If the blueprint for winning in the new, NIL era of college basketball wasn’t already apparent, it is now.
Following Michigan’s National Championship win on Monday night, there’s no hiding that, in order to win, effectively using the transfer portal is a must.
The top four scorers on the Wolverines were all transfers. Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg was the top-ranked player in the portal last season, according to 247Sports, and Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau, a player Duke fans are familiar with, transferred from North Carolina.
Last year’s Florida team that won the National Championship was similar, with its top three scores all being transfers.
Despite the obvious correlation with portal success and NCAA Tournament success, Duke hasn’t had to rely on transfers in the Jon Scheyer era so far. In each of his four seasons at the helm, Duke’s top three scorers have all been homegrown talents. Only one transfer, Sion James, has been in the top five.
While the tactful approach to the portal by adding plug-and-play players has been successful so far, Scheyer has to change his approach.
Jon Scheyer has to change his approach to win it all at Duke
In all likelihood, Duke won’t have a National Player of the Year freshman, a luxury it has enjoyed the past two seasons with Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer.
Simply put, Duke has to go find a big fish. And according to a recent tweet from On3’s and Rivals' Joe Tipton, the Blue Devils are looking to do just that.
While Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba still have to decide whether or not they will be entering the NBA Draft, the likelihood is that both will.
Going into next season with a Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster and Deron Rippey Jr. backcourt probably isn’t enough. The Blue Devils should be in the market for a go-to perimeter scorer to pair with a replacement for Ngongba.
Some top options at the guard position include John Blackwell from Wisconsin, Juke Harris from Wake Forest, Rob Wright from BYU, and PJ Haggerty from Kansas State.
The top talent for big men is much more scarce, with top names including Flory Bidunga from Kansas and Somto Cyril from Georgia.
Whoever the Blue Devils decide to add, though, needs to be an immediate game-changer.