Duke Basketball: Jon Scheyer Takes Issue With Transfer Rule

There is a reason Jon Scheyer is buttering up Duke basketball graduate big man Ryan Young.

At this week's Duke basketball summer media day, second-year head coach Jon Scheyer sounded 99.9 percent sure that his roster for next season is complete, despite one of the 13 scholarship spots remaining open.

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"We're ready to go with the group that we have," the 35-year-old confirmed about a bunch that includes eight returning scholarship players and four five-star rookies, much different than his first squad's 11 new faces. "Of course, you never say never. If there's something crazy that happens, would we always look at it? Of course. You have to do your job as a coach.

"But part of the decisions we made in the spring was purposely to have the group that we have. We feel we have more than enough...I love our group."

However, he used the opportunity to explain why he doesn't love the fact that, as opposed to undergrads, who had until the May 11 deadline to enter the transfer portal and retain eligibility for the 2023-24 season, nothing is stopping a graduate from bolting for perceived greener pastures at any point before the fall semester begins.

"I think that's an issue in general," Scheyer opined, "that the transfer rule is different for grad transfers versus undergrad."

Fortunately for the Blue Devils in this respect, they have only one such talent on tap in the 23-year-old Ryan Young.

And there's no doubt the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center, who transferred to the Blue Devils from Northwestern last summer with two years of eligibility remaining, is happy where's he at following his integral role as the primary backup big man on the 2022-23 Duke basketball team.

Duke's Ryan Young dropped a double-double against FSU with 20 points and 12 rebounds! 💪@DukeMBB | @RyanYoung2323 pic.twitter.com/EqkWpISeer

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 1, 2023

Even so, Scheyer brought up Young's name as an example to get his point across about the need for some restriction on when grad transfers may decide to leave a school and go elsewhere.

"Look, I say this, Ryan Young could leave tomorrow, and he could still go somewhere," Scheyer said before explaining, in jest, his only solution. "And that's why I've been very nice to him every day. I'm very, very nice to Ryan. I give him lots of compliments every day.

"But that's not right, though, because it's not fair to the team, and ultimately, there has to be a point where you know who your group is."

Young's experience at the five-spot, leadership in the locker room, and old-school post moves should again prove invaluable to the Duke basketball program. After all, he might even be a starter, at least in the early going, unless Scheyer decides to employ Kyle Filipowski as the starting center rather than power forward.

So due to the zero roadblocks on the grad transfer route, it would make sense if Scheyer is, in fact, a little extra friendly to Young while holding back any criticism he may have about his game. At least for a few months, that is.

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