Tag: Mason Gillis

UPDATE: Dayton sharpshooter Koby Brea no longer visiting Duke

Dayton’s Koby Brea no longer plans to visit Duke next week.

After seeing more than nine players leave the program for the portal or professional opportunities since Duke’s season ended, head coach Jon Scheyer has been deliberate in the transfer portal.

However, it seems like Dayton shooter Koby Brea won’t be a part of those plans.

After a Friday report from national insider Jon Rothstein that Brea would visit the Blue Devils from Tuesday to Thursday of next week, The News & Observer’s Stephen Wiseman confirmed Brea would not take a trip to Durham.

Brea averaged 11.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this past season while shooting an NCAA-best 49.8 percent beyond the arc for a Flyers group that posted a 25-8 record and reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 before ultimately falling to Arizona.

Duke does still have two transfers so far this offseason. Maliq Brown is officially a Blue Devil, and he adds defensive prowess and energy and is an elite finisher at the rim. Purdue transfer Mason Gillis, who also officially joined the program on Friday, is a sharpshooter who can guard multiple positions along the perimeter. He was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year and brings leadership, toughness, and range to hit big shots.

Purdue transfer Mason Gillis officially signs with the Blue Devils

Former Purdue Boilermaker and Duke transfer Mason Gillis made his commitment official on Friday after the team announced his signing.

Former Purdue guard Mason Gillis made his Duke transfer commitment official on Friday morning, the team announced.

Gillis, a 6-foot-6 graduate transfer, won Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year en route to the national title game with the Boilermakers. He averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and he connected on 46.8% of his 3-point attempts.

The former Boilermaker played 132 games over the last four years, starting 63 times in that span, and he’s averaged at least five points per game in every season.

Over the course of the NCAA Tournament, Gillis averaged 3.3 points per game. He scored a season-high 16 points against Nebraska when he made five triples. The flamethrowing shooter took more than 75% of his shots from beyond the arc as a senior in 2023-24.

Gillis became the second transfer commitment on Wednesday, aligning with head coach Jon Scheyer just two days after former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown.

Gillis and Brown join returning starters Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor in Durham next season as the team’s veteran leadership. The team also awaits Cooper Flagg and five other elite freshmen in the 2024 recruiting class.

New Duke guard Mason Gillis almost exclusively shoots 3-pointers

Across the last two seasons, Duke transfer Mason Gillis took 320 shots for the Purdue Boilermakers. 228 of those were 3-pointers.

New Duke guard Mason Gillis knows what he’s best at, and he isn’t afraid to revolve his game around it.

Gillis, a former Purdue Boilermaker who committed to the Blue Devils on Monday, spent four seasons in West Lafayette. Across his junior and senior campaigns, the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter took 320 total shots.

228 of those attempts came from behind the 3-point line. That’s a whopping 71.3% of Gillis’s attempts over the past two years.

Gillis isn’t just a volume shooter, either. He made a personal-best 46.8% of his triples last season, and he’s a career 40.7% 3-point shooter.

The tendency shows up in his shot chart, too. The Athletic’s Brendan Marks posted a picture of Gillis’s heat map, pointing out that he was KenPom’s No. 4 shooter among high-major teams.

Gillis’s volume and efficiency will be welcomed on a team losing Jared McCain, the presumed first-round pick who converted on 41.4% of his 3-point shots as a freshman.

Latest trend proves this skill is most coveted in college basketball transfer portal

The pursuit of Mason Gillis and Koby Brea in the transfer portal proves college basketball’s three point revolution is in full swing.

For the majority of college basketball’s history, a four-year role player in the Big Ten who never averaged more than seven points per game wouldn’t be praised as a big time addition for the Duke Blue Devils.

Likewise, a guard who didn’t start in the A-10 wouldn’t get the opportunity to choose between the following five schools for his final year of eligibility: Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, and UConn.

However, both Mason Gillis and Koby Brea possess a skill so valuable in today’s game that it feels like we are looking at college basketball’s ‘Moneyball’ moment:

“They hit three point shots”.

Gillis is a 6’6 forward who drilled 40.7% of his three point attempts over four years at Purdue, including knocking them down at a 46.8% clip last season, and he will come in and provide much needed floor spacing, veteran experience, and toughness for this Duke team as they prepare to build around Tyrese Proctor and freshman Cooper Flagg in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, Brea averaged 11.1 points on blistering hot 49.8% shooting from beyond the arc last year at Dayton, attempting over six threes per game. He is now choosing between five of the sports bluest blue bloods, and regardless of where he ends up he will be a key piece for one of the most recognizable teams in college basketball – all because of his ability to hit the three ball.

The NBA has embraced the three point revolution and many college programs are catching on, and as long as this trend continues players who can consistently stretch the floor and hit open threes will remain hot commodities in the transfer portal and NIL era.

Familiar face to Wisconsin basketball announces transfer to Duke

Familiar face to Wisconsin basketball announces transfer to Duke

The NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal has been full of twists and turns this offseason. The latest: former Purdue forward Mason Gillis is heading to Duke. After five years with the Boilermakers, the longtime Purdue starter is heading to Durham.

Gillis was a redshirt his freshman season before being an active part of the team’s rotation in West Lafayette for four campaigns, most recently averaging 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds over 39 contests during the 2023-2024 season.

Related: An updated list of Wisconsin basketball’s transfer portal targets

He joins a Duke program that lost in the NCAA Tournament regional final in 2023-24. Head coach Jon Scheyer will be entering his third season in 2024-25, still looking to make his first Final Four run.

Purdue, on the other hand, is reloading its roster after a national championship loss to UConn. Gillis isn’t leaving a bad team for a better one, but rather capitalizing on his final year of free agency.

In the modern age of college basketball, it’s hard to imagine that many players will begin and end their collegiate careers with the same program and Gillis is a great example of just that.

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Duke lands Purdue transfer Mason Gillis

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have landed their second transfer addition after former Purdue forward Mason Gillis announced his commitment to Duke.

Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have landed their second transfer addition of the offseason.

Former Purdue forward Mason Gillis announced his commitment to Duke on Monday afternoon, per Joe Tipton of On3 Sports.

Gillis played four seasons at Purdue after redshirting in 2019-20. He was named the Big 10 6th Man of the Year for his play this past season when he averaged 6.5 points and shot 46.8% from beyond the arc.

In his 39 games across the 2023-24 season, he also averaged 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, and he shot 47.9% from the floor for the campaign.

The pairing seemed like a long time coming after fans noticed Gillis followed the Blue Devils on Instagram last week. Multiple 247Sports experts gave Crystal Ball predictions that the former Boilermaker would pick Duke.

Gillis brings a veteran guard presence to a Duke squad, having played 132 career games across his collegiate career at Purdue. As of Monday afternoon, Tyrese Proctor is the only other upperclassman in Duke’s backcourt.

Gillis is rated as a four-star transfer, according to 247Sports’ Transfer Portal rankings.

He joins former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown as the second commitment to the Blue Devils this cycle. Head coach Jon Scheyer still has three open scholarship spots as he tries to replace Duke’s 10 departures.

Duke on the shortlist for BYU transfer Dallin Hall, per report

According to a Friday report from 247Sports analyst Travis Branham, Duke is firmly in contention for former BYU guard Dallin Hall.

Head coach Jon Scheyer got Crystal Ball predictions for former Purdue guard Mason Gillis and former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown on Friday, but the Blue Devils don’t appear to be done yet.

According to 247Sports national basketball analyst Travis Branham, Duke is on the shortlist for BYU transfer Dallin Hall.

Hall averaged 9.0 points and 5.1 assists for the Cougars last year, and he tacked on 3.5 rebounds per game despite being just 6-foot-4. The sophomore is a career 36% 3-point shooter, and he shot 42.2% from the floor last season.

Branham says Duke is in contention for Hall alongside Virginia, Creighton, Clemson, Cincinnati, Florida, Washington, Utah, and Utah State. Hall’s former coach, Mark Pope, took over Kentucky to replace John Calipari, but the Wildcats don’t appear to be in consideration.

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Hall would help replenish a Duke backcourt losing Jeremy Roach to the transfer portal and Jared McCain to the NBA. Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor, the latter of whom led the team in assists last year, both return for the 2024-25 season.

Former Purdue guard Mason Gillis gets a pair of Crystal Ball predictions for the Blue Devils

Purdue sharpshooter Mason Gillis, who connected on 46.8% of his 3-point attempts last season, could be on the way to help shore up Duke’s backcourt.

Two 247Sports experts shared Crystal Ball predictions on Friday afternoon that former Purdue guard Mason Gillis would eventually commit to Duke.

National basketball analyst Travis Branham and The Devils Den’s John Watson shared their predictions within a half-hour of each other on Friday. Blue Devils fans started to get excited about the potential commitment on Tuesday when someone discovered that Gillis and Duke followed each other on Instagram.

Gillis is 17th on EvanMiya’s transfer portal rankings. He averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Boilermakers last season, but his biggest point of emphasis comes from his 46.8% 3-point shooting.

The former Purdue guard would shore up a backcourt that lost starters Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain since the end of the season, as well as depth pieces like Jaylen Blakes and Jaden Schutt.

