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Duke Basketball: 10 biggest storylines heading into 2020-21 season

By Tristan Freeman

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 21: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils talks to his teammates in the huddle against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 21, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 21: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils talks to his teammates in the huddle against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at Cameron Indoor Stadium on January 21, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 31: Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 31: Seth Curry #30 of the Duke Blue Devils (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

5. Could Duke be looking at more transfers in the future?

Besides the Tape double commitment saga, Duke was also involved with a pair of other transfers this offseason in Seth Towns from Harvard and Andrew Nembhard from Florida. Ultimately, the two picked Ohio State and Gonzaga respectively, with there being reports disputing whether or not the program even made offers to those players.

But expect Duke to be involved with more transfers going forward. It’s just natural, with there being nearly 1,000 annual transfers, the coaching staff would be foolish not to venture in the portal themselves. They got bitten by the portal this offseason, with Alex O’Connell going to the Creighton Bluejays. Considering that the NCAA likely will grant one-time waivers for all players to transfer freely next offseason, there could be plenty of quality talent in the portal nine months from now.

Even so, it’ll still be difficult to land quality transfers for the Blue Devils. The team has a successful habit of landing five-star prospects early in the fall and winter recruiting periods, making it tough for transfers to voluntarily compete with and risk sitting on the bench in favor of a freshman star. The fact that Duke had to settle for a reserve big man in Tape shows that they can’t join the transfer bonanza in the same way that Nebraska, Arkansas, or others can.

The best strategy for the Blue Devils may be to follow what Kentucky did. They landed three transfers this offseason, all of a different situation. The Wildcats landed a veteran reserve in Davion Mintz, a long-term project in Jacob Toppin and a clear-cut starter in Olivier Sarr from Wake Forest. It’s rare though that Duke has a clear-cut starting spot available in the Spring but to avoid being extremely young, it’s worth looking for an interested veteran willing to come off the bench for 10-15 mpg to add the necessary experience. That could be a subtle difference between winning and losing certain regular-season battles.

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