach, who announced he would entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, is likely to end up in one of three places according to one report.

Four-year Duke veteran Jeremy Roach announced on Tuesday night that he’d declare for the NBA draft while retaining college eligibility, entering the transfer portal.

The move effectively ensured Roach won’t play in Durham next season, meaning Blue Devils fans will say goodbye to the last remaining player who started for Mike Krzyzewski. But where will the guard go next?

According to a Tuesday night report from basketball reporter Adam Zagoria, the three early favorites for Roach’s next destination are St. John’s, Kentucky, and Arkansas.

St. John’s is now coached by Rick Pitino, who led both Kentucky and Louisville in previous decades. The Red Storm finished with a 20-13 record last season, ranking 21st in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric (the highest of any team left out of the NCAA Tournament).

On the other hand, both Kentucky and Arkansas are going through coaching changes. Longtime Wildcats head coach John Calipari left for the Razorbacks at the conclusion of the season, and Kentucky brought in former BYU coach Mark Pope to replace him.

The Athletic weighs the odds of Jeremy Roach, TJ Power, and Sean Stewart entering the transfer portal

The Athletic’s Brendan Marks released a 2024-25 Duke roster breakdown on Tuesday, and he predicted at least two more Blue Devils will leave for a new school.

The Athletic’s Brendan Marks released a lengthy breakdown of Duke’s 2024-25 season on Tuesday morning, and he shared some predictions for whether some familiar faces would return to Durham next season.

Marks believes four-year starter Jeremy Roach will finish his collegiate career somewhere else. The Athletic writer also expects either TJ Power or Sean Stewart, two freshmen with consistent bench minutes this season to leave the program for a new home.

Roach, the last player who started for legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski still with the program, has an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 extension. He started in the Final Four two years ago and in the Elite Eight this season, but with Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor already confirmed to return, Marks thinks the veteran tests the market.

“(He) would be a hot commodity in the transfer portal,” Marks wrote. “His earning potential, depending on his next school, should be greater in college next season than somewhere overseas or in the G League.”

Marks emphasized that the Blue Devils have room for both Power and Stewart on a scholarship basis, especially if Roach doesn’t return, but said he expects at least one to depart.

“(Stewart) brings great athleticism and rebounding, and would be a valuable piece on most teams, but his fit next to Flagg and Maluach isn’t ideal,” Marks wrote. “Power would be the player I would prioritize between those two.”

None of the three have officially voiced their decision for next season, though with the end-of-season banquet in the rearview mirror, confirmations should be expected soon if they come.

ESPN lists Duke as the No. 1 team in their Way-Too-Early Top 25

Duke the top team in the country in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.

Less than 48 hours after Dan Hurley’s Connecticut Huskies completed one of the rare college basketball feats of repeating as national champions, the page has already turned to 2024-25 for the rest of the college basketball world.

ESPN made sure to get its Way-Too-Early Top 25 up late on Monday night, and the number one team in those rankings resides in Durham, NC.

Duke bowed out of the NCAA Tournament this season in the Elite Eight to an NC State team that spent the last 12 games playing incredibly inspired basketball. Duke led in the first half, but State overwhelmed Duke with incredible shotmaking and suffocating defense in the second half to send the Blue Devils home.

Duke is now in the process of reflecting and retooling for next year. There’s a renewed energy around the program as Scheyer will welcome the nation’s top recruiting class, highlighted by one of the most heralded number one high school basketball players since LeBron James, forward Cooper Flagg.

ESPN staff writer Jeff Borzello, who put the rankings together, said this about his decision to put the Blue Devils at the top spot.

“Duke entered this past season as a national title contender, but never quite seemed to put it all together for an extended stretch and ultimately fell in the Elite Eight. Jon Scheyer will have two of the best NBA prospects in the country next season, in No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg and projected top-five NBA draft pick Khaman Maluach, but the Blue Devils could have point guard issues if Jeremy Roach decides not to take advantage of his fifth option year.”

Borzello also published a projected starting five that featured Flagg, Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster, Mark Mitchell, and Maluach. The issue is that Mitchell announced his intent to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon, so he will not be on the 2024-25 version of the Duke Blue Devils. Duke will likely opt to find a shooter to help space the floor with Flagg and also give those minutes vacated by Mitchell to rising sophomore Sean Stewart should he opt to return.

Tyrese Proctor has not announced whether he plans to enter the portal, opt for professional opportunities, or return to Duke. If we assume Proctor returns, he’s likely a captain and must leap like Wendell Moore. There’s a lot of talent there, but it needs to become consistent. A decision from Jeremy Roach also remains up in the air, and having a fifth-year senior could be massive.

All that aside, Duke plans to utilize the transfer portal, too, so Duke’s roster construction for next year is far from done, with more names expected on their way out, i.e., Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain, expected to be drafted in the first round.