By: Caleb Zuver
October 14, 2024
College basketball is in a weird transition stage at the moment.
The sport seems to be coming out of the one-and-done era. Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals have made it more likely for players to come back to school instead of entering the draft early. Then there's the transfer portal, which gives players the opportunity to find a different home to maximize their potential.
The 2024-25 Duke Blue Devils are a cauldron of all of these modern college basketball ingredients. Cooper Flagg will most likely be on his way to the NBA Draft after this year. Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster came back to school instead of testing the waters in the pros. Transfers like Mason Gillis, Sion James and Maliq Brown could have huge years in their roles.
Part of Duke’s recruiting pitch is its ability to get players into the NBA. This year's team makes it clear that that pitch has wide appeal to players across varying backgrounds. But no matter how old you are, or where you started, Duke gives you a chance to hear your name called on draft night.
With that in mind, let’s look at the players on this roster that are the most highly-touted by NBA scouts before the season begins. This article will explore where those players are mocked, some of their strengths and weaknesses and how likely they are to leave after this season.
Cooper Flagg
Height: 6-9 | Weight: 205 | Position: SF/PF
If we’re talking about NBA potential, the conversation starts with Cooper Flagg.
The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 recruiting class looks poised to be the third Duke player in the last seven years to be selected as the first overall pick in the NBA Draft (with Zion Williamson [2019] and Paolo Banchero [2022] being the other two). Flagg will likely be the type of revolutionary talent that bring eyeballs to the sport and to the Blue Devils, much like Williamson did in 2018-19. There’s also a chance for Duke to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2022, when Banchero led the way.
Flagg is a three-level scorer that can shoot off the catch and on the move. Perhaps the best quality of his jump shot is that it seems almost impossible to block. At 6-feet-9 inches, he releases the ball high up above his head. His frame makes him a perfect stretch-four in the NBA, but he possesses other skills that translate to exceptional perimeter play.
Flagg’s length makes him an intriguing defensive prospect as much as anything else. He can be a rim-protector while also being able to guard on the perimeter. Scouts will be looking at his playmaking ability to improve over the course of this year. Pulling down rebounds and getting a fastbreak started might be an area where he can use his basketball IQ and skills to get better in that department.
Flagg is the most hyped-up NBA prospect to come to Duke since (maybe) Kyrie Irving in 2010. In all likelihood, a few NBA franchises will tank for Flagg this year. As good as he was, nobody tanked for Banchero. Williamson was the seventh ranked recruit in the 2018 class. It wasn’t until the season got started when Williamson began to shoot up draft boards because of his outstanding play. You might have to go to the dark web to find a mock draft that doesn't have Flagg as the impending number one pick in 2025.
Flagg’s performances against Team USA in the Olympic scrimmages this summer only further proved to NBA scouts that he is ready for the next level. It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion Flagg will only be in Durham for one year, so let’s enjoy it.
Kon Knueppel
Height: 6-7 | Weight: 217 | Position: SG/SF
Speaking of preseason hype, the buzz surrounding Kon Knueppel from summer workouts and the beginning of official practices has been fascinating, and perhaps a tad unexpected, to see.
On an episode of The Brotherhood Podcast this summer, fellow freshman Isaiah Evans said, “He doesn’t miss,” when asked about Knueppel. The Wisconsin-native was Duke's fourth highest ranked recruit in the 2024 class, but the recent hype-train surrounding the sharp shooter has moved him to being listed as a top-10 pick in some mock drafts.
Basketball’s main objective is to put the ball in the hoop, and Knueppel does that as well as anyone in the potential 2025 draft class. This is another member of the Blue Devils that will be able to use the entire floor to score. His best attribute is probably his perimeter shooting, but he can also attack mismatches from inside and out. A major concern with Knueppel is his athleticism, or lack thereof. How he finds a way to use his body, to get open off the ball on offense and play solid defense in the college game will likely determine where he ultimately stands in mock drafts at the season’s end.
Most mock drafts have him as a first round pick, but there’s great discrepancy about where exactly in the first round he will go. In the era of NIL, I think there’s a good chance he could stay at Duke for his sophomore season. But if he shoots 40 percent from three-point range and averages north of 13 points per game, I see NBA front offices salivating over those numbers and holding him in high regard.
Khaman Maluach
Height: 7-2 | Weight: 250 | Position: C
The cliche “defense wins championships” gets tossed around in a lot in sports. But in college basketball, you absolutely need defense to win big in March. Khaman Maluach provides just that.
In the NBA, teams are always in need of talented defenders, especially ones that can run the floor and finish like Maluach. That's what makes him a sought after prospect in the eyes of NBA scouts. Plus, Maluach came up through the NBA Academy in Africa, so he is definitely on the radar of NBA teams already.
The vitals on Maluach are what make him stand out. At 7-feet-2 inches tall, 250 pounds and a 7-foot-6 inch wingspan, his length makes him an elite rim protector, something that Duke was missing in 2023-24. In the NBA, rim protectors are usually the guys who win Defensive Player of the Year awards. And Maluach even got some experience playing against former DPOY winners like Rudy Gobert, and many of the world’s best players this summer as he played on South Sudan’s Olympic team at just 17 years old.
Showing enough offensive-skill set will determine his draft positioning because the defense is a given. He has a chance to win the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year if he has a standout year.
