Another player from this year’s Blue Devil squad is on his way out.
Junior guard Jaylen Blakes, a rotational piece who struggled to find consistent minutes at times this year playing behind a talented group of guards, announced via Instagram that he is entering the transfer portal as a graduate.
The 6-foot-2 product of Blair Academy was a strong defensive presence all year, but struggled to provide an offensive spark. His athleticism, speed and quick hands helped him generate key turnovers, but the uncanny scoring ability of guards including freshmen Jared McCain and Caleb Foster, sophomore Tyrese Proctor and senior Jeremy Roach relegated Blakes to the bench for most of the season.
That being said, Blakes likely will find plenty of suitors in the portal. He averaged 9.1 minutes per game this season, and started a total of three games over the course of his three seasons in Durham. Blakes posted a total of 21 steals and five blocks this year, impressive when one considers his struggles to find playing time. He tied his career high in points against Charlotte earlier this season, going 3-for-3 from behind the arc. However, his shooting from deep in general was a much less inspiring 26.3% his final season with the Blue Devils.
The announcement marks the fifth player to leave head coach Jon Scheyer’s squad, following the departures of Mark Mitchell and Christian Reeves for the transfer portal. Blakes likely would have once again been stuck behind more talented freshmen, as the Blue Devils welcomed talented combo guards in Darren Harris, Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel II to the squad for the 2024-25 season. Now, Blakes will look to find more minutes on another team.
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