Isaiah Evans closes door on return to Duke, 'fully in' on 2026 NBA Draft
Duke guard Isaiah Evans declared for the 2026 NBA Draft in April. Now he’s made it clear he plans to stay in the draft rather than seek a return to school for another season.
Evans told CBS Sports’ Jeff Borzello at the NBA Combine that he has “closed the door on a return to college.” He has had no conversations about a return with anyone at Duke.
“I’m fully in,” Evans told Borzello. Definitive.
Isaiah Evans became a starter for the Blue Devils in 2025-26 after largely contributing off the bench as a true freshman the year prior. He averaged 15.0 points to go with 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists across 38 games as Duke made a run to the Elite Eight.
For comparison, a freshman in 2024-25, Evans put up 6.8 points per game across 36 games, including three starts. Now, he will get ready to take his talents to the NBA after declaring for the draft and going through the combine.
Isaiah Evans measured in at the NBA Combine at 6-5.5 (height) and 186 pounds. He boasted a 6-8.75 wingspan and an 8-8.5 standing reach.
Most recent NBA mock drafts have Isaiah Evans going somewhere in the second half of the first round. That could give Duke at least two first-round picks for the second straight year. Cameron Boozer is projected to go in the top five picks in this year’s draft.
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Last year, Duke boasted the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft in Cooper Flagg, who went to the Dallas Mavericks. The program followed that up with Kon Knueppel, who was taken with the No. 4 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets.
Both had an excellent rookie season. Flagg edged out Knueppel for NBA Rookie of the Year in one of the closest votes in NBA history.
Could Isaiah Evans and Cameron Boozer have similar success next season? It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
As for Duke, the program continues to enjoy a high level of success under coach Jon Scheyer, who has been pumping out NBA Draft picks on the regular. The Blue Devils were a No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, reaching the Elite Eight before suffering elimination on a stunning Braylon Mullins 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds left in a game against UConn.