Run it back

Jeremy Roach's return loads up Duke's roster for 2023-24. Plus, Syracuse adds a big man, more hoops on Feast Week, and discontent in the ACC.

Author

Mike Miller
May 16, 2023

Salivating for NBA Draft content? Spend an hour or two on The Field of 68’s YouTube channel. We’ve started to roll out prospect profiles, a series of videos that aren’t just Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman discussing players. These are interviews with coaches and players who’ve seen these potential lottery picks up close. You’ll thank us later.

Let's get to Monday’s news.

1. Roach returns, loads up Duke’s roster

Get ready for the Duke hype. The Devils all but locked up a consensus spot as the No. 1 team entering the 2023-24 season with Jeremy Roach’s decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft combine on Monday and return to school.

The 6-2 junior was the Blue Devils’ second-leading scorer last season, averaging 13.6 points a game.

But it was an uneven campaign, mixed with nagging injuries and an offensive game that seemed to stall from his breakout sophomore season. The emergence of freshman Tyrese Proctor eased some of the lead guard responsibilities off Roach, which seemed to help him as the season progressed. He’ll likely play that role again in 2023-24 (though whether that helps his NBA prospects is another story.)

Roach’s return marks not only the second player to withdraw from the 2023 draft (joining Kyle Filipowski), but it also provides an experienced, versatile senior to pair with four incoming freshmen. It’s also the first time since 1985-86 that Duke will return its top four scorers from the previous season. (That season ended with a loss in the national title game.)

It’s a fairly loaded roster, especially at the guard spot. I’m sure coach Jon Scheyer doesn’t mind, though. Depth in the transfer portal era — especially now that the portal is closed — is never a bad thing.

2. Wake Forest loses another early entrant

Whatever Steve Forbes is doing, the NBA likes it.

Last year, Alondes Williams and Jake LaRavia played their way from solid college players to NBA Draft picks. This year, Bobi Klintman did the same.

Kinda.

The 6-10 freshman played 33 games (started five) and averaged just 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds. But! He did shoot 36.8 percent from deep (on 76 attempts) and flashed enough promise late in the year — most notably with 17 points and eight boards in an ACC tourney win over Syracuse — that it made sense to test the NBA Draft waters.

His skill set and size earned him an invite to the NBA Draft combine, where he’ll no longer participate. He also told Wake Forest he isn’t coming back to school.

OK, fine. It’s not like he developed that much under Forbes. His size and upside have just as much to do with his NBA prospects. But it sure doesn’t hurt Forbes’ rep with potential transfers and recruits ….

3. Syracuse adds a BIG piece

If new Syracuse coach Adrian Autry wants to stick with the Orange’s traditional 2-3 zone defense, he’s certainly got the option after Naheem McLeod’s decision on Monday.

The 7-4 McLeod only played 13 minutes a game as a sophomore last season for Florida State, though his block rate (10.3) would place him among D-I’s best shot blockers. The former 3-star prospect is still quite raw and struggles to guard ball screens.

But as a big man in the middle whose role is to simply protect the rim? Perhaps he can grow into that.

Other notable commitments

Zuby Ejiofor (Kansas) to St. John’s: It didn’t take long for the bouncy forward to find a new home and one that’s well-suited to his athleticism and size. He didn’t see a lot of minutes in 25 games as a freshman with the Jayhawks, but he’ll fight for time behind Joel Soriano. (He’s the 11th newcomer for Rick Pitino this offseason.)

Kuany Kuany (Cal) to VCU: A four-year player at Cal, the 6-9 grad transfer averaged 9 ppg and 3.9 rpg in 26 starts for the Bears last season. He’ll vie for a starting job alongside Louisville transfer Roosevelt Wheeler and returning forwards Christian Fermin and Tobi Lawal.

Quick hitters:

4. An extra dose of hoops on turkey day

Feast Week added yet another dish. This one sounds pretty tasty, too.

Arizona and Michigan State will play in the inaugural Acrisure Classic at 4:30 pm ET on Nov. 23, a game that’ll air immediately after the Lions-Packers NFL game on FOX. It’s technically the second of two games both will play; the first is against a TBD opponent on their respective campuses before heading to Palm Springs for this game.

This type of matchup is typical for Tom Izzo’s Spartans during the nonconference, who are already set to play Duke in the Champions Classic the week before. For now, this should be a question of whether their backcourt can overwhelm the Wildcats’ sophomore duo of Kylan Boswell and Jaden Bradley.

Not that it’ll be all Michigan State. I’m pegging Oumar Ballo for 25-12 against the Michigan State frontline.

Will the game command a big audience going against the Cowboys-Commanders? Probably not. But for those of us looking for more hoops rather than football, it’s a welcome addition. The only real competition will be the Maui Invitational championship game, which typically airs around 5 pm ET.

5. Don’t read this if you have conference realignment angst

If you’re in the Big Ten or SEC, you’re feeling pretty secure about your NCAA future. The ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12? Not so much.

Well, the Big 12 seems to be optimistic with recent reports about its targets for expansion. The Pac-12 — still awaiting that new media deal — might be living on borrowed time. At least the ACC should feel OK about its media deal with ESPN that runs through 2036, right?

Nah. There’s serious discord between the football schools and everyone else.

Administrators have spent the last couple of months discussing this festering issue. It has divided a conference that is less like-minded than most leagues in the country: big football revenue-generators like Florida State, Clemson, Miami and even North Carolina grouped with the likes of Boston College, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

While a vote on a revenue distribution model isn’t expected this week, proposals are likely to be explored as university presidents are now examining the issue.

During a Board of Trustees meeting in February, FSU athletic director Michael Alford seemed to publicly fire a warning shot at the rest of the conference: Change the revenue distribution model or else.

“At the end of the day for Florida State to compete nationally, something has to change going forward,” Alford told his board in a wide-ranging presentation in which he suggested that FSU brings in 15% of ACC media rights value but receives only 7% in distribution.

However, any change in the distribution model falls short of significantly closing the gap between the SEC and Big Ten. In the most successful year under a merit-based model, a school might receive an extra $5 million, one administrator estimates.

An unequal distribution model can also impact the culture of a conference. It can sow divisiveness within a league, says one athletic director from outside the ACC.

“It won’t stop there,” the AD says. “This will be the beginning of the end.”

Remember when the ACC used to be a basketball conference?

Denny Crum’s legacy

Jeff Greer talks with Card Chronicle’s Mike Rutherford about the lasting impact Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum had on the Louisville basketball program.

Links as you tune into NBA Draft combine coverage.

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