Duke basketball eyeing huge target in transfer portal

The Duke basketball program is still looking to add an impact player from the transfer portal. 

There is still a major hole on the pending Duke basketball roster for the 2023-24 season and Jon Scheyer is looking to fill it.

Any rim protectors and/or shot blockers should send their applications to Cameron Indoor Stadium immediately.

Aziz Bandaogo has a resume that stands out — literally — to the Blue Devil coaching staff.

Listed at 7-foot, the Senegal native was named as the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Defensive Player of the Year last season after he averaged 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in his second season with Utah Valley.

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Those numbers skyrocketed from just 3.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per contest in his first season with the program.

The departure of Dereck Lively II for the NBA provides a gaping hole for the Blue Devils in the paint because of the rim protection he provided as well as his overall defensive prowess.

Duke will return 6-foot-9 Ryan Young this season after transferring in from Northwestern last offseason but the veteran lacks the athleticism needed to be a major enforcer on the defensive end.

Scheyer also will see seldom used center Christian Reeves come back for his sophomore season, although the 7-foot-1 prospect underwent ankle surgery following the season.

Duke basketball has competition for rim protector

Aziz Bandaogo told The Portal Report that he is also receiving interest Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Illinois, and California.

Kansas is likely out of the running after landing highly sought after Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson and Cal might stand out above the rest after Mark Madsen, the former head coach at Utah Valley was named as the leader of the Golden Bears this offseason.

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Duke was after Virginia transfer Kadin Shedrick earlier in the offseason and planned on hosting him for a visit but the 6-foot-10 center committed to Texas before taking a trip to Durham.

However, things become complied with Bandaogo because this will be the second transfer of his career, meaning that he would have to sit out for a season, unless granted a hardship wavier by the NCAA, under its new transfer rules.

There has been no further update if Duke plans to host Aziz Bandaogo on a visit or extend a formal offer.