Duke sophomore guard Isaiah Evans has officially withdrawn from the 2025 NBA Draft and will return to Durham for the 2025–26 season — a major boost for head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff, who had reason to worry about Evans leaving for the pros.
Following the end of the 2024–25 college basketball season, Evans faced one of the more intriguing decisions among Duke’s rotation players. He was weighing opportunities in both the NBA Draft and transfer portal, and while he initially announced he’d return for a second season, he later appeared on the draft’s early entry list, causing concern among fans.
Now that Evans has confirmed he’s coming back, it’s almost certain he’ll step into a starting role next season. With increased responsibility, the 6’6″ wing will have a chance to elevate his stock ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
As a freshman, Evans filled a 3-and-D role, with 81% of his shot attempts — and 78% of his makes — coming from beyond the arc. Widely recognized as one of the nation’s top shooters, improvements in his defense (both on the perimeter and in the post) and playmaking could push him into lottery consideration next year. While there was some buzz about him possibly sneaking into the first round this year, his stock ultimately wasn’t strong enough to stay in the draft.
Evans’ return is one of two key roster decisions that will shape Duke’s backcourt heading into next season. The other is Cedric Coward, a top transfer portal addition who committed to Duke over Alabama but is still testing the NBA waters. Unlike Evans, Coward’s draft stock appears to be rising.
While there’s a greater chance Scheyer could lose Coward to the NBA, the confirmed return of Evans — alongside Caleb Foster — gives Duke a strong starting backcourt and offers some peace of mind for Blue Devil fans.