Duke basketball forward returning home after departure from Durham

Duke basketball standout Jaemyn Brakefield is returning home after one season in Durham. 

Former Blue Devil Jaemyn Brakefield is heading home after his one season with the Duke basketball program.

After entering the transfer portal in late March, Brakefield has now announced his commitment to Ole Miss, the favorites to land the 6-foot-8 forward upon his departure from the Blue Devils.

Jaemyn Brakefield showed flashes of potential in 22 games played under Mike Krzyzewski but had his minutes limited in the short postseason, cementing his decision to leave the program.

The Jackson, Mississippi native averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds on 40.8-percent shooting from the field and 31.4-percent from the three-point range.

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Jaemyn Brakefield was joined in the transfer portal by his teammates Jordan Goldwire, Patrick Tape, and Henry Coleman while Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward have left Durham for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Goldwire has committed to Oklahoma while Tape is off to San Francisco. Coleman has not made a decision as to where he will be headed next.

Duke is adding Marquette graduate transfer Theo John as well as freshmen Paolo Banchero, Adrian Griffin Jr., Trevor Keels, and Jaylen Blakes.

The Blue Devils are still in the hunt for five-star target Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Duke basketball forward looking to be final piece for new team

Jaemyn Brakefield is hoping to push Ole Miss back into the NCAA Tournament after the Rebels narrowly missed the Big Dance in 2021.

Head coach Kermit Davis’ squad was one of the First Four Out this season after finishing with a 16-12 (10-8 SEC) record.

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Brakefield is a former four-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 42 player 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.

Ole Miss was in the running for Jaemyn Brakefield prior to his commitment to Duke out of high school, and now the Rebels have landed their guy.