Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison commits to Duke

Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison has committed to Duke, he tells On3.

“It became clear that I fit with the vision that Coach Scheyer has for Duke basketball,” Grandison said to On3. ”I’m an elite passer to anyone. I’m a shooter and I space the floor. I’m an elite cutter and I’ve proven myself to be a great decision maker. I’m poise under pressure and I play to win. Duke is winning.”

Grandison — a 6-foot-6 shooting guard — spent the last two years at Illinois, where he averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists during the 2021-22 season. He shot 45.5 percent from the field and 41 percent from the 3-point line, establishing himself as one of the best veteran shooters in the country. Grandison began his career at Holy Cross, where he also played for two seasons.

Stay up to date on the latest news with On3’s Transfer Portal Wire.

The Oakland, California native enters the 2022-23 season as a graduate student with one year of eligibility thanks to the free year granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with the Blue Devils, Grandison also considered USC, BYU, UCLA, DePaul, Arizona, Iowa State, Michigan, Kentucky, and Oregon.

See the top available prospects with On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings.

Blue Devils stacked with talent

Duke lost over 90 percent of its scoring after Paolo Banchero (17.1 PPG), Wendell Moore Jr. (13.5 PPG), Trevor Keels (11.3 PPG), Mark Williams (11.3 PPG), and AJ Griffin (10.5 PPG) all left for the NBA draft. However, the Blue Devils have reloaded and with the addition of Grandison, Duke will welcome 10 new faces. Headed to Durham from the high school ranks are three McDonald’s All-Americans — Dereck Lively (five-star C), Dariq Whitehead (five-star SF), and Mark Mitchell (four-star SF). But wait, there’s more. Kyle Filipowski (five-star PF), Jaden Schutt (four-star SG), Tyrese Proctor (PG), and Christian Reeves (three-star C) round out Duke’s seven-man freshman class.

The Blue Devils also hit the transfer portal this offseason, landing commitments from Kale Catchings (9.1 PPG at Harvard) and Ryan Young (9.0 PPG at Northwestern).

Duke will also return Jeremy Roach (8.6 PPG) and Jaylen Blakes (1.0 PPG).