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Duke basketball: Blue Devils must be wary being in grad transfer’s final list

By Kevin Connelly

Duke basketball (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
Duke basketball (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) /
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The Duke basketball program made the final list of schools for another graduate transfer, but Blue Devil fans should be wary of getting too excited given the events of last week.

The idea of Duke basketball getting a player who put up very nice statistics at the Division I level is always fascinating and exciting.

Every time a player puts the Blue Devils in his final list of schools, the expectation is he will commit to Mike Krzyzewski and his program, and that’s a testament to the dominance the Hall of Famer has built in Durham.

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However, such is not always the case, as seen on SportsCenter on Saturday night as Harvard graduate transfer Seth Towns appeared on ESPN to announce his decision between Duke and Ohio State, yet not holding an offer from the Blue Devils.

Duke showed interest in Towns but never formally offered despite the wing putting the Blue Devils in his final two.

Krzyzewski has also shown interest in Columbia graduate transfer Patrick Tape, and despite no reports of offering him a scholarship, the 6-foot-10 forward has included the Blue Devils in his final four schools, according to Jake Weingarten of Stock Risers.

Tape is also considering Southern California, Syracuse, and Ohio State.

ALSO READ: Seth Towns commits to Ohio State in strange decision

After not playing this past season, Tape averaged 11.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in his last season with Columbia. Being a graduate transfer was already known for Tape, so he took visits to schools during the season, which included trips to USC and Syracuse.

The grad transfer was in the Carrier Dome when Duke defeated the Orange, 97-88, on February 1 and cannot take any other visits during this time due to the NCAA’s rules regarding stopping the spread of COVID-19.

ALSO READ: An early look at the promising 2020-21 Blue Devils

Weingarten reported that Patrick Tape will be looking to make a decision in ‘2-3 weeks,’ but again there have been no reports of the Blue Devils offering Tape a scholarship.

Duke has also shown interest in Yale graduate transfer Jordan Bruner, who has not released a final list of schools or an announcement date.

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