Duke has become one of college basketball’s safest preseason bets under Jon Scheyer.
The Blue Devils recruit elite prospects, add proven players through the transfer portal and routinely perform like one of the best teams in the country. Scheyer’s average KenPom finish over the past three seasons is 3.7.
That is remarkable consistency.
Yet Duke has also watched promising postseason runs end painfully in consecutive years. Entering the 2026-27 season, the Blue Devils again look capable of earning a No. 1 seed and reaching the Final Four.
In a CBS Sports survey of nearly 100 Division I coaches, Duke received 16% of the votes for the best team in college basketball. That placed the Blue Devils second behind Florida, which dominated the poll with 55%.
Next up in our Candid Coaches series is another we ask every year.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) August 21, 2026
Who's going to be the best team this season?@CBSSports surveyed nearly 100 coaches. Nine schools got at least one vote. Here are the results:https://t.co/hYBjSjzcPX
Duke might possess the deepest roster in the country, but the anonymous coaches surveyed also identified the question that could shape its season.
Can the frontcourt deliver?
Patrick Ngongba and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje hold the key
Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell is expected to become Duke’s leading scorer. The Blue Devils also possess another collection of gifted guards and wings capable of creating mismatches.
The bigger uncertainty exists closer to the basket.
Patrick Ngongba is positioned to step into an expanded role and has the potential to become one of the nation’s top big men. If he produces at that level, Duke will have a dependable interior presence to balance its perimeter talent.
The most fascinating variable might be 17-year-old freshman Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje.
Boumtje Boumtje is exceptionally young, but his size and upside give Duke another potentially transformative option. He does not have to become a superstar immediately. If he can defend, rebound and provide reliable minutes, the Blue Devils’ roster becomes much more complete.
One coach told CBS Sports that Duke would be in “pole position” if its frontcourt proved to be good at all.
That comment captures both the excitement and the concern.
Duke has enough offensive talent to overwhelm most opponents. It has enough depth to survive injuries, foul trouble and off nights. What it cannot afford is an interior weakness that becomes increasingly difficult to hide in March.
Scheyer’s program has come close enough that another great regular season will not feel entirely satisfying.
The Blue Devils are built to chase a championship. Whether they can catch Florida and finish the journey could depend on how quickly their young frontcourt grows up.
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