Duke basketball transfer portal target Ernest Udeh Jr. has committed to TCU.
The short recruitment of Duke basketball transfer portal target Ernest Udeh Jr. was a rollercoaster ride.
It appeared like Udeh Jr. and the Blue Devils were a match made in heaven as head coach Jon Scheyer continues to look for a veteran front court player who can alter shots at the rim and anchor the Duke defense.
The 6-foot-11 McDonald’s All-American visited Durham but after a commitment did not immediately follow his trip to Cameron Indoor Stadium many started to speculate what could have happened between the two sides.
Duke even picked up three Crystal Ball predictions to land Ernest Udeh Jr. from 247Sports.
Various reports have surfaced that the academic credits that Udeh Jr. accumulated at Kansas would not transfer to Duke and grant him admission to the school.
Imma need to grow some horns 🐸 #committed #tcu pic.twitter.com/XZpNI4fALq
— Ernest Udeh Jr. (@ernestudehjr) May 31, 2023
Kansas State was also reportedly in the mix for Udeh Jr. before he ended up committing to TCU last week.
Udeh Jr. played in 30 games last season for the Jayhawks but only averaged 8.3 minutes, 2.6 points, and 1.8 rebounds per contest.
Duke basketball running out of options at center
The Blue Devils are projected to be one of the best teams in college basketball next season but the program is running out of options to replace Dereck Lively at center.
Duke has yet to connect on a player they have been linked to in the transfer portal although Ryan Young and Christian Reeves will be returning to school for another season.
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Young, a transfer from Northwestern, earned valuable minutes in his first season with the Blue Devils while averaging 6.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while Christian Reeves, a 7-foot-1 center, only played in 13 games and averaged 3.5 minutes per contest.
Kyle Filipowski also returns to Duke for his sophomore season, although he appears much more comfortable playing the power forward position rather than center.