Duke basketball gets answer about 3-point sharpshooter Isaiah Evans’ future
A major piece of Jon Scheyer’s plans for next season’s Duke Blue Devils roster is firmly in place.
Isaiah Evans announced on social media on Tuesday night that he will remain at Duke for his sophomore season.
The 6-6 Evans averaged 6.8 points per game while playing in 36 games, with three starts, as Duke went 35-4, winning the ACC regular season and tournament titles before reaching the Final Four. He made 41.6% of his 3-pointers, best among the Blue Devils’ regular rotation players.
As much as he continues to enjoy being that kind of scorer, as the guy who made six 3-pointers in the first half when Duke beat Auburn, 84-78, on Dec. 4, Evans said his work at the other end of the court was satisfying.
“Being with this group of guys,” Evans said earlier this month, “I’ve just stepped my defensive game up, tremendously, to a level I didn’t know I had.”
That all-around game will be important for Scheyer and the Blue Devils next season as they chase more championships. Evans, fellow sophomore guard Darren Harris and junior guard Caleb Foster have all said they are returning for next season’s team.
The other two returning players are interior players, 6-11 sophomore center Pat Ngongba and 6-9 junior forward Maliq Brown.
With freshmen Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer and Nik Khamenia also joining the team, Duke is pursuing further help in the transfer portal.
Cedric Coward, a 6-6 shooting guard who played at Washington State last season, is pursuing possible entry in the NBA Draft while also considering new schools in the transfer portal. He’s down to Alabama and Duke.
Coward played six games last season before a separated shoulder ended his season in November. He averaged 17.7 points per game. He can stay in the NBA Draft pool until June 15, gaining experience and getting feedback from league executives, and still return to school by withdrawing his name from the draft.
As for Evans, he said the up-and-down nature of his freshmen season taught him important lessons. He had big moments, like that night against Auburn and his two ACC Tournament starts when the Blue Devils won the title even while national player of the year Cooper Flagg was sidelined by a sprained ankle.
But he also saw others move ahead of him in Scheyer’s playing rotation. Evans did not play more than seven minutes in any of Duke’s last four NCAA Tournament games. When Duke lost 70-67 to Houston in the national semifinals on April 5, Evans played two minutes.
“My takeaway was just, you know, just to keep your head down, keep grinding,” Evans said in the postgame locker room at the Alamodome that night. “You know, make it fun.”
As for his future at Duke, he said based on his freshman season he knew better days are possible.
“There’s always a chance for success,” Evans said. “That’s what the summer is, for you to get better and then look for your next moment.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 7:38 PM.