Duke basketball: Transfer eliminates Blue Devils from race after Zoom call

Days after naming Duke basketball a finalist, a transfer has made two cuts.

Surely, this is old news by now for Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff. Nevertheless, they’ll need to seek a route outside of the battle for ex-Furman forward Noah Gurley if they intend on adding any transfers to the mix next season; as things stand, the 2021-22 Blue Devils are just a few pieces shy from looking like one of the nation’s top few title threats.

ALSO READ: Preparation for statement season has begun at Duke

Gurley is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound Georgia native who on Sunday became the only player in this year’s overflowing transfer portal to have listed Duke as a finalist. He also unveiled seven others in contention at the time: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Marquette, Miami, San Diego State, and Tennessee.

Two last-minute cuts, including the Duke basketball program

On Friday, Dushawn London of 247Sports quoted Noah Gurley as suggesting that he has since removed both Duke and Tennessee from his list after chatting with all eight of his announced finalists via Zoom calls throughout these past few days. After speaking at length about the other six, this is what he had to say regarding his two cuts as he gears up for his Sunday decision:

“I will not be considering [the Volunteers]. I will not be considering [the Blue Devils].”

Simply put.

Meanwhile, there’s been no report as to whether the Duke basketball coaches ever officially extended an offer to the two-time All-Southern selection.

Wherever Gurley winds up, the program will be receiving an experienced, versatile wing who averaged 15.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists for a 2020-21 Furman squad that finished No. 3 in its conference standings.

Despite three years under his belt at the college level, Gurley will have two years of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA’s blanket extra year to anyone who played this past season.

Assuming a new rule indeed passes its final vote this month, Noah Gurley and everyone else from that day forward will enjoy a one-time free pass to transfer and then begin competing for their next school on Day One.