Duke basketball: Top transfer has Blue Devils among finalists

The Duke basketball program somehow landed on an elite transfer’s list.

On Tuesday night, Morehead State transfer forward Johni Broome revealed eight schools he’s still considering as his next destination. And whether intentionally or not — there are no reports of a Duke basketball offer in his hands — the Blue Devils survived the cut.

Auburn, Florida, Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky, Louisville, and Memphis are his other seven finalists. Worth noting, he scheduled an official visit to Auburn for this weekend, per On3 insider Joe Tipton.

Broome is a 6-foot-10, 235-pound double-double machine and former three-star recruit out of Tampa who now has three years of eligibility remaining.

As the 2021-22 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year, it’s safe to say Broome has no problem attracting suitors. The sophomore averaged 16.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game on a squad that finished No. 3 in the conference standings and came up only five points shy of beating Murray State in the OVC title bout and reaching the NCAA Tournament.

Did Duke basketball sneak its way into the mix?

Sure, the Blue Devils should seek out more depth in the low post. After all, the general assumption is that 7-foot sophomore center Mark Williams will soon turn pro and become a first-round pick at this summer’s NBA Draft. The same goes for the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, power forward Paolo Banchero.

Furthermore, the 2021-22 Duke team’s two primary backups down low, Bates Jones and Theo John, were fifth-year graduate student-athletes and have exhausted their eligibility.

Maybe the explanation behind the Blue Devils landing among Johni Broome’s finalists is that head coach Jon Scheyer and his cohorts have just been operating relatively incognito in the transfer portal. Or perhaps the 19-year-old bruiser is attempting to draw more attention to his loaded courtship from others by including on his list arguably the most popular blueblood.

However, it’s also conceivable that he name-dropped Duke in hopes of piquing Scheyer’s interest late in the race. Broome, who can play right away, might see value in 1) building NIL stock in Durham and 2) further improving his game by battling for minutes against two incoming five-star big men in Dereck Lively II and Kyle Filipowski.

So there it is: Duke, for whatever reason, is a finalist for Johni Broome.

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