2023 Duke Basketball Preview from ACC Tipoff

Source: Lance King / Getty

2023 Record: 27-9  (14-6) 3rd in the ACC, Lost in Round of 32 to Tennessee

Key Losses: F Dereck Lively (5.2 pts, 5.4 reb), Dariq Whitehead (8.3 pts, 2.4 reb)

Key Returners: F Kyle Filipowski (15.1 pts, 9.0 reb), G Jeremy Roach (13.6 pts, 3.1 ast), G Tyrese Proctor (9.4 pts, 3.3 ast), F Mark Mitchell (9.1 pts, 4.5 reb), C Ryan Young (6.4 pts, 5.5 reb)

Key Transfer Additions: None

Key High School Additions: G Jared McCain, F T.J. Power, F Sean Stewart, G Caleb Foster

Outlook: For the first time, it feels like the Blue Devils have found the right balance of incoming freshmen and returning contributors from a year ago. Kyle Filipowski, the ACC Rookie of the Year from a year ago, will be the first leading scorer from the previous to return to Duke since 2007 and will be aided by the return of three other starters in Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell. With those veterans returning, it allows the freshmen on this roster to mostly settle into depth role, making this one of the deepest teams in the ACC this season. With all of this talented depth in place, second-year head coach Jon Scheyer should have a good shot to make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament and maybe even make it to Phoenix.

Quotes from Wes & Walker:

Jon Scheyer- “For Flip to come back, thought there was a chance knowing him, also he could have left if he wanted to. Same with Tyrese. It happened pretty quickly after the season. Tyrese said he was coming back, Flip shortly after him said he was coming back, Mark same thing. All of sudden you’re like, oh wow, could have easily seen our team this year without any of the three and then all three comeback and Jeremy, we thought the same thing with him. To get all four of them back is kind of like hitting a grand slam and it gives us an amazing core group for this season.

Tyrese Proctor- “We have Phoenix and Arizona on the board every day before we practice. We visually see so everybody’s sort of locked in in that aspect and I think everyone is just locked in on that one vision and getting to Phoenix in April. I think our mindset has completely changed and we’re wired to win this year.”