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Duke Basketball: 2022-23 season review after loss to Tennessee, offseason storylines

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 16, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; The Duke Blue Devils bench reacts during the second half against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; The Duke Blue Devils bench reacts during the second half against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dariq Whitehead #0 of the Duke Basketball (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Who is most likely to stay/go for Duke Basketball?

This may be the most complicated roster to judge for Duke in an offseason. That’s because there isn’t a clear-cut NBA Draft lottery pick at the moment. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be a few players that ultimately leave. Right now, the only two players that have no eligibility left are a pair of transfers in Jacob Grandison and Kale Catchings.

Everyone else could come back. Guard Jeremy Roach did become a 13 ppg scorer as a full-time starter but didn’t improve to the level of being a pro prospect. He can easily come back and retain his 30 mpg role as a starter and the team would love to have a rare senior veteran starter that’s been with the program for years to lead the way. Another veteran that could come back is Ryan Young, who was a solid post-scorer off the bench that played his role well.

As for the freshmen, the most likely to depart for the NBA Draft is Dariq Whitehead, who battled injuries but has consistently remained the top prospect on the team and a consensus first-round pick. He’ll likely go, and potentially Dereck Lively, who developed a long way into a quality rim protector and fits the modern NBA game. Could he grow more as a sophomore or at the NBA level?

And the most important decision for the Blue Devils is Kyle Filipowski, who led the team with 15.1 ppg and 9.0 rpg. He was easily the team’s best player and the 7’0 power forward showcased a lot of skills. But he’s a projected top-45 pick in mock drafts and not a for sure 1st-rounder. If he comes back and improves on his 28% three-point shooting and has a breakout campaign, that alone could make Duke an instant contender next year.

Two other players to watch are Mark Mitchell and Tyrese Proctor. Of the two, Proctor, who showed flashes down the stretch of being a quality lead guard, is more likely to go. But there’s a chance that both of them stay. There’s usually just one guy we have to wait to go through the NBA Draft process but this time around, we might not know the decisions of 4-5 guys.

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