Duke basketball wasn’t reliant on the transfer portal in Jon Scheyer’s first two seasons as head coach of the Blue Devils.

With strong recruiting classes, Scheyer led Duke to a pair of 27-win seasons that included an ACC Tournament championship and Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

After returning four of five starters in 2023-24, the offseason will look a bit different entering the 2024-25 season. Cooper Flagg and another loaded class of freshmen are on the way, but the Blue Devils will need to fill some gaps with some players from the portal.

Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain appear to be safe bets to enter the NBA Draft, and Mark Mitchell entered the transfer portal the day after college basketball’s national championship game.

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Here are the top three needs for the Blue Devils in the transfer portal.

How Duke basketball moves on from Mark Mitchell

Mark Mitchell was a two-year starter for the Blue Devils, who were 33-4 when Mitchell reached double figures. Mitchell’s toughness and versatility will be missed, but Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach are projected lottery picks. Flagg and Maluach will likely be Duke’s starters in the frontcourt as one of the best defensive duos in the nation. Still, with Mitchell, Filipowski (most likely) and Ryan Young no longer in the mix, Duke would be wise to add a veteran presence in the frontcourt.

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Tyrese Proctor, Jeremy Roach, guard questions for Blue Devils

It’s unclear whether captains Tyrese Proctor and Jeremy Roach will return to Duke or move on, but the Blue Devils will absolutely need some veteran guards in place for next season. Incoming freshman Darren Harris looks like the real deal as a knockdown shooter, but the Blue Devils’ need a veteran voice in the backcourt.

Proctor, Roach and McCain each averaged double-digit points and shot better than 35% from beyond the arc. Proctor and Roach were also Duke’s top two facilitators as the team leaders in assists. There are decisions to be made, but one thing’s clear: Duke has to have a veteran guard on the roster to surround its talented frontcourt.

The Cooper Flagg effect could produce a surprise

Viewed as a generational talent and the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg will arrive in Durham to fanfare that could rival what the Blue Devils experienced with Zion Williamson in 2019. Playing with a frontcourt talent like Flagg and having the chance to compete for a national title could be enticing for some big-time players in the portal.

With Flagg and Maluach patrolling the post, finding a knockdown 3-point shooter seems like the logical play for the Blue Devils. A lot of it hinges on decisions by Proctor and Roach, but if Duke can add an outsider known for drilling treys, watch out.

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: What Blue Devils need in transfer portal for 2024-25