Duke basketball most recent commitment is more than 'just about adding talent'

Everything has become official with the commitment of Sion James to the Duke basketball program.

The team announced the signing on Monday morning after the Tulane guard declared his intentions to play for the Blue Devils on Friday.

The Sugar Hill, Georgia native is coming off of a career-best season in which he averaged 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 38.1-percent shooting from 3-point range, but it's more than the numbers that making Jon Scheyer the most happy about his most recent commit.

"He's a proven leader with a high IQ and great feel for the game," Scheyer said in a statement.

"Bringing Sion [James] to Duke is not just about adding talent, it's about adding to a culture of competitiveness and winning attitude that he has."

The 6-foot-6 guard became the first place in the history of the American Atlantic Conference (AAC) to win the Sportsmanship Award twice (2023, 2024) as well as being a two-time chairman of the AAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

"Sion will have a tremendous impact on and off the court, and I am anxious to get started with him and the rest of our team," Scheyer continued.

However, his value on the court will also be critical to the success of Duke, who also added Syracuse center Maliq Brown and Purdue forward Mason Gillis from the transfer portal this offseason.

"[Sion James'] versatility as a defender is a big strength, and his ability to make others better on offense will elevate our team."

Adding tough, physical defenders who have experience throughout college basketball, and are able to confidently shoot the 3-point ball, have been the biggest priority for the coaching staff.

The Blue Devils still have two scholarships available to use this offseason but it seems unlikely that anymore key rotational pieces will be joining the roster.