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Duke Star Makes Unexpected Decision on NBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated May 11, 2025 6:30 PM ET

After a disappointing loss to the Houston Cougars in the 2025 Final Four, Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils saw many of their stars part for the NBA.

To nobody's surprise, All-American Cooper Flagg declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, where he is widely projected to be the No. 1 pick. Joining him are freshman forward Kon Knueppel and center Khaman Maluach, both of whom are predicted to be lottery picks. Even junior Tyrese Proctor is taking his shot at the professionals.

The fourth five-star prospect of Scheyer's 2024 recruiting class (247 Sports), forward Isaiah Evans, also declared while maintaining his college eligibility.

Although Evans revealed his plans to return to Durham for a second season on April 22, he was still one of the 75 invites to the NBA Draft Combine, which was revealed a week later.

Evans could have participated in the combine to receive some feedback from NBA scouts while still returning to Duke for his sophomore season. But instead, according to Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, Evans has elected to skip the combine entirely.

"Duke freshman Isaiah Evans has withdrawn from the 2025 NBA Draft and will not attend the 2025 NBA Draft Combine this week," Siegel wrote on X. "Evans was ranked #38 on our Big Board 1.0 on @ClutchPoints."

Duke freshman Isaiah Evans has withdrawn from the 2025 NBA Draft and will not attend the 2025 NBA Draft Combine this week.

Evans was ranked #38 on our Big Board 1.0 on @ClutchPoints.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) May 11, 2025

Although Evans was a highly-touted recruit, he was forced to come off the bench due to a loaded Duke starting lineup. In 13.7 minutes per game, the 6-foot-6 guard out of Huntersville, NC, averaged 6.8 points on 43.2% shooting, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists.

With Evans returning, Scheyer and the Blue Devils could certainly find themselves competing for a national championship once again in the 2025-26 season. They also have one of the top recruiting classes coming in, including Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the twins of Carlos Boozer, and five-star Nikolas Khamenia (247 Sports).

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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