Duke landed its point guard of the future on Wednesday night as five-star Class of 2020 point guard Jeremy Roach pledged to the Blue Devils. The 6-foot-2 point guard will likely be the heir apparent to current Duke floor general Tre Jones (if Jones decides to turn pro after his sophomore season) as Roach is one of the winningest players in high school basketball. Playing for Team Takeover in the Nike EYBL last grassroots season, Roach helped the program capture the Nike Peach Jam. Roach was also a member of USA Basketball’s U17 squad which won a gold medal at the FIBA World Cup last summer. Although Roach doesn’t put up jaw-dropping numbers, averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game in 22 EYBL games last spring and summer, he’s the perfect fit for a potential star-laden Duke recruiting class. A great change-of-pace guard who is very effective with look-ahead passes to move the ball quickly up the floor, Roach is a naturally unselfish leader. Team Takeover was loaded with high-major prospects and Roach was one of the key reasons the program was able to achieve such great success thanks to his willingness to share the ball. For a program that regularly recruits five-star players who want to take a lot of shots, Roach is the perfect fit to get those types of players all of the shots they desire. It also doesn’t hurt that Roach is a solid shooter who can defend multiple spots on the perimeter thanks to his solid strength and basketball IQ. Regarded as the No. 20 overall prospect in the Rivals national Class of 2020 rankings, Roach is the great start for Duke’s recruiting efforts in that class. Roach will have to get healthy after a torn ACL prevented him from playing during his junior season, but his commitment is an important one for Duke. The Blue Devils will likely have a lot of scholarships to fill in the 2020 class and Roach is the type of unselfish point guard that other talented players want to run with.<doc-sep>Jeremy Roach, the first five-star prospect in the 2020 college basketball recruiting class scheduled to make a commitment, has announced his decision to attend Duke. Roach, who is rated as the No. 2 player at the point guard position in the 2020 class despite missing his junior season with a torn ACL, chose Duke over offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, Villanova, Maryland and Virginia, among others. The No. 15 overall player according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Roach told 247Sports of his decision on Wednesday, explaining that he felt something good in his gut about the Blue Devils during his visit and decided to stick with it. "I just felt like as soon as I went down there it was right for me," Roach said. "It was just a gut feeling in everybody's stomach, even my sister, my brother, my dad and my mom. I went everywhere, I went to Kentucky and Villanova, I just didn't feel the same way I did at Duke." Roach becomes the first player to commit to Duke in 2020, laying a foundation for what will likely be another top-2 recruiting class for Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski. Since 2014, Duke has finished with the No. 1 class in four of the six possible cycles while coming in second at the conclusion of the remaining two. Arizona currently holds the No. 1 class in 2019. With Duke freshman Tre Jones recently announcing he would return for a sophomore season in 2019, Roach figures to be the natural heir to the Duke point guard throne in 2020.<doc-sep>Five-star junior Jeremy Roach verbally committed to Duke on Wednesday, he tells 247Sports. “I just felt like as soon as I went down there it was right for me,” Roach said. “It was just a gut feeling in everybody’s stomach, even my sister, my brother, my dad and my mom. I went everywhere, I went to Kentucky and Villanova, I just didn’t feel the same way I did at Duke. Roach, a point guard prospect out of Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI, took an official visit to Duke the weekend of Oct. 12. Roach also took unofficial visits to Duke and Villanova. Outside of those three, North Carolina was also on his list of finalists. “I’m not going to say I based it off of IG and the fan base, but I was watching a lot of their videos of Duke Blue Planet and the brotherhood and the culture they have, that’s where I want to be,” Roach told 247Sports. Roach also cited his relationship with the coaching staff when pressed on his reasoning for picking the Blue Devils. “I have a big relationship with them,” Roach said. “Coach [Jon] Scheyer, Coach [Nate] James and Coach K. I probably have the best relationship with coach Scheyer of the assistant coaches.” “They are just easy to talk to and they always want the best for you,” he added. “They are going to work you and push you every day in practice and just never going to short you.” Unfortunately Roach was sidelined during his junior season with a torn ACL to his right knee, but he’s built quite the reputation over the years. This past summer he earned a spot on USA Basketball's u17 team, which won the Gold Medal at the FIBA u17 World Cup. Known for his change of pace and ability to facilitate and score, Roach is regarded as the No. 15 overall prospect and the No. 2 point guard in the 2020 247Sports Composite Rankings. “I mean I feel like I fit in right away,” he said. “They play my style, fast paced and if there’s nothing there you pull it out and run something. I just feel like it fits me perfectly.” “What separates Jeremy is you obviously see the talent and the skill, but it’s his intangibles, his high basketball IQ, his competitiveness and his leadership qualities that make him a winner,” Paul VI coach Glenn Farello told 247Sports. In terms of Roach’s recovery, he said the expectation is that he will be back at full strength by August. Roach hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, but noted that he’s able to do some on the court lateral movement, cutting and jumping. Roach is Duke’s first verbal commitment of the 2020 recruiting class. The Blue Devils are coming off another tremendous class in 2019, where they reeled in four players ranked among the top 33 in the country.<doc-sep>
Gregory Payan/Associated Press The rich got richer in the college basketball world on Tuesday when highly touted prospect Jeremy Roach committed to the Duke Blue Devils. "I just felt like as soon as I went down there it was right for me," Roach said, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports. "It was just a gut feeling in everybody's stomach, even my sister, my brother, my dad and my mom. I went everywhere, I went to Kentucky and Villanova, I just didn't feel the same way I did at Duke." Roach is a 5-star prospect and the No. 15 overall player and No. 2 point guard in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. "I have a big relationship with them," Roach said when discussing the members of the Duke coaching staff who helped recruit him, per Daniels. "Coach [Jon] Scheyer, Coach [Nate] James and Coach K. I probably have the best relationship with Coach Scheyer of the assistant coaches." Roach doesn't overwhelm opponents with his size (6'2", 165 lbs), but his 247Sports profile pointed to his ability to play through contact and score at the rim. He is also an impressive facilitator when defenders collapse on his penetration, and he's capable of guarding multiple positions as a versatile guard on the other end. Daniels noted he tore his ACL during his junior season but made USA Basketball's U17 team that won a gold medal at the FIBA U17 World Cup. Video Play Button Videos you might like Tre Jones returned to Duke this offseason, but Roach could slide right into the point guard spot if the incumbent heads to the NBA following the 2019-20 campaign. He is also the Blue Devils' first commit in the 2020 class and could set the tone for another talented group of recruits after Duke landed the No. 1 class in 2018 and No. 2 class in 2019, per 247Sports' composite rankings.