Jeremy Roach will test the waters but leave open the possibility of returning
Junior Point Guard Jeremy Roach has announced he will put his name in to consideration for the NBA Draft, but will leave open the possibility of returning to college. The versatile guard that has played both backcourt positions during his time at Duke, only gets two opportunities to go through the pre-draft testing process, and is taking advantage of that chance this offseason.
After returning to Duke this past offseason for his junior year, Roach was the key linchpin in the succession from Mike Krzyzewski to Jon Scheyer, providing consistency and leadership during a transition that saw eleven new players fill out the Blue Devils’ roster during Scheyer’s first year. Roach, who made a Final Four in his sophomore year, was rewarded with an ACC Championship in his third year at Duke, a rare junior in the one-and-done era. His return to the college level likely set the tone for his freshman teammates this past season, Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell to come back for a sophomore season in 2023-24. Whether Roach plays a senior season at Duke will depend on how NBA teams perceive him during private workouts and potentially an invitation to the NBA Draft Combine.
Roach is 20 points shy of 1,000 points in his Duke career and matched his career-high 23 points in consecutive games in the ACC Championship Game and the First Round of the NCAA Tournament before finishing his junior year with 13 points in the Second Round loss to Tennessee.
Important dates to keep an eye on moving forward for Roach include the NBA Draft Combine on May 15-21, 2023 and then the deadline to announce a decision to return to college on May 31, 2023.