Duke Basketball May Enter Fray for Veteran Vanderbilt Transfer

A guard with four years of SEC experience appears to be on the Duke basketball radar.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Outbound Vanderbilt senior Tyrin Lawrence, No. 6 among uncommitted shooting guards in the transfer portal, might fit the mold of what the Duke basketball staff is looking for in a backup perimeter talent.

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Not only does his graduate status following four seasons with the Commodores likely ensure he would have no problem appeasing the admissions folk in Durham, but the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Lawrence is a proven scorer, even if not the most efficient shooter, and aggressive defender.

As a full-time starter this past season, albeit for a Vanderbilt squad that tallied only nine wins overall and four in SEC action, Lawrence averaged 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 31.1 minutes per outing.

The 23-year-old Georgia native, a three-star recruit in the 2020 class but now a four-star transfer in the eyes 247Sports, entered the portal on March 21 and has garnered interest from several schools. However, most chatter in the Tyrin Lawrence sweepstakes has revolved around home-state hopeful Georgia's pursuit.

On Thursday, though, On3's Joe Tipton reported that Duke basketball is now "in the mix" for the veteran SEC guard.

TYRIN LAWRENCE AT THE BUZZER 🚨

VANDERBILT BEATS TENNESSEE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2017 😨

(via @VandyMBB)

pic.twitter.com/rLeQSIlMhj

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 9, 2023

There's no telling when ideal matches will suddenly materialize during transfer season. That said, Tyrin Lawrence looks to be one a few potential candidates to draw a relatively quick, heavy recruitment from Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer and his crew across the coming days or weeks.

Currently, the Blue Devils have 10 players on tap for Scheyer's third season on the throne. In addition to added backcourt depth, it seems Duke could use another solid backup or two in the post.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.