Duke’s expected departures continued in the second week following the Blue Devils’ elimination from the NCAA Tournament.After freshman Jayson Tatum declared for the NBA Draft and sophomore Chase Jeter announced his intention to transfer in the days following the Blue Devils’ loss to South Carolina that ended their season, Duke lost two more players the following week.Freshman Harry Giles announced his plans to enter the NBA Draft on Tuesday, March 28, becoming the eleventh one-and-done freshman in Duke history.Giles struggled with knee problems lingering from his ACL surgery, missing the start of the season and having a long recovery and rehab as he worked back into game shape. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds, although he showed flashes of the top-rated recruit he entered Duke as in the final weeks of the season.”With his uplifting personality and love for the game, Harry Giles has been a joy to coach,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement from the school. “He is only beginning to scratch the surface of how good he can be on the basketball court. Harry has an exciting NBA future ahead of him and we are here to fully support him as a member of our brotherhood.””Playing in the NBA has been my goal for as long as I can remember, and I’m so excited to take the next step in that journey,” Giles said. “My time at Duke has been a dream come true. I’ve built so many strong relationships here and I have so many people to thank, from my teammates and coaches to our medical staff and strength coach. I can’t understate how proud I am to be part of the Duke Basketball program forever.”On the same day, forward Sean Obi announced that he would be transferring from Duke. Obi transferred to Duke after his freshman year at Rice, sitting out the 2014-15 NCAA title season in compliance with NCAA rules. He played sparingly as a sophomore, scoring five points and pulling down 10 rebounds in 10 games.Obi sat out the entire 2016-17 season after having offseason surgery.”I have loved my time at Duke,” Obi said in a statement from the school. “I’ve struggled with a few injuries but I’ve grown as both a man and a player in this program. The relationships I’ve made here will last a lifetime and I will be extremely proud to call myself a Duke graduate. I’m feeling great physically now and I’m excited to take the next step in my career.”Obi will earn his degree from Duke and be eligible to play immediately at his new school. He only has one year of eligibility remaining but may be able to petition for a second year, due to his injury history.”This was an anticipated decision and we appreciate everything Sean contributed to our program over the last three years,” Krzyzewski said. “Unfortunately, injuries played a predominant role in his time here. He is now in a much better place physically and we wish him nothing but the best in the next step of his journey.”
