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Former Five-Star Recruit Announces Return to Duke After Freshman Season

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 6:00 PM ET

The Duke Blue Devils are headed into a new stage of the basketball program next season, losing some of their key contributors.

Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor have all declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, leaving head coach Jon Scheyer with big roles to fill.

As Scheyer and the Blue Devils attempt to pick up the broken pieces of a roster that just went to the Final Four, a former blue-chip prospect recently announced his return to the ACC program .

"yo Slim you back?" asked the Duke Blue Devils official social media account, while tagging former five-star Isaiah Evans.

Evans the took to social media, sharing a definitive answer with fans.

"Yea," Evans said.

yea
— Isaiah Evans (@IsaiahEvans26) April 22, 2025

Evans originally committed to Duke as a five-star prospect, ranked as the No. 4 small forward and the No. 15 overall player in the nation, per 247Sports.

Given his previous ranking and pure skill set at such a young age, there was speculation that Evans could be headed to the NBA Draft.

There were also some fans who believed he would be a candidate to enter the transfer portal after struggling to find a consistent role during his freshman season at Duke.

During his freshman season with the Duke Blue Devils, Evans posted 6.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

According to ESPN, Evans started three games in a total of 36 contests the freshman was active. He recorded 13.7 minutes per game, playing on one of the premier college basketball teams during the 2024-25 season.

In Evans' freshman season, the Duke Blue Devils posted a 35-4 record.

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

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