After a three-loss season last year, Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils had an impressive offseason. While they did lose three key contributors in Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Maliq Brown to the NBA, they dominated the summer in three different facets.
For starters, they brought back current talent, including Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Patrick Ngongba II and Cayden Boozer. Next, they added one of the top transfers in the portal, former Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell. Lastly, they added plenty of high-level recruits, including Cameron Williams, Deron Rippey Jr. and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje.
For these reasons, it’s no surprise that the Blue Devils are considered early favorites prior to tip-off this fall. College basketball analysts Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman have high expectations for Duke, as the two handed out A+ and A- offseason grades for Scheyer and his program. Goodman praised their depth, saying, “They can withstand an injury. Their bench is going to be better than everyone else’s. That’s a major, major advantage to me.”
While the Blue Devils certainly have a long way to go until spring, on paper, Duke seems to have all the tools necessary to be there at the end of March Madness.