Maluach is mocked as a lottery pick in most drafts. The discussion around Maluach is reminiscent of the dialogue around Derrick Lively II as he decided whether to leave Duke or go to the draft. Lively was also a highly-ranked recruit that prided himself on defense but struggled to score. This past year, the world saw him impact winning on a team that made the NBA finals. Make no mistake, NBA teams want players like Maluach. It’s likely he leaves after this year.
Isaiah Evans
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 175 | Position: SG/SF
I’m excited to watch Isaiah Evans this year, more so than any other player.
The Huntersville, North Carolina, native stayed in his home-state and came to Duke as the No. 13 ranked recruit in the class of 2024 according to 247sports. Last year, so many videos like this one popped up in my algorithm, showing Evans' swagger and self-confidence. How he fits in with this Duke team is my favorite underrated storyline of this upcoming season.
The nickname "baby Brandon Ingram” has been tossed around as a comparison for Evans. Although Ingram was also from North Carolina, he is two inches taller than Evans. Does that make that much of a difference? Maybe. Their play-styles are similar so the comparison makes sense. Like Ingram, Evans can knock down contested shots and can be an adequate playmaker when needed. His height at the shooting guard and small forward position gives him a chance to create mismatches and see over defenders to create plays. How his shot selection and quick decision-making look at the college level will probably be the determining factor in where he is ranked on big boards come June.
Overall, Evans has as good of a case as anyone on this roster to be the second best player. The talent is undeniable. He is gifted. But with a lot of talent on the Duke roster at the guard and forward positions, I do wonder how much of a chance he gets to maximize his potential. At his highest, I think he is a starter on this team that is the second or third best player. At his lowest, his need for the ball to be in his hands combined with potentially coming off the bench could have him sticking around for another year. Most drafts have him somewhere in the second round, so there's a good chance he comes back for another year.
Tyrese Proctor
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 183 | Position: PG
There has to be a sour taste left in Tyrese Proctor’s mouth after how he played in the Elite 8 last season. He posted zero points and four assists in 30 minutes in Duke's loss to NC State.
Granted, just about everyone struggled in that game. But when Duke played their best in 2023-24, Proctor was also playing his best. There were a lot of instances last year where the Blue Devils went as he did. With other pieces on the roster, Proctor won’t have to worry about that as much this year.
Proctor has one of the best basketball IQ’s in the college game. When people throw out the term “basketball IQ”, most people think that only applies to offense: a player’s ability to pass, make reads on ball screens, see the defense's rotations before they happen, etc. All that is true, but IQ is about both ends of the floor. Proctor is an elite perimeter defender. His steal and block numbers aren’t extremely high, but time after time he will completely shut down the other team’s best player.
His offense is nothing to sneeze at either. Every year he’s become a better player off the ball and a better shooter. Continued improvements in those aspects of his game will be important for him this year.
When Proctor reclassified and committed to Duke in 2022, it seemed likely that he would be gone to the league by now. He hasn’t been underwhelming as a player, but it took time for him to adjust to the speed of college basketball in his freshman season.
As a veteran leader this year, his consistency could be an attribute this team can count on. He is a projected mid to late first round pick at the moment. The option of leaving after this season is there, but he could also choose live in Duke basketball lore if he decides to stay next year. Proctor's decision might prove to be one of the most difficult to project.
Caleb Foster
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 202 | Position: PG/SG
If Countdown to Craziness was any inkling into the type of year Foster could have, we could be in for a huge jump from the sophomore.
Foster posted 16 points and four assists, and more importantly, he looked extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands. Foster and Proctor will split time this season running the Duke offense, which gives us a chance to see Foster at his full potential.
Foster’s 6-foot-5 inch frame gives him a chance to play both on and off the ball in college and in the NBA. The three-point and mid-range shot is a weapon for Foster, but he is just as exceptional attacking in isolation and finishing at the rim.
Defensively, Foster’s fellow-backcourt member, Proctor, can’t guard the other team’s best perimeter for 40 minutes. There will be times Foster will have to step up and take on the responsibility of holding other players in check. Showing improvement on that end could be a needle-mover for draft scouts.
Foster is mocked to be a late first round and early second round pick. Personally, I believe he feels like at least a three-year player. If Proctor decides to enter the draft after this season, then I could definitely see Foster staying and taking on an even bigger responsibility next season.
Sion James
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 220 | Position: SG/SF
Sion James is the only player in this article who is pretty much 100% guaranteed to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, but that's not really by choice.
The graduate transfer from Tulane may be heading into the last season of a long college basketball career, but he's never been in a better position to hear his name called in June. After entering the NBA Draft following each of the past two seasons, James has received a lot of feedback. The most notable piece of advice was to improve his perimeter shot: and so he did.
Last season, James shot a respectable 38% from three, and he looks to mirror or improve upon that percentage this season at Duke. If he can shoot over 40% from deep, James just might be able to creep his way on to the draft board.
He already has a plethora of valuable intangibles that make him valuable at an NBA level. For starters, his muscular frame will make him a valuable competitor, and his verticality and quickness make him a great defender. A consistent shot truly is the missing piece for James. If he can put that together, he will find his way on an NBA roster.
At the moment, James is mocked in the late second round of mock drafts (if he appears at all). If he wants to hang onto that position, or improve it, he will have to find consistent minutes and become one of Duke's most reliable offensive weapons this year, something that he is capable of no doubt.
Caleb Zuver | @zuves35 on X / Twitter
Edited by Ben McCormick
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