This summer, the Blue Devils added a second player via the transfer portal.
Now that Purdue forward Mason Gillis has committed, the Duke basketball program is picking up steam in the transfer portal with its second addition in three days.
Gillis visited the Blue Devils last week and announced the news on social media on Monday afternoon.
After seven players left the club through the portal, he commits to Duke alongside Maliq Brown, a transfer from Syracuse.
The 6-foot-6 big Gillis has played in 132 games during his Boilermaker career, starting 63 of them. However, despite averaging 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game on 46.8 percent shooting (58 of 124) from three-point range this season, he was never in the starting lineup.
This season, Gillis was selected as an Honorable Mention for the All-Big Ten Team and was voted the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year.
In the National Championship Game versus UConn, he failed to score and missed both of his shots. Although he did not score in three of Purdue’s six NCAA Tournament games this season, that is not his strong suit.
Probably coming off the bench, Mason Gillis will provide Duke a toughness and defensive energy. Jon Scheyer is beginning to assemble a group of exceptional defenders with significant attacking upside.
This season, Gillis attempted 75% of his shots as 3-pointers.
When Duke faced Purdue in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament Championship two years ago, Gillis scored eight points in fourteen minutes.
The Blue Devils still need to add at least one more guard who can handle the basketball behind Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, who are back as starters. There are three available scholarships left. Duke already boasts the top recruiting class for incoming players.
According to 247Sports, the Blue Devils now have a Top-40 transfer portal class.
Jon Scheyer is likely to bolster Duke’s roster later in the offseason.
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