The majority, if not all, of Duke’s backcourt players from the 2024–25 campaign will probably be lost. Tyrese Proctor will probably enter the NBA Draft, Sion James is no longer eligible, and Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans must make interesting choices about whether to use the transfer portal or stay at Duke. If Evans enters the 2025 NBA Draft, he might possibly be selected.
However, Jon Scheyer will require new backcourt players for the upcoming campaign. If Scheyer is unable to get another elite guard through the portal, Cayden, one of the Boozer twins, who is a four-star point guard who is committed to Duke with his brother Cameron, is probably going to start. Darren Harris has the ability to play a significant role in the rotation because he also declared his intention to return to Durham for the upcoming campaign.
However, class of 2025 top-35 talent Acaden Lewis has suddenly emerged as a possible starting point guard for the Blue Devils in the upcoming campaign.
Lewis had previously committed to Kentucky, but he just backed out. In the end, Lewis chose the Wildcats over Duke and UConn, although Duke was a contender for the combo guard position.
According to reports, North Carolina, Duke, and UConn all believe they have a chance to sign Lewis. Recently, the four-star guard visited St. John’s as well.
Although there hasn’t been much information out regarding Lewis’s inclination, the fact that he visited Durham prior to committing and that Duke was one of his last three schools suggests that Scheyer may be able to acquire a top guard relatively late in the recruiting process.
Now, until Foster or Evans rejoins the team, the Blue Devils’ starting backcourt would consist of two freshmen in Lewis and Boozer if Duke were to secure a commitment from Lewis and did not complete any additional backcourt work in the portal.
Lewis will undoubtedly wait to see which Blue Devils rejoin the program and which drop out. Lewis would have a strong chance of starting if Proctor, Foster, and Evans all depart. However, Duke might lose appeal to the 6’2 guard if one or more decide to return because his playing time would not be guaranteed.
Five-star Nate Ament has Duke in his final five schools, with the Blue Devils viewed as a “very slight” favorite. With Lewis now included in the mix, the Duke program is now in the running for the top two uncommitted players in the class of 2025.
