Duke basketball: Jaemyn Brakefield to transfer in unsurprising move

Duke basketball freshman forward Jaemyn Brakefield has entered the transfer portal. 

The offseason is officially under way in Durham, North Carolina as Duke basketball freshman forward Jaemyn Brakefield has announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.

Brakefield’s decision should not come as a surprise as the former four-star recruit did not see the floor nearly as much as he would have liked in his first season with the Blue Devils, even with the midseason departure of fellow freshman forward Jalen Johnson.

In games in which Johnson did not play, Brakefield did see an increase in minutes and production but only saw a combined eight minutes in the ACC Tournament blowout victories against Boston College and Louisville.

The Jackson, Mississippi native played in 22 games this season, starting two, and averaged 12.5 minutes, 3.5 points, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 40.8-percent from the floor and 31.4-percent from three-point range.

Why departure of Jaemyn Brakefield from Duke basketball is not surprising

It also would have been tough for Jaemyn Brakefield to see a consistent amount of minutes as a sophomore as the Blue Devils are bringing in five-star forwards Paolo Banchero and Adrian Griffin Jr. while likely retaining Wendell Moore, Mark Williams, and Henry Coleman.

Sophomore star Matthew Hurt is expected to leave Durham for the NBA this offseason, but that decision is not yet official. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils are also still in the recruiting race for Patrick Baldwin Jr., although the favorite for his services is the University of Milwaukee, where his father is the head coach.

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Playing at Huntington Prep (WV), Brakefield was ranked as the No. 42 overall recruit in the Class of 2020, No. 6 power forward, and No. 1 player in the state of West Virginia, according to the 247 Sports Composite Rankings.

Listed at 6-foot-8, 216 pounds, many recruiting experts saw the Kentucky Wildcats as the runners-up to the Blue Devils in landing Jaemyn Brakefield, and he will have a number of suitors in the transfer portal.