Baylor, Scott Drew steal Jeremy Roach from Duke in transfer portal
22/04/2024 02:31
Former Duke guard Jeremy Roach has committed to the Baylor basketball program via the transfer portal, according to Grant Grubbs on3.com.
Jeremy Roach played four seasons with the Duke Basketball program and was voted the team’s captain for the last two seasons under head coach Jon Scheyer. In Roach’s first two seasons, he averaged 8.7 and 8.6 points and made the final four in the 2021-2022 season, according to Sports Reference.
Roach had a bigger role in the following two seasons as Jon Scheyer took over for Mike Krzyzewski. He averaged 13.6 points in 2022-2023 and 14 points this past season, helping the Blue Devils get to the Elite Eight, where they lost to NC State.
Going into next year, Roach could have used an extra year of eligibility to play one more season at Duke due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he decided to transfer out. Duke is losing many players this offseason, and Roach could have been an experienced player to help out a loaded freshman class that is headlined by the No. 1 player in Cooper Flagg. Instead, he decided to transfer and use that year of eligibility. He landed at an established program in Baylor, where he should have a chance to go deep in March.
Jeremy Roach’s outlook with Baylor
For Scott Drew and the Baylor basketball program, Roach brings a lot of experience for a team that should be very competitive again in the 2024-2025 season. It is a change of scenery for Roach, but he is still going to a winning program in Baylor, one that won the national championship in 2021.
Scott Drew is a proven coach who should be able to get the most out of Roach. Roach was a big name in the transfer portal, and he was obviously a priority for Drew. There were a lot of rumors connecting Roach to Baylor as of late, so the outcome is not a surprise, but now the move is official.
This acquisition is just more good news in recent weeks for Baylor, as Drew turned down the job opening at Kentucky and decided to remain at Baylor. After turning down Kentucky, Drew is likely going to stay at Baylor until the end of his career, barring something unforeseen. He is comfortable where he is, has the resources and has won a national championship there as well.
It will be interesting to see how Roach is used in Drew’s system. Last season, Roach showed tremendous growth as a three-point shooter, shooting 42.9% from behind the arc, according to Sports Reference. That is up from 34.3% the year before.
If Roach is able to replicate or even get close to that level of three point shooting, he will be a weapon for Baylor in Drew’s system.
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