Former 5-Star Recruit Isaiah Evans Announces Return to Duke

The Duke basketball team received some good news on Tuesday night when Isaiah Evans announced on social media that he would return to school for his sophomore season.

A highly touted prospect in high school, Evans could have tested the NBA Draft, or even found a new home in the transfer portal, but will instead remain in Durham for at least one more season.

In his first college basketball campaign, Evans averaged 6.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 41.6% from beyond the arc on more than four attempts per game. Evans appeared in 36 contests in 2024-25, making three starts as a true freshman.

Coming out of high school, Evans was rated the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 4 small forward in the nation, according to 247Sports.

While Evans' length, perimeter shooting production and recruiting status make him an intriguing draft prospect, the sharpshooter still needs to show improved versatility in his second year at Duke.

A McDonald's All-American, 247Sports Adam Finkelstein described Evans as a, "late bloomer" with "as much long-term upside as any wing in the (2024 recruiting) class" when Evans was in high school.

Another year in Durham will give Evans more time to improve his all-around game and convert more of his potential to on-court production. With Evans notable upside, though, the former 5-star recruit will certainly have interest whenever he does elect to enter the NBA Draft.

For now, though, the talented wing will get another year at Duke under Jon Scheyer, alongside a few high-profile incoming recruits. The Blue Devils will add Cameron Boozer, Cayden Boozer and Nikolas Khamenia in the 2025 recruiting class, with each of the aforementioned prospects leaving high school as a top-25 player in the cycle.

Alongside the Boozer twins and Khamenia, the Blue Devils should have a strong roster again next season after reaching the Final 4 in 2025. While Cooper Flagg, Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel and Sion James will all be gone next season, in addition to a few more players from Duke's 2024-25 roster, the team should have a solid mix of returnees and new additions.

With Evans and a few other prospects on board, Duke will again have a handful of players with NBA futures on its roster again next year.