Clear Team Challenging Duke for Preseason No. 1 Ranking

The Duke Blue Devils will enter the 2026-27 season as one of the top teams in college basketball, and are firmly in the mix to earn the No. 1 overall AP ranking once the campaign gets going.

Head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have built a roster that Duke fans aren’t used to seeing, one that prioritizes continuity and veteran presence over raw talent.

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer looks on against the UConn Huskies in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the East Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Duke is returning three starters from a club that won the ACC regular-season and tournament titles en route to earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. It also brought in two high-profile transfers in John Blackwell and Drew Scharnowski, as well as the No. 1 overall 2026 high school recruiting class.

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The Blue Devils are probably the deepest team in college basketball, and this is the most championship-ready squad Scheyer has had since he took over in Durham. Duke has as good an argument as any team to earn the preseason No. 1 ranking, but there’s one program that is the clear challenger.

Florida head coach Todd Golden reacts during the first half of the NCAA March Madness second round at Benchmark international Arena in Tampa, FL on Friday, March 20, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Florida Could Be Preseason No. 1 Team Over Duke

Similar to the Blue Devils, Florida had about as good an offseason as head coach Todd Golden could have asked for. In today’s era of college basketball, it’s difficult to bring back the majority of a rotation from an elite team, but the Gators experienced almost no hurt this offseason.

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Golden is returning six of his top seven scorers from a season ago in Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland,…

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Publish date : 2026-06-02 12:00:00

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