In college basketball nowadays, NIL money from top programs frequently exceeds player loyalty, making it difficult for coaches to keep their roster together over the offseason.
Amid this backdrop, the Duke Blue Devils managed to return the majority of their core from last season, breaking their recent one-and-done trend. Head coach Jon Scheyer bucked the trend by bringing back five important returnees, making Duke a prominent team this offseason.
Jon Scheyer Receives Praise for Duke’s Strong Offseason
The Blue Devils’ 2025-26 season came to an end with a heartbreaking last-second defeat to UConn in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. After a defeat like this, many teams would have seen a large number of transfers and roster changes, notably with National College Player of the Year Cameron Boozer announcing for the NBA Draft.
Instead, Duke has had a string of wonderful news lately, with Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, Dame Sarr, and Sebastian Wilkins all confirming their return to the Blue Devils next season.
Scheyer also secured excellent transfers John Blackwell and Drew Scharnowski, as well as highly regarded freshmen Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. , Bryson Howard, and Maxime Meyer, so while Duke will have certain familiar faces, they have also strengthened their roster.
Alec Kichian, the owner of NBA Draft Point, revealed the Blue Devils’ projected lineup for the 2026-27 season and asked an open-ended question: “Most loaded squad in the country? “
It is worth mentioning that Darren Harris and Nik Khamenia transferred, while Isaiah Evans declared for the NBA Draft. Nonetheless, Scheyer and his coaching staff are receiving considerable acclaim for keeping so many essential players and rebuilding around them, including Duke podcaster Ryan Lommen.
“Retain and reload. ” Unreal by Scheyer and crew. Can’t wait for next season 🔥,” Lommen said.
CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein weighed in to emphasize Duke’s depth. It will be intriguing to observe how Scheyer distributes minutes among his strong perimeter corps, which includes Foster, Blackwell, Sarr, Boozer, Rippey, and Howard.
Scheyer and Co. are seeking to put the final touches on a juggernaut with national championship aspirations, thus there are still a few scholarship places open at Duke.
Duke is regarded as the early favorite, along with Florida and Michigan, since both the Gators and Wolverines have had strong offseasons.
