How NBA Draft Could Spark Major Regret for Duke’s Evans

The Duke basketball program retained the majority of its star talent from this past season, bringing back four of its top six scorers from a season ago.

This is a bit different from what the Blue Devil faithful are used to, as the Blue Devils typically keep their elite talents for only one season.

Mar 26, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer stands on the court during a practice session ahead of the east regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

However, Duke’s top two scorers from the 2025-26 campaign did elect to make the jump to the NBA, as freshman sensation and National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer declared for the 2026 draft, along with Isaiah Evans.

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Boozer was a lock to enter the NBA Draft as a consensus top-three prospect, but Evans had a very intriguing decision to make.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies guard Braylon Mullins (24) passes the ball between Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) and Blue Devils guard Isaiah Evans (3) in the second half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Isaiah Evans’ Difficult Draft Decision

Both Evans and Patrick Ngongba were viewed as projected late-first-round selections in this summer’s draft. A few years ago, that would have made the leap to the pros a done deal. However, that is no longer the case.

In today’s NIL era of college athletics, especially for one of the most storied programs in the sport’s history, like Duke, there’s a lot of money to be made. That was the case for Ngongba and Evans.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) shoots past Duke Blue Devils center Patrick Ngongba (21) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory…


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Publish date : 2026-05-11 20:00:00

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