There’s certainly a sour taste in the mouth of many Duke supporters after the way last season ended, with the late collapse and shot at the buzzer to lose to UConn in the Elite Eight. Regardless, Jon Scheyer has proven to be the right choice in succeeding Coach K and is fresh off another 35-win season. Duke has reached at least the Elite Eight for three straight years and have the talent to go even further this upcoming campaign.
Three Duke players heard their names called in the NBA Draft, including star freshman Cameron Boozer, but there’s more than enough talent back in Durham. Both Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr are back for their sophomores years, while Patrick Ngongba II returns at center in his junior year. The Blue Devils also return Caleb Foster as an important weapon in the backcourt, though more reinforcements are coming.
Another nationally relevant recruiting class includes big men Cam Williams and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, who are both considered Top 5 recruits. The backcourt also grabs a pair of Top 30 names in 4-stars Deron Rippey Jr. and Bryson Howard. Experience comes through the transfer portal, with the Blue Devils picking up talented forward Drew Scharnowski from Belmont while also grabbing Jacob Theodosiou out of Loyola-Maryland.
There’s a name that really floated to the top among the offseason additions and it makes sense, seeing as John Blackwell was one of the top names available in the transfer portal. He comes to Durham after playing a starring role at Wisconsin the last three years. The 6-4 from Highland Park, Michigan was a solid reserve as a freshman before starring in the Badgers’ backcourt, putting up 19.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this past season.
Adding this type of player in the portal is a monumental victory for any program but it really rings true for the Blue Devils. Scheyer remains one of the best recruiters in the nation and has once again added some incredible young talent to this squad. However, getting an experienced backcourt weapon like Blackwell really adds to the potential for a Blue Devils team that has a great balance of raw talent and experience. Blackwell himself is a nightmare matchup with great shooting touch who’ll become a notable scorer for the Blue Devils.
There’s a clear reason why many prognosticators have Duke at or near the top of the preseason polls. This roster is jam packed with talent, with the incredible combination of returning players, elite freshmen, and these notable transfer pieces. Blackwell jumps into a key scoring role and doesn’t even need to match his production from last season. Imagine the shape the Blue Devils would be in even if he can put up 19 points a game again as a senior.
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