Duke basketball brought in one of the best recruiting classes of all time for this season, including four 5-star prospects and another two 4-star prospects.
The two Blue Devil 4-star freshmen, Patrick Ngongba II and Darren Harris, haven't seen many minutes this season. Ngnongba has struggled with injuries, but there just isn't much room for either of the two in the rotation with the 5-stars and transfers that came into Durham last offseason.
However three of the 5-stars: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach, are all projected lottery picks by most networks in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft and it can be expected all three will be on their way out at the end of their freshmen campaigns.
But Duke could potentially get Isaiah Evans back for another year.
Evans came into Duke as the #13 ranked player in the country by 247sports, but didn't see many minutes early on in the season, sparking confusion to Duke fans and experts around college basketball.
The 6' 6" 175-pound guard came into Durham as one of the best shooters in his class, and once he got on the court, he proved just how capable of a shooter he is.
After not playing in Duke's first two big time matchups against Kansas or Kentucky, both of which the Blue Devils lost, Evans came in during Duke's home game against Auburn and put on a show.
Evans caught fire immediately, hitting 6 threes on 6 attempts for 18 points in the first half alone to thrust Duke to a massive win over the Tigers.
Since then, he's been one of the best shooters in the ACC, if not, the entire country.
He's played double-digit minutes in every game since, combining to shoot 19-of-34 (55.8%) from beyond the arc since his showing against Auburn.
Evans hasn't technically taken enough shots to qualify for having the highest three-point percentage in the ACC, but is currently 6th in three point makes per game (2.4).
For reference, Evans is 26-of-52 (50%) from three point range this season. The current ACC three point percentage leader is Virginia's Isaac McKneely who is 41-of-92 (44.6%) from distance this season.
But with such elite shooting ability, Evans is either a late second round guy or not on draft boards in most mock drafts right now.
With his long wingspan and frame, he has the potential to be a perennial 3-and-D prospect in the NBA. Right now, his defense just has to catch up with his offense.
Evans has struggled guarding the perimeter at times in pick-and-roll situations and keeping bigger guards in front of him during drives at just 175 pounds.
So, Evans returning to Duke for another year could make a lot of sense.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has succeeded in developing prospects during his short tenure at Duke, and we're seeing it in another current Blue Devil right now, as Tyrese Proctor is finally having his breakout campaign as a junior.
But for Evans, coming back to Durham in a system he's already familiar with could aid in boosting his draft stock mightily.
His catch-and-shoot ability is as good as anyone in college basketball and he's proven to be a consistent threat from three-point range.
If his defensive capabilities from the perimeter can continue to improve, he has a chance to skyrocket up draft boards come 2026 and be an elite 3-and-D prospect, something valued highly in today's NBA.
Also, if Evans comes back in 2026, his role will likely increase quite a bit.
Right now, he's on the floor to shoot and that's really it. If he catches the ball, it's going up. Only 7 of his shots on the season have come from inside three point range and he's averaging just 0.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists on the season.
With the opportunity to improve his defense, Evans will also be able to show different aspects of his game in a heightened role with the Blue Devils.
In Evans' senior year of high school at North Mecklenburg (NC), he averaged 6.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.3 steals during his senior season.
His numbers outside of his shooting don't have to blow NBA scouts away, but if he shows he's a capable passer and defender beyond being an elite shooter, this could boost his draft stock mightily.
There's still a long way to go in Evans' freshman season with Duke, but a return for a second season could be on the table for the former 5-star prospect.