Duke basketball transfer was looking for reasons not to join Blue Devils

Playing for the Duke basketball program has been a dream for Mason Gillis and it finally came true this offseason after he decided to enter the transfer portal following four years at Purdue.

However, despite the interest the Blue Devils had in the 6-foot-6 forward, he needed some of the people closest to him in life to make sure he was making the right basketball decision and not only following his heart.

During an appearance on The Brotherhood Podcast, Gillis said that he asked people why he shouldn't go to Duke and select another school.

"I always had to tell everybody, I'm biased towards Duke," Gillis explained. "It's been my dream to come to Duke. I need you to tell me maybe why I shouldn't go to Duke."

Those people couldn't come up with any legitimate reasons and he committed to Jon Scheyer without taking a visit to Durham.

"Honestly, it was an easy decision."

Mason Gillis said that Caleb Foster, Tyrese Proctor, and Cooper Flagg reached out to him during the recruiting process.

"You were definitely somebody we had to get," Foster interjected on the podcast.

Gillis was named as the Big Ten's Sixth Man of the Year last season after averaging 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 47.9-percent shooting from the field and 46.8-percent from 3-point range.

"I felt wanted," Gillis said. "It's been my dream. No brainer."

He joins a transfer class that is also comprised of Syracuse's Maliq Brown, Tulane's Sion James, and Rice's Cameron Sheffield, ranked as the No. 22 transfer portal recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports.

He should fill a veteran leadership role on the Blue Devils next season, giving the team a shooting boost off the bench. He did explain that he is working to improve his defense and ball handing this offseason in summer workouts.