Lofty Expectations for Duke Basketball Only Continue To Rise

The Duke Blue Devils are in as good a position to win a National Championship heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season as they have been since Jon Scheyer took over as head coach.

Throughout the offseason and NBA pre-draft process, the Blue Devils had one of the most successful offseasons of any program in the sport. All departures (Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans, and Maliq Brown) were expected, and Scheyer and Co. rebuilt in a way that makes for a winning team in today’s era of college basketball.

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

What Jon Scheyer and His Staff Accomplished This Offseason

Duke will enter next season as the deepest team in the country, and it might not even be close. Scheyer has 10 or 11 guys who he could realistically put on the floor at any moment, with so many different skill sets to go along with it.

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I think this will be the best defensive unit Scheyer has had since he took over, and that is saying a lot considering in each year of his tenure, the Blue Devils have rated inside the top 20 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency per KenPom, and inside the top five in each of the past two seasons.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) controls the ball against High Point Panthers forward Terry Anderson (5) during the first half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

It starts with John Blackwell, who Duke landed via the transfer portal from Wisconsin. Coming off a junior campaign with the Badgers where the 6’4″ guard averaged over 19 points per game on 43.0% shooting from the field and 38.9% shooting from three-point range on 7.3…

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Publish date : 2026-06-15 11:00:00

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