Former Duke point guard Roach commits to Baylor

Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff WriterApr 21, 2024, 07:21 PM ET

Basketball recruiting insider.
Joined ESPN in 2014.
Graduate of University of Delaware.

Duke transfer Jeremy Roach, arguably the best point guard in the transfer portal, announced his commitment to Baylor on Sunday.

Roach entered the portal Tuesday night, and it wasn’t long before Baylor emerged as the favorite for the senior guard. Arkansas, St. John’s, Kentucky, Villanova, Syracuse and others were quickly linked to Roach, but Scott Drew and the Bears won out.

Roach made his announcement in a post on Instagram.

A 6-foot-2 Virginia native, Roach started 108 games over four seasons with the Blue Devils, earning third-team All-ACC honors as a senior.

A former McDonald’s All American in the 2020 class, Roach was immediately thrust into an extended role in Durham, North Carolina. He averaged 8.7 points as a freshman and 8.6 points as a sophomore, coming on strong down the stretch of the 2021-22 campaign to help lead Duke to the Final Four.

Roach enjoyed a true breakout season as a junior, boosting his numbers to 13.6 points and 3.1 assists and again playing some of his best basketball late in the season. He had 23 points against Virginia in the ACC title game then scored 23 against Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

As a senior, Roach averaged 14.0 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 42.9% from 3-point range — all career highs. He scored in double figures in all four NCAA tournament games, with Duke getting knocked out by NC State in the Elite Eight.

Roach should take over lead guard duties in Waco, Texas, from day one with RayJ Dennis out of eligibility. Baylor brings back returning starter Jayden Nunn and double-figure scorer Langston Love on the perimeter while also adding elite recruit V.J. Edgecombe and top-25 prospect Robert Wright III.

Drew and Baylor also have positioned themselves well for former Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo, another top-10 transfer.

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