The Gillis predictions came minutes after Branham and two other 247Sports analysts predicted that former Syracuse forward Maliq Brown would also choose the Blue Devils.

Duke and Purdue transfer Mason Gillis following each other on social media

With four Duke players already in transfer portal, a few scholarship spots are open in Durham. Former Boilermaker Mason Gillis could be a name to watch.

As of Tuesday morning, the Duke men’s basketball Instagram account and former Purdue guard Mason Gillis began following each other.

The former Boilermaker announced his intention to enter the transfer portal through a social media post on Monday, declaring for the NBA draft but retaining his college eligibility.

No official news has come out about official visits to Durham or meetings with Duke, but quick searches indicate Gillis isn’t following any other teams (other than Purdue).

Gillis, a 23-year-old senior, averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. The 6-foot-6 guard helped make up one of the best shooting backcourts in the nation, and he averaged a career-high 46.8% from 3-point range. He has a career field-goal percentage of 47.5%, he’s an 82% free-throw shooter, and he’s averaged at least one assist in all four seasons of his career.

With Jared McCain headed to the NBA draft and Jeremy Roach’s 2024-25 fate still unannounced, Gillis could slot into a Blue Devils backcourt currently expected to feature Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor.

Penn State’s Big Ten Tourney run ends in championship game

Furious rally comes up short for Penn State vs. Purdue in Big Ten championship game

Penn State had one of the most exciting March runs in recent program history. Coming into the tournament, they were firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

They put themselves into the tournament with wins over Illinios and Northwestern on their way to their semifinal appearance. But they weren’t satisfied by just playing in the game. They beat Indiana to play in their second ever conference championship game and cement themselves in NCAA Tournament.

That run ended on Sunday after falling to Purdue 65-67.

Penn State made a flurry at the end of the game to come within one possession and a shot to win the game. They failed to get a shot off as [autotag]Camren Wynter[/autotag] was called for a travel before the shot attempt.

It was going to be a tall task to beat the Boilermakers who had beat them twice during the regular season. The best team in the Big Ten all season, Purdue is also expected to be a one seed when the bracket is released.

Penn State hit their first two buckets of the game to lead 4-0, but missed their next six shots. This got them into an early hole and they trailed by their largest margin of the entire tournament.

The Nittany Lions were fighting an uphill battle the entire first half as they tried to stay in the game. They were able to keep the margin close and went into halftime down 27-35.

The uphill battled continued all second half as Purdue kept pounding them in the paint and on the offensive glass. The Boilermakers pulled down 13 offensive rebounds and kept possessions alive they ultimately capitalized on.

With six and a half minutes to go, it looked like Purdue was going to run away with the game. They were up 17 points and had Penn State out of sorts.

But Penn State would not go away. They started chipping away at the lead with basket after a basket from their seniors.

After a dunk from freshman [autotag]Evan Mahaffey[/autotag] with just under three minutes remaining, Penn State trailed 58-64.

[autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag] cut the lead to four points after two made free throws, but Big Ten Player of the Year, [autotag]Zach Edey[/autotag], made a layup through a triple team to put the lead back up to six.

After [autotag]Andrew Funk[/autotag] missed a three, Purdue was fouled and on free throw line looking to put the game away for good.

Freshman guard [autotag]Fletcher Loyer[/autotag] missed both free throws and Penn State senior guard [autotag]Myles Dread[/autotag] hit a three to cut the lead to three points.

The ending got crazy after Purdue turned the ball over in the backcourt on the steal from Mahaffey. Wynter hit a layup to unbelievably cut the lead to one point with seven seconds remaining.

Loyer was on the line again for Purdue. He made the first one but missed the second giving Penn State an opportunity to win or tie the game.

They advanced the ball into the front court and called a timeout to set up the potential game-winning shot.

When Pickett inbounded the ball, it was tipped and created a scramble play to get up a shot.

Dread came up with the ball and found Wynter who has hit clutch shots for Penn State all season. He pump-faked once and then shuffled his feet when trying to get a clean look.

Travel. Game over.

[autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] led the Nittany Lions with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Wynter added 14 points and Pickett finished with 11.

Probable NCAA Player of the Year, Edey, finished with a game-high 30 points and 13 rebounds. [autotag]David Jenkins Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Mason Gillis[/autotag] joined him in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively.

It was definitely a tough loss to stomach for Penn State and all its seniors. The magical postseason tournament run ended in heart breaking fashion.

But what a run it was!

Head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] did an excellent job getting all the players to buy in and believe they could make this run. After coming into the tournament with questions about their March Madness hopes, they left no doubt they are a tournament team.

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