Duke's Jeremy Roach to test draft waters while maintaining eligibility

Duke guard Jeremy Roach wants to see if he can earn some buzz in the 2023 NBA Draft pool.

Notably, though, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior guard is maintaining his college eligibility. What this means is that Roach can get feedback from NBA teams regarding his draft-ability and he can even be drafted, but if he decides to pull out or isn't actually drafted — he can return to Duke in 2023-24 to play his senior season.

"I look forward to gaining valuable feedback and experience in the pre-draft process. As I take this next step, I know I'll always have the full support of my family and coaches. Playing for Duke is a dream come true and I feel the same about playing this game professionally," Roach said in a statement found on Duke's website.

Frankly, it makes sense for Roach to at least test the NBA waters. He's not a lottery pick and he may not even be a first-round pick, but he did have the best season of his career in 2022-23, averaging 13.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting .343 from three-point range and .780 from the charity stripe.

There's also Roach's leadership intangibles for NBA teams to consider. In an era where many college basketball players are one-and-done, he's been at one of the best programs in the country and playing in one of the tougher basketball conferences in the country since 2020.

That's a ton of valuable experience to bring into a locker room as a rookie.

"We fully support him and his family as he makes the decision to declare for the NBA Draft," Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said. "He's seen just about as much as you could see at Duke from the challenging COVID year, to the special Final Four run and an ACC Championship this season. He's everything Duke could ask for in terms of a representative for our program."

If he's not drafted, perhaps the most valuable thing that could come out of the pre-draft process for Roach will be feedback from NBA teams on what he can work on in order to thrive at the next level. He could take that feedback back to Duke as a senior and potentially greatly increase his draft stock with another good season.