Baylor Basketball: Bears land Duke transfer Jeremy Roach

Much of the recent news in college basketball has been action in the Transfer Portal and it’s shown no sign of slowing down. In one of the major moves of the offseason, former Duke star Jeremy Roach announced his commitment to Baylor on Sunday to conclude his collegiate career.

An impactful presence for the Blue Devils in recent years, Roach is a 6’1 point guard originally from Leesburg, Virginia who was a Top 20 prospect when Mike Krzyzewski and his staff brought him to Durham four years ago. Roach spent the last four seasons paying notable minutes for the Blue Devils, with significant strides in his upperclassman years.

These last two seasons saw Roach not just becoming a double-digit scorer, but also becoming an important veteran presence for new head coach Jon Scheyer. As a senior, Roach just averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game, making 43% of his 3-pointers and 84% of his free throws, putting up by far the best figures of his career.

Roach’s outstanding senior season included numerous notable moments. He scored in double figures in a majority of Duke’s games, including several 20-point games, including a 21-point effort against NC State in early March. Roach then played a big role in Duke advancing to the Elite Eight, scoring at least 13 points in all four of their Tournament games.

Perhaps a byproduct of the current atmosphere with NIL, Roach is one of seven Blue Devils who opted to enter the Transfer Portal. The Blue Devils leaned heavily on him to lead a young lineup and were rewarded with that deep postseason run. However, Roach opted to test the market and has found a new home for his fifth and final collegiate campaign.

Roach heads west to Waco, joining the talented roster that Scott Drew is assembling with Baylor. He becomes the first major addition through the Transfer Portal though certainly won’t be the last. The Bears have used transfers well in recent years and already look like one of the favorites in the Big 12 next season with Roach’s addition.

If Roach was a veteran presence at Duke, then the fifth-year point guard will be just as important a leader and performer for the Bears. It’ll be interesting to see how he fits into Drew’s system, though the bottom line is that the Bears have landed one of the best point guards from the Transfer Portal, with Drew completely rebuilding his backcourt once again.