Off a 35-win season and Jon Scheyer’s first Final Four appearance, many might assume Duke basketball is sitting pretty heading into next season. They’d be wrong. The NBA has done its annual looting of Flagg, Knueppel and Malauch from the Duke roster and the Blue Devils look into next season with a task of nearly starting all over
That’s not to say that foes should feel sorry for the Blue Devils. A massive portal addition, the nation’s top high school recruiting class and a handful of solid returnees make the Blue Devils formidable, if not quite the squad they were a season ago. Let’s get into the Duke outlook heading into next season.
Duke Season Preview
Losing three likely NBA Draft lottery bound freshmen hurts, so Duke will probably wheel out three more. The bigger losses might be guys like Tyrese Proctor and Sion James, who made meaningful contributions while helping the youngsters find their roles. That might be the category which Duke ultimately scrambles to fill.
Starters
Guard: Cedric Coward
A massive portal addition from Washingon State, Coward figures to be a day one starter for the Blue Devils. Last season, he was knocked out of action by an early shoulder injury and played in only six games. He did average 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in those games, though. Coward was a must-nab for the Blue Devils.
Guard: Cayden Boozer
This spot is a bit of a mystery. Could be Boozer, could be one of the returnees, but over the long haul, the bet is that the freshman ends up with the job. At around 6-foot-4, Boozer should be a physical lead guard and if his perimeter shot is on, a consistent scoring threat.
Forward: Nik Khamenia
A 6-foot-8 forward from California, Khamenia was the No. 15 ranked player in the class from 247sports. Khamenia is probably more ready to contribute on the offensive end than the defensive end and has impressed with his ability to distribute the ball and potentially even function as a lanky point guard when needed.
Forward: Cameron Boozer
The crown jewel of a terrific freshman class, Cameron is the No.3 ranked player in the nation from 247sports. He draws praise for a pro-ready game with three level scoring and impressive defensive intensity and rebounding. He’s not a replacement for Cooper Flagg exactly, but he is likely to be the best player on an outstanding Duke squad.
Center: Patrick Ngongba
Ngongba returned to Duke and showed signs of significant improvement in the stretch run last season. The big freshman ended up averaging 3.9 points and 2.7 boards per game. But the 6-foot-11 youngster shot 72%. In a six-game stretch in the ACC Tournament and the first three games of the NCAA Tournament, Ngongba averaged 8.5 ppg– which sounds right for next year’s productivity.
Rotation Players
Returning guards Isaiah Evans (6.8 ppg, 42% on 3-pointers) and Caleb Foster (4.9 ppg after scoring 7.7 ppg as a starter the previous season) both figure to see significant playing time. Forward Maliq Brown (2.5 ppg, 3.7 rebounds per game) is also a significant contributor. 6-foot-10 Rutgers transfer Ifeanyi Ufochukwu will provide meaningful frontcourt depth.
Impact Players
Needless to say, the freshmen will have to live up to expectations in a hurry. The Boozer brothers and Washington State transfer Coward are all very important to the development of this team. A hidden key might be Ngongba, whose upside could break through next year.
