Unexpected backcourt replacement now in play for Duke basketball after recent decommitment
Jon Scheyer may have a chance to reel in Acaden Lewis
The Duke basketball program will likely lose most, if not all, of its backcourt pieces from the 2024-25 season. Sion James is out of eligibility, Tyrese Proctor will likely head to the NBA Draft, and both Caleb Foster and Isaiah Evans have intriguing decisions to make regarding hitting the transfer portal or returning to Duke. Evans also has a chance to be drafted if he declares for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Nonetheless, Jon Scheyer needs new backcourt pieces next season. One of the Boozer twins, Cayden, is a four-star point guard committed to Duke along with his brother Cameron, so he will likely start if Scheyer can’t add another big-time guard via the portal. Darren Harris also announced his plans to return to Durham next season, so he has the potential to be a big part of the rotation.
But now, a new name has surfaced out of nowhere as a potential starting point guard for the Blue Devils next season: class of 2025 top-35 prospect Acaden Lewis.
Lewis was committed to Kentucky but recently decommitted from the program. Duke was in the running for the combo guard as Lewis ultimately picked the Wildcats over Duke and UConn.
It’s been reported that Duke, UConn, and North Carolina all feel they have a shot to land Lewis. The four-star guard also recently took a visit to St. John’s.
There’s hasn’t been much news on which way Lewis is leaning, but the fact that Lewis visited Durham before ultimately committing and the fact that he had Duke in his final three schools is a promising sign that Scheyer might be able to snag a top guard very late in the recruiting process.
Now, if Duke did end up sealing a commitment from Lewis and didn’t do any more backcourt work in the portal, that would mean the Blue Devils’ starting backcourt would be two freshmen in Lewis and Boozer, unless Foster or Evans returns to the program.
It can be expected Lewis will wait out to see which Blue Devils return to the program and which leave. If Proctor, Foster, and Evans all leave, that would give Lewis a great shot to be a starter. But if one or multiple elect to come back, that could make Duke less attractive for the 6’2 guard as his minutes wouldn’t be set in stone.
The Duke program is now in the running for the top two remaining uncommitted prospects in the class of 2025, as five-star Nate Ament has Duke in his final five schools with the Blue Devils seen as a “very slight” favorite, and now Lewis has been thrown into the mix.
