Duke Basketball: Sean Obi set to transfer from Blue Devils
By Stuart Gill
Sean Obi, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Nigeria, came to Duke basketball after leading Rice in scoring during the 2013-2014 season.
Sean Obi is officially transferring from the Duke Blue Devils. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Nigeria came to Durham after leading the Rice Owls in scoring during the 2013-2014 season. He sat out due to eligibility requirements the year the Blue Devils won it all in 2015 (with Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow) and then proceeded to log just 27 minutes throughout this season, averaging half of a point.
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With talented big man Wendell Carter Jr. arriving on campus next fall, and the high-ranked duo of Harry Giles and Marques Bolden quite possibly sticking with the program for another year, Obi is likely concerned that he will spend another season watching from the sidelines. He is the second player to announce his plans to transfer from Duke this season, following former Bishop Gorman HS star Chase Jeter. Freshman Jayson Tatum has declared for the draft and hired an agent, meaning Duke will lose at least three players for next season.
Jeter and Obi have become the latest installments in a string of transfers coming out of Durham in recent years. It seems reasonable that a program with the capability to recruit the most talented high school players in the country would experience some turnover, but one has to wonder how much this is hurting the program. It is important to find new players, but Duke has elected to do so at the cost of any form of continuity.
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Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson, and Grayson Allen were the only members of this season’s Duke team that also played on the team that won a National Championship just two years ago. And of course, Allen is the only one of those three that may call himself a Blue Devil next season. It will be important to keep an eye on Duke’s front court during the offseason, in case they suffer any key injuries that leave them wishing they had been able to hang on to some of their roles players.