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Duke Blue Devils forward Sean Stewart has placed his name in the transfer portal after one season in Durham.
The six-foot-nine, 227-pound McDonald's All-American becomes the seventh Duke player to splash into the portal, after Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell, TJ Power, Jaylen Blakes, Christian Reeves and Jaden Schutt.
The 19-year-old son of former NBA player Michael Stewart had a disappointing 2023-24 season despite coming to Duke as a five-star prospect out of Montverde Academy. He played 33 games and averaged 2.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in 8.4 minutes for the Jon Scheyer-mentored squad.
Immediately after his announcement, 23 teams contacted Stewart on his first day in the market, League Ready recruiting analyst Sam Kayser reported.
These squads are: Kansas State, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, USC, Florida State, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Arizona State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, California, Stanford, South Carolina, Washington, Howard, UCSB and Harvard.
The demand to stash Stewart from the transfer portal is high, considering his lackluster numbers in his only season with Duke. The 23 collegiate programs that contacted him need an athletic power forward who can fight for rebounds and provide excellent defense on the post.
Here are our top five teams that have the strongest chance of gaining Stewart's commitment to play for next season.
Top five transfer portal landing spots for Sean Stewart
#5 Arkansas
Since taking over the coaching reins of Arkansas, John Calipari has been on a mission to secure commitments from the best talent available in the transfer portal. He reunited with seven-foot-two Croatian prospect Zvonimir Ivisic and gained the commitment of UMass and St Francis power forward Josh Cohen.
Meanwhile, Stewart wants to prove his worth after being underutilized at Duke. Arkansas could allow Stewart to play power forward and switch to either small forward or center in big-man packages. His defense is also worth noting, as he has team-leading averages of 15.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per 40 minutes at Duke.
The Razorbacks are serious in restoring its former glory, and Calipari is one of the best recruiters in the nation, so getting Stewart wouldn't be difficult unless other teams have better offers.
#4 Michigan
Dusty May lost two noteworthy players to the transfer portal in 5-11 pointguard Dug McDaniel (Kansas State) and 6-10 big man Taris Reed Jr (UConn). However, May secured the commitment of seven-footer Danny Wolf from Yale but is still not done with recruiting talents for next season.
The veteran coach is looking for a power forward who can haul down rebounds and play efficient defense when called upon. Stewart could be a perfect fit in May's scheme of things, as he has the potential to corral as many rebounds and reject an opponent's shot attempts effectively.
#3 Harvard
One of the teams looking to secure Stewart's services is Harvard. The big man can have a Duke-style atmosphere in Harvard as former Blue Devil Tommy Amaker is handling the scheme of things there.
Amaker is the former teammate of Grant Hill, who happens to be Stewart's long-time neighbor and mentor in his hometown Windermere, Florida. Harvard looks to dominate the Ivy League next season and gaining Stewart's commitment is a great way to open their campaign.
#2 Kentucky
New Kentucky coach Mark Pope is on the lookout for athletic big men who can excel on his style of play. The Wildcats have contacted Stewart, as he has the potential to thrive under Pope's tutelage. He may have a rebirth in Kentucky if he follows Pope's system.
He could also provide excellent interior defense in Kentucky which was absent last season. Stewart could bang and crash the boards when necessary, and if he chooses the Wildcats, his strengths are maximized to the point that he could be a high-producing big man next season.
#1 Arizona State
The Sun Devils faded late in the 2023-24 season after a 10-5 start, winning four of their last 17 games. The lack of a frontcourt anchor on defense is what doomed the Bobby Hurley-coached squad in the recently concluded season.
Hurley is a former Duke guard, who teamed up with Grant Hill for three seasons that resulted in back-to-back national championships in 1991 and 1992. If Stewart chooses Arizona State, he can lead the big man rotation that needs an enormous boost for the 2024-25 season and use this as a stepping stone for his future plans.
Read More: College Basketball Transfer Portal: 5 sleepers Duke should target
Is Sean Stewart an excellent transfer portal acquisition in the forward spot? Let's know in the comments section below.
