On Sunday, former Duke Blue Devil guard Jeremy Roach committed to Baylor after spending four seasons in Durham with Duke. During his time with the Blue Devils, Roach improved steadily every season and became an all-around great guard in 2023. He averaged 14 points a game on 46.8% shooting from the field. He was in double figures during every game that Duke played in during March Madness.
Roach also became a very lethal three-point shooter this season hitting them at a 42.9% mark. This was improved by 8.6% from a season ago and it is over a 10% improvement from how he shot from three in his freshman season.
Did Jeremy Roach Get the Bag in Move to Baylor
Duke transfer Jeremy Roach has committed to Baylor pic.twitter.com/YRC8UM1pE6
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 21, 2024
This decision recently comes following rumors of $1.5 million in NIL deals offered to him from the Baylor athletics department. However, the former Duke guard recently went to X to deny these claims made by a Duke basketball page on the social media platform.
Man I wish smh… 😭🤦🏾♂️ https://t.co/l584jjfEQh
— iam_jr20 (@Jeremyroach10) April 19, 2024
Baylor is getting a big time guard that can really help make them contend next season. The Bears finished the season third in the Big 12 with a 24-11 record and were 11-7 in conference play in what was arguably the most competitive basketball conference in the country. Their season came to an end in the second round of March Madness when they were upset by Clemson.
From a Blue Devil to a Bear
The great news about the Roach signing for the Bears is that they have a direct replacement for Ja’Kobe Walter who declared for the NBA draft around a week ago. This was expected as many mock drafts for the NBA had Walter as high as a lottery and/or top ten pick.
Walter was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-Big 12 third team. He led the Bears in points per game at 14.5 and also brought in 4.4 rebounds per game which was third on the team behind Baylor big men Yves Missi and Jalen Bridges.
All in all, Walter was an impact guard for Baylor and really helped them to have a successful season in which they were competitive with the country’s elite teams. According to KenPom, Baylor ranked 15th overall by the end of the season while being ranked the 6th best offense in all of college basketball. This is an ideal place for a player like Roach to go with a guy like Walter leaving the program for the NBA draft.
It helps Baylor reload for another shot at a title run in 2024-25. Especially when they add an offensive floor general like Roach to the fold with his improved shooting from long range. The Baylor Bears were the best three-point shooting team in the Big 12 last season shooting at a 36.8% mark as a team while making around 9.5 three pointers a game. And they added a player who was arguably the best three-point shooter in the ACC with his much improved percentage as he took nearly 3.6 shots from behind the arc per game.
On top of the portal land in Roach, the Bears have the 5th best incoming recruiting class in 2024. The class features many big names like the five star number one small forward in the country V.J. Edgecombe, and the crafty Montverde point guard Rob Wright. Roach will not only be a good leader for those incoming freshmen, but he will also blend in nicely in helping Baylor become a contender once again.
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