After an impressive offseason, Duke basketball ranked No. 2 overall in a recent preseason poll conducted by ESPN.
Despite losing key contributors to the 2026 NBA Draft, Duke still has one of the strongest rosters in college basketball ahead of the 2026-27 season. Their new additions headlined by Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell and top prospects Cameron Williams and Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje give the Blue Devils the most depth and length they’ve had in years.
Ahead of their season opener this fall, Duke remains near the top of preseason ranking polls. In a recent “Way-Too Early Top-25” list put together by ESPN, the Blue Devils were ranked second, only behind the Florida Gators. Virginia was the next closest ACC school, and they ranked 10 spots down from Duke at No. 12. Behind Florida and Duke, Illinois, Texas and UConn rounded out the top-five.
Of teams ranked in the top-15, Duke will face six of them during the regular season (Florida, UConn, Illinois, Michigan State, Texas Tech and Gonzaga).
