College basketball’s transfer portal closed Wednesday, meaning players no longer have the option to leave their current school and play immediately elsewhere.

Following its loss to N.C. State in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and before the May 1 deadline, Duke basketball had seven players — Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, Sean Stewart, TJ Power, Jaylen Blakes, Christian Reeves and Jaden Schutt — enter the transfer portal.

Two starters, Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski, made decisions to enter the 2024 NBA Draft.

As of Wednesday, Syracuse transfer Maliq Brown and Purdue transfer Mason Gillis have been added via the portal. Other players could join the Blue Devils as spring gives way to summer.

Entering his third season as head coach, Jon Scheyer currently has three scholarships remaining to fill out the roster. Returning guards Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster will be joined by a six-player recruiting class headlined by Cooper Flagg.

Duke is among the favorites to win the 2025 national championship. Following the closure of the transfer portal, here are five observations about the current state of Duke basketball’s 2024-25 roster and what could be next for the Blue Devils.

Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster are Duke’s returning veterans

With Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski gone, guards Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster will be Duke’s veteran returners. Proctor enters his junior season as the Blue Devils’ primary facilitator and a 35.2% three-point shooter. Foster started to gain traction as a scorer, defender and facilitator before a foot injury cut his season short. If both players can stay healthy, Duke can withstand the loss of a veteran like Roach in the backcourt.

Cooper Flagg is Blue Devils’ latest star freshman

The projected top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg continues to live up to the hype as one of the best recruits in several years. After a successful final season at Montverde Academy, Flagg stood out in All-Star showcases at the McDonald’s All-American, Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic games. His energy matches his talent, which is a dangerous combo for the rest of the nation.

Duke’s defense could be elite with Flagg, Khaman Maluach

Joining Flagg in the frontcourt will be 7-foot-2 center Khaman Maluach, a fellow five-star recruit and projected lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Duke’s lack of rim protection hindered its championship chances last season, but the Blue Devils won’t have that problem in 2024-25. Flagg and Maluach could be the best defensive duo in the country.

Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans, Kon Knueppel provide scoring punch

It’s easy to focus on Flagg and Maluach because of their immense talent and NBA potential, but three more freshmen are capable of making waves as scorers for the Blue Devils. Darren Harris is a sharpshooter from Virginia, Isaiah Evans is a bucket-getting wing from Huntersville and Kon Knueppel left Wisconsin as one of the state’s all-time leading scorers. Duke won’t lack perimeter options next season.

Maliq Brown and Mason Gillis joined the Blue Devils, but what’s next from the transfer portal?

The departures of younger players in the program opened the door for Scheyer to bring in some veteran players. With Brown, Duke gets a versatile All-ACC defender and efficient scorer. With Gillis, the Blue Devils get a reliable 3-point shooter and the reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year. Both project to be great complementary pieces next season.

As for what else could be in the cards for Duke, Miami transfer Wooga Poplar and Seton Hall transfer Kadary Richmond are among the guards the Blue Devils are reportedly targeting in the portal. Both would provide another veteran option on the perimeter for Duke.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball roster 2024-25 update after transfer portal closed