Duke's Isaiah Evans Will Return for Sophomore Season, Forgo 2025 NBA Draft

Isaiah Evans will return to Duke for his sophomore college season.

The Blue Devils announced Evans' return in a Tuesday release, per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

Evans averaged 6.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 36 appearances and three starts as a freshman to help Duke reach the national semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

He recorded the majority of his production from behind the arc, shooting 41.6 percent on 4.1 three-point attempts per game. He attempted fewer than one shot per game from the two-point range.

That 3-and-D shooting could potentially have earned him a spot in the 2025 NBA draft, had he decided to go pro after this season.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Evans as the No. 35 pick in his latest mock 2025 draft, but noted scouts would first need to see him play in NBA combine scrimmages "where he could take on a different role with a greener light than what he played with at Duke."

Evans could now get that green light as he returns to a Duke roster that will likely have lost Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach to the NBA draft. Tyrese Proctor is also declaring for the draft.

As head coach Jon Scheyer works to finalize his starting roster without four of last year's starters, Evans could potentially serve as another option with fellow perimeter shooter and incoming freshman Cameron Boozer next fall.

There were "multiple suitors" interested in bringing in Evans for his second season through the transfer portal, according to The Athletic's Brendan Marks.

Evans will instead hope to record a breakout season with Duke next fall while the Blue Devils fight for a national championship game appearance after falling one win short this spring.