The Duke basketball season has been over for seven days and while the abrupt end is still raw, there is no longer time for the coaching staff to sulk and not begin its preparation for next season.
There has no movement with the Blue Devil roster since its loss to Houston, but things will begin to churn this week with the likely departures of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach to the NBA Draft.
Then, the process begins of who stays and who enters the transfer portal.
Darren Harris has already announced his intention is to remain with the program and there is a major belief that Maliq Brown and Patrick Ngongba II will be returning as well. Should that come to fruition, it’s a good start for Jon Scheyer with another top ranked recruiting class entering Durham.
However, there is still a lot of things to accomplish if the Blue Devils want to return to the Final Four and the process must start somewhere. So, this is what Scheyer and his coaching staff should prioritize early in this offseason
1. Land commitment from Nate Ament
Nate Ament is the top remaining uncommitted high school basketball player in the country, ranked No. 4 by 247Sports. He was planning to reveal his commitment during the McDonald’s All-American Game but postponed the announcement and has not set a new date.
Duke has emerged as the leader in the recruitment with Louisville taking a back seat although some have indicated that Tennessee is trying to make a late push.
The Blue Devils already have the No. 1 high school recruiting class in the country with Cameron and Cayden Boozer, Shelton Henderson, and Nikolas Khamenia and the addition of Ament would only add to its firepower next season.
2. Retain Isaiah Evans
There is only one basketball on the court and Duke ran into some of that trouble this season when highly thought of recruits did not get a lot of playing time like 5-star forward Isaiah Evans.
However, when Evans was on the court, he quickly proved that he is a volume scorer from 3-point range and can electrify the team very quickly. The feeling is that he has the most question marks surrounding his future whether that is returning to Duke, entering the NBA Draft, or opting for the transfer portal.
At this time, it feels like returning or the portal could be the two most likely scenarios.
Roster retention is one of the biggest keys to success in this era of college basketball and it would greatly benefit Duke if they can keep Isaiah Evans in Durham for at least one more season.
3. Find Sion James Replacement
Duke did not hit any home runs in the transfer portal last offseason with its acquisitions but the players that landed in Durham were perfect fits for its roster and played major roles in the success of the team.
No one better exemplified that than Sion James, who set the tone for Duke on a consistent basis and will be very difficult to replace.
James brought a toughness to the Blue Devils that few players have and the experience of playing four years at another school was a perfect balance in the starting lineup to compliment the young talent of Flagg and Knueppel.
Duke has not been in serious communication with any transfer portal targets yet so it remains to be seen who could fill the void, but it’s something that Jon Scheyer must get done.
4. Get Solution to Backcourt
Building off the replacement to Sion James, Duke also has to figure out the dynamic of Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster.
Will either return? Will both return? What’s the backup plan?
Many are expecting Proctor to make the jump to the NBA despite only being projected as a second-round pick. In theory, he could make more in NIL than his rookie contract would be, but his draft stock might not get any higher than it currently is and it’s the best time for him to capitalize on it.
Foster seemed destined to depart Duke after he fell completely out of the rotation midway through the season but worked his way back into the lineup during the postseason. It makes the conversation about his return much more interesting and could provide the veteran presence that is needed.
Cayden Boozer is a point guard but it’s very difficult to win consistently with a rookie point guard in college basketball, regardless of how talented he might be.
It’s a small list of challenges but an important one for Jon Scheyer to figure out in the early stages of the offseason.