BYU a Finalist for Duke Transfer Jordan Goldwire

BYU lost out on Mike Saunders Jr this morning, but that doesn’t mean BYU is slowing down in the transfer portal. The latest target for BYU is Duke guard Jordan Goldwire. According to The Fayetteville Observer, BYU is one of six finalists for Goldwire along with Oregon State, Wichita State, Utah, Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

Goldwire played four seasons at Duke and was on the ACC All-Defensive team this past season. He averaged over two steals per game and is one of the premier perimeter defenders in college basketball. His 2.82 assist-to-turnover ratio was also tops in the ACC; Goldwire averaged 4 assists and 1.4 turnovers per game. Shooting is where Goldwire has been inconsistent. After averaging 4.8 points on 49% shooting and 35% three-point shooting as a junior, Goldwire averaged 5.8 points on 38% shooting, 33.3% three-point percentage and 74% free throw percentage as a senior. Goldwire had his moments as a scorer but would need to improve there.

BYU has been recruiting Goldwire for weeks. BYU coaches first had a Zoom meeting with him a couple weeks ago and have been in constant contact since. BYU assistant coach Chris Burgess reportedly made a quick connection with Goldwire since he also played at Duke under Coach K before transferring to Utah. Two Duke assistants that coached Goldwire — Chris Carrawell and Nate James — were both teammates with Burgess at Duke.

One source told me last week that Goldwire and Saunders Jr were equal targets in the mind of BYU coaches. Saunders not committing really opens up the door for BYU. Alex Barcello’s decision will likely have some influence on Goldwire, but sources have told me Goldwire could still commit to BYU even if Barcello comes back.

If Barcello returns and Goldwire comes to BYU then he would essentially replace Averette. If Goldwire can have the same shooting improvement that Averette did in his last season then I believe that Goldwire would be an upgrade. He has better size at 6-foot-2 and isn’t quite as turnover prone as Averette while being an excellent defender.

Goldwire could make his decision as soon as next week. I don’t know if I would consider BYU the favorite yet but I believe they have a solid shot. Oregon State and Oklahoma seem like the other two schools most in the mix with BYU, and Texas Tech a darkhorse with their new defensive-minded staff.

You can watch highlights from Goldwire below.