Duke basketball: Initial backup plan for Trevor Keels backfires

The initial backup plan to Trevor Keels has backfired for the Duke basketball team. 

The wait for a decision from Trevor Keels on the NBA Draft continues for the Duke basketball program continues but its initial backup plan is no longer an option.

Potential transfer target AJ Green announced that he will be remaining in the NBA Draft process despite not being listed on most mock drafts.

Stadium’s Jeff Goodman was first to report the news.

Green had narrowed his potential destinations to Duke and Iowa State if he were to remove his name from the draft and took a visit to Durham throughout the process.

However, many believed that Iowa State was the favorite to land Northern Iowa product if he transferred due to his father, Kyle Green, being on the coaching staff with the Cyclones.

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Green would have filled a need on the Blue Devil roster with his high volume impact from beyond the 3-point arc.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 17.9 points per game in his four seasons at Northern Iowa and shot 37.8-percent from downtown in his career while being named as the Player of the Year of the Missouri Valley Conference twice and the Rookie of the Year in the conference as a freshman.

Duke basketball moving to second backup plan

Trevor Keels still has not made a decision on his future but the later the process drags on it feels like keeping his name in the 2022 NBA Draft is inevitable.

Jeff Goodman also reported on Wednesday night that Duke is involved with Texas transfer Courtney Ramey should Keels not return for his sophomore campaign.

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Ramey seemingly would be the ‘Plan B’ for Jon Scheyer and his coaching staff with AJ Green hoping to find a path to the NBA.

Scheyer has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country coming to Durham for his first season as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils.