Duke finished with the same record in Year 2 under Jon Scheyer as it did in Year 1 (27-9). But the Blue Devils made strides by reaching the Elite Eight after flaming out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament during Scheyer’s debut campaign. Now, Scheyer brings his most-hyped team yet into his third season as the replacement for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski.
That may not be fair for a team that returns only two players who logged regular minutes last season, but it’s the reality for a program that landed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. Duke’s six-man freshman haul is headlined by No. 1 overall prospect Cooper Flagg, and the roster has been constructed to maximize Flagg’s impact.
The only scholarship player with more than one year of experience in a Duke uniform is junior guard Tyrese Proctor, meaning Scheyer will face a challenge in building cohesion. While Duke is young, it did add some veteran muscle via the transfer portal. Transfers Sion James (Tulane), Mason Gillis (Purdue) and Maliq Brown (Syracuse) are each multi-year college players who will play complementary roles and bring leadership.
As college basketball’s offseason player movement cycle stops, it’s time to start breaking down the rosters of the sport’s top programs. For this installment, we’re taking a look at the Blue Devils and trying to decipher what their lineup could look like when the season begins.
Projected starting lineup
1. Tyrese Proctor
6-6 | 183 | Jr.
Proctor didn’t have the breakout sophomore season that some projected, and his 0 for 9 showing in Duke’s Elite Eight loss to NC State marked an unattractive conclusion. But the Australian product did show signs of progress. He improved his assist-to-turnover ratio and upped his shooting percentages during his second year in the program. With Jeremy Roach gone, Proctor should take on a leadership role and have the ball in his hands quite a bit.
2. Caleb Foster
6-5 | 202 | So.
A top-25 freshman from the Class of 2023, Foster showed promise before an ankle injury ended his season in late February. He hit 40.6% of his 3-pointers while averaging 7.7 points as a part-time starter. The departures of Roach and Jared McCain give Foster a natural opportunity to slide into a showcase role in the backcourt. He went No. 10 in Gary Parrish’s initial 2025 NBA mock draft.
3. Cooper Flagg
6-9 | 205 | Fr.
The projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft is the centerpiece of Duke’s roster. Flagg won’t turn 18 until Dec. 21, but he’s got the tools to be the Blue Devils’ top all-around player. Look no further than his performance against Team USA for evidence. Flagg has the size and versatility to dominate both ends of the floor and might be college basketball’s most-anticipated one-and-done prospect since Zion Williamson.
4. Maliq Brown
6-9 | 222 | Jr.
Brown ranked as Syracuse’s top overall player last year, per evanmiya.com‘s Bayesian Performance Rating. He’s an efficient but offensively quiet four who thrives on the defensive end. That makes him an ideal fit for the Blue Devils, who will be getting their offensive punch from other sources. Brown earned ACC All-Defense honors as a sophomore while averaging 2.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest.
5. Khaman Maluach
7-2 | 250 | Fr.
It’s never wise to place outsized expectations on freshman bigs, as the Year 1 hit rate is spotty at best for such players in the modern game. The hope for Maluach is that his sheer size and skill around the rim make will him effective. While he is a viable candidate to start at the five for the Blue Devils, it would be prudent to measure expectations for his overall productivity.
Bench
Mason Gillis
6-6 | 225 | Gr.
Gillis epitomized what it means to be a role player for a high-caliber program during his five seasons at Purdue. He’ll provide the same veteran leadership and excellent floor-spacing at the four as he did for a Final Four team last season.
Sion James
6-6 | 220 | Gr.
James is the type of savvy, veteran addition that can help hold an otherwise young roster together. He averaged a career-high 14 points per game on 38.1% 3-point shooting in his fourth season at Tulane and is a good perimeter defender.
Isaiah Evans
6-6 | 175 | Fr.
Evans is an offensively gifted perimeter player. He’s lean and needs some physical development, but the McDonald’s All-American should carve out a role off the bench.
Kon Knueppel
6-7 | 217 | Fr.
Roach and McCain each shot better than 41% from 3-point range last season as the Blue Devils ranked No. 15 nationally at 37.7%. With both departed, Knueppel could find an offensive niche as Duke seeks to remain an upper-echelon outside shooting team.
Depth
Darren Harris | 6-6 | 203 | Fr.
Patrick Ngongba II | 6-11 | 250 | Fr.
Cameron Sheffield | 6-6 | 204 | Sr.
Harris is the No. 38 prospect in the Class of 2024, which would make him a headline addition for most programs. At Duke, he’s the sixth-highest-ranked player in his own recruiting class and will have to battle for playing time. Ngonba is a promising big man but he’s on the mend from injuries and seems poised for a developmental season. Sheffield is a former starter at Rice who missed last season due to injury.
