How will Duke’s basketball roster look next season? Hint: very talented again
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Cam Boozer and Evans likely eye pros; Ngongba may stay in college.
- Top recruits arrive and are expected to vie for major roles next season.
- Staff change plus open transfer portal could influence Duke's 2026-27 roster.
As the Duke Blue Devils tried to cope with the loss to Connecticut on Sunday, there was one sobering realization: it was the last time the team would be together, as one, after a game.
Freshman Cayden Boozer mentioned the “connectivity” this year’s team had, but that will change.
In looking to next season, Cameron Boozer should follow the path of former star Cooper Flagg and head to the NBA, where the 6-9 freshman like Flagg could be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Gone, too, very likely is Isaiah Evans. The sophomore guard has his eyes on pro ball and the next step in his basketball journey, even if the UConn loss was a sour one for the Fayetteville native.
Sophomore center Patrick Ngongba II could entertain the thought of going pro, although another year of college ball probably would be his best option at this point.
Caleb Foster? That could make for an interesting decision about the junior guard, whose season took an unexpected late turn when he fractured a bone in his foot as the regular season was ending.
In an age where so many players head to the NCAA transfer portal, which opens April 7, the Blue Devils have the financial wherewithal to both entice the top recruits while keeping what players they want. This past season, Duke brought in Cam and Cayden Boozer, Nikolas Khamenia and Dame Sarr as freshmen while keeping upperclassmen Maliq Brown, Foster, Evans, Ngongba and Darren Harris in the fold.
The mix was a good one as the Devils won both the ACC’s regular season and tournament titles and finished with 35 wins in the 2025-26 season. Losing a 19-point lead and the game to UConn in the NCAA’s East Region final, a step away from the Final Four, stung deeply but the season was a success.
What’s next?
Duke has had Cooper Flagg and then Cam Boozer the past two seasons to build around and both were named college basketball’s national player of the year. That was quite the luxury for Duke coach Jon Scheyer and his staff, building a team around a superstar big man, albeit with different playing styles.
Cayden Boozer has said it will be “weird” playing without his twin brother next season and one would think he will remain at Duke. Sarr, who came to Duke from the Spanish pro league, could do the same and Khamenia could stay and take on a bigger role as a sophomore given his versatility.
“I’m really grateful to be a part of this team and having these teammates and this staff means a lot to me,” Sarr said after the UConn loss.
Duke recruiting class strong again
Scheyer and his staff have put together a recruiting class for next season that could be the nation’s best with 5-star players in 6-11 Cameron Williams, 6-2 Deron Rippey Jr., and 6-4 small forward Bryson Howard. Also in the class is 7-1 center Maxime Meyer, rated a 4-star recruit.
Rippey is considered one of the nation’s elite prep point guards and could push Cayden Boozer for the starting job unless Boozer looks elsewhere to play.
“I expect to just get on the court, get everyone on the team involved and do what it takes to win,” Rippey said Monday during the McDonald’s All-American Games media day. “I know Jon Scheyer has some expectations from me coming in, and I want to make sure I make myself available to check off all those boxes, whether it’s defense or getting people involved or scoring. I just want to be a dog on the court.”
Williams, from Phoenix, is rated a top-five recruit nationally and the top power forward, becomes the big man in the middle with Cam Boozer gone. Like Rippey, he was chosen for the McDonald’s All-Star game,
“I think with our freshman class coming in we’re going to be very special,” Williams said Monday. “I think we’re going to have everything we need to have to win the national championship.”
Rippey and Williams were asked about the loss to UConn and how they might help avenge the crushing end to the Duke season in the NCAA East Region final.
“Ir was tough seeing that (Sunday) but at the end of the day I just want to shout out the team for such an amazing season,” Rippey said. “My mindset going in next year is just locking in on the margins. I looked at the tournament this year and how close all the games were … and my mindset is just locking in and playing to the standard. Everything is going to work out if we play to the Duke standard.”
More Duke coaching staff changes
Duke coaching staff will have a different look next season. Assistant coach Evan Bradds is leaving to become head coach at Belmont, where he played basketball.
As Scheyer enters his fifth season as head coach, Duke again will have the talent level to contend for a national title. That remains a constant at Duke.
“The goal that I’ve had, and I think for our program, is to have consistency,” Scheyer said before the UConn game “You want to have as many at-bats as possible in March of getting a chance to win the whole thing, but the success you have through the course of a season, and I think for us it’s been having great players.
“I don’t think it’s really a secret. Can you get great players? Can you have a connected group and have a culture? Which I think is harder to do these days, but I think these guys have shown that they have as good of a culture and are as connected as any team.
“I think that both those things lead to having a great program.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "How will Duke’s basketball roster look next season? Hint: very talented again."
