Across 36 appearances for a 2022-23 Duke basketball team that finished 27-9 overall and won the ACC Tournament, Jacob Grandison averaged 4.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in his 15.9 minutes per contest, knocking down 33.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.

That sentiment, while enthusiastic, also reflects a calculated choice. Coward chose Duke over offers from top programs like Alabama, drawn by a system that emphasizes ball movement, positional flexibility, and defensive intensity, areas where he has shown strength.

In addition to another top-ranked recruiting class coming in, Duke has had one player commit out of the portal as of April 28 — but there’s a catch.