Moving On Isn’t Always Breaking Up

Jeremy Roach’s decision to move on doesn’t dim his love for Duke, nor should it fans’ love for him.

The morning after Jeremy Roach’s career in Durham officially ended, Duke fans are surely feeling a range of emotions. Sadness, for sure: Roach will go down in Blue Devil history as the bridge between the K and Scheyer eras and gave Duke fans a handful of lasting March memories. Confusion, perhaps: the average fan may never know what went on behind the scenes leading to this decision, exacerbated by the ongoing mysteries of the NIL marketplace. Frustration, certainly: Roach was Duke’s last (and only) chance to have a home-grown player take advantage of the 5th year of eligibility brought about by the pandemic.

But anger? That’s an emotion no Duke fan should ever feel for a four year player and two-time captain that led the Blue Devils to a Final Four, an Elite Eight, an ACC Regular Season title and an ACC Tournament Championship.

Lest we forget, in any other period of Duke history Roach’s career would be over after his four years. Any possibility of a fifth year was a bonus fans had every right to hope for, but no right to expect. And after four years, there are a host of reasons why Roach may have come to this decision that have nothing to do with his love for The Brotherhood.

Any Duke alumnus will tell you that after a four year degree it is often just time to move on, regardless of one’s love for Duke and Durham. When I decided to pursue a graduate degree I was explicitly told, by my Duke advisors, not to do so in Durham, as getting training in a new environment would be best for my career. Maybe that’s what Roach needed: a new opportunity where he could play in a different system, in a different role, that might set him up better for his future aspirations.

Perhaps Roach did want to maximize his last NIL payday before likely grinding it out in pursuit of his NBA dreams. If so, can you blame him? By all accounts Duke’s NIL program is amongst the best in the country, but that landscape is ever evolving. The three programs thought to be Roach’s strongest suitors are all rumored to be interested in offering large, potentially seven figure, paydays to land a star player of Roach’s caliber, an opportunity he has every right to pursue.

Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that Jeremy Roach is leaving Duke after four years. No one would bat an eyelash at that statement during most of Blue Devil history, although adding “via transfer” to that sentence changes the tone. But not all transfers are created equal. Roach may be moving on from Duke, but by all accounts this wasn’t a breakup. There’s no reason to believe Roach was pushed out or that he’s leaving with any ill will.

Remember, every piece of evidence says that Jeremy Roach loves Duke, and loves Jon Scheyer. Here’s what he said following the final game of his Blue Devil career:

People don’t know how hard [Scheyer’s] job is that you are taking over after the GOAT. That’s not easy work. Just give credit to him. He is always instilling confidence in us every day. Whether we’re messing up or not, he just always has that strong face. A lot of people would have folded in this situation. All the criticism that people say, I mean, it’s unacceptable. There’s no reason for that. If somebody wanted to, try doing his job and see how easy it is. So I give credit to Coach Scheyer. I love him. I love him.

That sounds like something a Duke legend would say. Jeremy Roach is that, regardless of where the epilogue of his career takes him.