Jeremy Roach forgoing 2023 NBA Draft, returning to Duke next season

With unfinished business on his plate, Jeremy Roach is opting to return to the Duke Blue Devils next season, he announced via Instagram.

The guard originally declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, but he decided to maintain his college eligibility in the process. Evidently, it was the right decision, as he’ll return to Duke for another go-round next season.

Moreover, Jeremy Roach was a four-star prospect and No. 22 overall player in the On3 Industry Ranking in the 2020 recruiting class. Roach averaged just 27.4 minutes per game in his freshman season and 29.4 minutes per game as a sophomore, but began to come on strong for Duke in its run to the Final Four in 2022.

Roach posted double figures in three of five NCAA Tournament games that season, leading to a big junior season.

Additionally, Roach was Duke’s second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 13.6 points per game. The veteran leader for the Blue Devils, Roach was key in helping Duke win its final six games of the regular season and then go on to win three straight games in the ACC Tournament to take the league crown. 

He scored 23 points against Oral Roberts in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but had just 13 points and five turnovers in the season-ending loss to Tennessee in the second round. He’ll be looking for greater success next season at Duke.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.

On3’s Riley Gates contributed to this article.