Mason Gillis commits to Duke

After growing speculation since senior forward Mason Gillis announced his entry into the transfer portal, the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter has committed to Duke for his final season of eligibility, as first reported by Joe Tipton of On3.

Gillis left Purdue shortly after the Boilers' April 8 national championship loss to Connecticut, announcing his departure via Instagram the 16th.

Almost as soon as Gillis put his name in, the Duke buzz proliferated. Travis Branham and John Watson, of 247Sports and The Devils Den, both predicted Friday that Gillis would join Duke via 247's crystal ball, and another Devils Den contributor predicted the same two days later.

Duke skipper Jon Scheyer had openings after two stars from last season's Elite Eight run, Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain, declared for the NBA Draft. The Blue Devils' needs were exacerbated when seven players hit the portal. The Athletic's Brendan Marks reported early on that Scheyer was looking for "a starting-caliber forward" who has experience and the ability to extend his game beyond the arc, all while guarding down low.

In Gillis, a player who played center in high school and shot nearly 50% from 3 last season, Duke appears to have found its man. Gillis announced the change via his Instagram Monday afternoon: