Another Duke basketball 2023 mainstay makes decision on future. Where Blue Devils stand
Dereck Lively didn’t attempt a shot in the final game of Duke’s basketball season last month.
The fact that he rejected so many shots, and altered other players’ plans to possibly shoot, is why that game proved to be his final one in a Blue Devils uniform.
The 7-1 center, whose defensive prowess helped Duke win the ACC championship, declared for the NBA Draft on Tuesday with no plans to return for his sophomore season.
Lively made the ACC’s all-defensive team while averaging 2.4 blocked shots per game. He finished with a scoring average of just 5.2 points but averaged 5.4 rebounds per game.
Mitchell’s decision
A second starting player who helped Duke win this season’s ACC championship is staying in school for another year.
Mark Mitchell, the 6-8 forward who started all but one game during his freshman season for the Blue Devils, announced Thursday his plans to play with Duke as a sophomore.
Mitchell joins fellow freshman Tyrese Proctor in making the choice to stay to play college basketball as a sophomore.
Together, they helped Duke go 27-9 and win the ACC championship as freshmen. They’ve both spoken to the team’s larger plans for next season.
Top recruits
After winning the ACC championship in Jon Scheyer’s first year as head coach, Duke is set up for more success next season with Proctor and Mitchell returning. The Blue Devils’ five-man recruiting class, rated No. 2 in the nation by various recruiting services, includes 6-5 guard Caleb Foster, 6-2 guard Jared McCain and 6-8 forwards Sean Stewart, Mackenzie Mgbako and T.J. Power.
McCain won the 3-point shooting contest and Stewart the dunk contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game this week in Atlanta.
Duke is expected to have another veteran player on next year’s roster, as 6-10 graduate student center Ryan Young, a part-time starter this season, said he plans to use his final season of eligibility with the Blue Devils in 2023-24.
Duke freshman forward Dariq Whitehead declared for the NBA Draft on Wednesday. Both Whitehead and Lively are projected as first-round picks in this summer’s NBA Draft.
Left to decide
Two other Duke players are still mulling what their futures will be.
Kyle Filipowski, the 7-foot freshman center who led Duke in scoring (15.9 points) and rebounding (8.9), was named the Kyle Macy Award winner as the national freshman of the year on Thursday. But he’s yet to decide if he’ll play at Duke next season or enter the NBA Draft.
Junior guard Jeremy Roach, who averaged 13.6 points and 3.1 assists per game, is also still gathering information and deciding whether or not to turn professional.
Among Duke’s deeper reserves, 6-2 sophomore guard Jaylen Blakes, 6-5 freshman guard Jaden Schutt and 7-1 freshman center Christian Reeves all have eligibility for next season and beyond.
The Blue Devils staff is looking at adding another veteran big man through the transfer portal.
This story was originally published March 30, 2023 at 12:41 PM.