Why Duke basketball’s Jeremy Roach could be the Blue Devils’ most important player
DURHAM — Kyle Filipowski is Duke basketball’s best player, Tyrese Proctor is projected to be a breakout star, and the second-ranked Blue Devils added another group of talented freshmen.
But who is Duke’s most important player as the program chases its sixth NCAA championship?
There’s a case for senior point guard Jeremy Roach, the Blue Devils’ most experienced player on the roster entering Jon Scheyer’s second season as coach.
When Roach announced he would return for a fourth season, Duke basketball posted a photo on its Instagram account. It featured Roach with Duke’s regional championship trophy from the 2022 Final Four and hardware from the 2023 ACC Tournament title.
Positioned behind him were the Blue Devils’ five national championship banners and a blank, sixth banner.
“We have a chance to win the national championship,” Roach said during Duke’s media day in late September.
“That's always been my goal here, coming to Duke. So, I'm trying to finish it off in the right way.”
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The lone captain on last year’s team – which won 27 games and the ACC Tournament before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament – Roach will have Proctor and Ryan Young by his side as captains this season.
"Jeremy's experience – being a senior, going to the Final Four, going through some of the trials and tribulations since he's been here – will be really important," Scheyer said.
The COVID-19 pandemic cut short Roach’s freshman season and five-time national champion coach Mike Krzyzewski retired at the end of Roach’s sophomore season. Scheyer debuted as Duke’s coach in Roach’s third year.
Finally, in his senior year, it feels like a normal season.
“It's just been a crazy ride,” Roach said. “So, I'm excited for my senior year. I feel like this is one of the best teams that we've had, guard-wise and experience-wise.”
Duke basketball gets best from Jeremy Roach in March
Roach, who shared team MVP honors with Filipowski last season, averaged a career-high 13.6 points to go with 3.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.
He enters his senior season 20 points shy of becoming Duke’s first 1,000-point scorer since Grayson Allen in 2018. Over the last two seasons, Roach has proven he’s capable of providing his best in March.
The reliable guard played more than 35 minutes during Duke’s run to the 2022 Final Four and finished last season with four double-digit scoring games in a row, including a career-high 23 points in the ACC Tournament against Virginia.
He scored 11 of Duke’s final 14 points against the Cavaliers before carrying that momentum into the first round of the NCAA Tournament with 23 against Oral Roberts.
“Just my experiences,” Roach said, will be a guiding light for the Blue Devils this season.
“Obviously, the COVID year, I've had a year of losing too, so definitely my experience is there. I can show these young guys what to do, from right to wrong and lead them in the right direction.”
Jeremy Roach in line for Quinn Cook-like season with Blue Devils?
Roach has consistently pointed to former Duke guard Quinn Cook as his favorite Blue Devil to watch.
Both players are 6-foot-2 and around 180-185 pounds. Both players got their start in the DMV, a basketball-rich area in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
In Cook’s senior season, he started all 39 games and averaged a career-high 15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Cook had double-digit scoring performances in six of his final seven NCAA Tournament games, including five during the Blue Devils’ title run in 2015.
He was named Duke’s co-MVP alongside Jahlil Okafor. Like Cook, Roach has thrived in the NCAA Tournament with double digits in five of his seven NCAA Tournament games, including three games with five assists.
Tyus Jones served as Duke’s primary facilitator in 2015 as Cook slid into more of an off-the-ball role. Roach could be in a similar position with Proctor this year.
All of the similarities point to what could be a special season for Roach and the Blue Devils.
“The greatness that’s came here … I mean, you see all the legends in the rafters – everybody that came before you,” Roach said.
“You want to leave this place better than you found it. Obviously, we want to get (championship No.) 6 this year.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball's Jeremy Roach is Blue Devils' most important player
