Last Year: 27-9; 15-5, Second in the Atlantic Coast Conference, lost in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Jon Scheyer (Third Year; 54-18 at Duke, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
PG Tyrese Proctor – 6’6″, 183 Junior
G Caleb Foster – 6’5″, 202 Sophomore
W Cooper Flagg – 6’9″, 205 Freshman / 5-star recruit
F Maliq Brown – 6’9″, 222 Junior
C Khaman Maluach – 7’2″, 250 Freshman / 5-star recruit
Experienced Reserves
G Sion James – 6’6″, 220 5th-year Senior
F Mason Gillis – 6’6″, 225 5th-year Senior
Freshmen
G Isaiah Evans – 6’6″, 175 / 5-star recruit
W Darren Harris – 6’6″, 203 / Top 50 recruit
W Kon Knueppel – 6’7″, 217 / 5-star recruit
C Patrick Ngongba – 6’11”, 250 / Top 50 recruit
No one can say for sure yet just how big a legend Jon Scheyer will or will not become as Duke’s head coach. What we can say with certainty after just Scheyer’s third offseason in charge, though, is that the guy can ‘croot with the best of ’em.
Coming off of back-to-back 27-9 seasons and an impressive run back in March, everybody’s favorite public enemy #1 is looking very strong once again. Which is sort of incredible, given all the talent that Scheyer and his staff watched depart from Durham this spring. The Blue Devils lost three young stars in skilled forward Mark Mitchell, sharpshooting guard Jared McCain, and All-American post Kyke Filipowski. Then, fifth-year point guard Jeremy Roach lit out for Baylor. In all, six players transferred away. Duke isn’t used to watching star talent and key pieces of the rotation simply leave for other schools.
It’s alright, though, because one of the reasons that guys left was that they could see what was coming down the tracks. Scheyer has stitched together one of the best recruiting classes in recent Duke history – which is saying something – and it’s headlined by the biggest star to come out of the high school ranks in years. The Blue Devils have some good ones returning, too. Plus, Scheyer and his staff identified some good-match veterans in the portal, and will fit them in among the 5-star kids.
If you were to candidly ask some of America’s top college coaches, they wouldn’t just tell you that incoming Duke freshman Cooper Flagg is going to be the nation’s top rookie: they would tell you that he is going to be the best player in all of college basketball. A rare blend of size, skill, smarts, athleticism and surpassing basketball instincts, Flagg is considered a generational talent. That he’s just turned 18 years old and has only scratched the surface of what he will become is the part that gets NBA scouts, the Cameron Crazies, and pretty much anyone who’s seen Flagg play so far hyped.
A rare blend of size, skill, smarts, athleticism and surpassing basketball instincts, Flagg is considered a generational talent.
With fluid moves and the ability to change gaits or accelerate easily at 6’9″ Flagg is a straight-up terror defensively. If you haven’t seen video of him chasing people down and blocking their shots yet, you will. His length and lateral quickness combined with Flagg’s elite awareness and timing make him an extraordinary rim protector. He’s a highly effective one-on-one defender, but Flagg may be even better in transition or as something of a football safety in the halfcourt. He keenly observes seemingly the whole floor, and Flagg’s ability to cover ground in no time allows him to pounce on opponents who didn’t think he was coming. He’s the best sort of help defender there is, and by processing the action around him and covering up mistakes with momentum-changing plays, Flagg can transmute bad plays into highlights.
He’s still adding consistency to his jump shot, but Flagg can score from pretty much anywhere when he gets rolling. With his quick feet and great agility for his size, Flagg can make graceful plays, but he’s also got the attitude and explosiveness to bring the noise. Flagg knows he’s bigger and quicker than most people who can keep up with him on his way to the rim, so he takes it hard to the goal whenever possible. He can be an elite scorer in isolation, yet Flagg’s vision allows him to find open teammates and he’s unselfish enough to take advantage of all the defensive attention he attracts by spreading the rock around. His outstanding footwork flashes when he posts up, and Flagg can make his way to the cup or display his growing arsenal of spins and fades into short a jumper. There’s really nothing he can’t do, and Flagg does many of the most important, hard-to-teach things at a veteran level already. Even among players with similar physical tools, Flagg’s confidence and mind for the game sets him well ahead of the crowd. There are an obscene amount of expectations for him to try and live up to, but the feeling is that Flagg’s one season in Durham is going to be one for the ages.
He may not be arriving to quite the same fanfare as Flagg, but Khaman Maluach is unmissable all the same. With a big, strong frame and 7’1″ stature, Maluach is a youngster who’s ready to hold his own against the grown fifth-year dudes that he will be going up against this year. He’s got some developed skills, too. Smartly leaning into his power and length inside, Maluach has the foundation of a great post-up game. He operates confidently with his back to the basket and has some surprisingly nimble feet for such a large person, and Maluach reliably hits hook shots when he can’t get all the way to the rim. When he can, well, opponents may as well just start jogging to the other end of the floor.
The thing that makes Maluach an elite 5-star recruit in his own right is that, in addition to his overwhelming size and range of ways to score near the rim, Maluach already has a legit jumper, too. He gets to it fairly smoothly, and Maluach is a threat to spot up even when people are guarding him on the perimeter. His range extends out to the three-point arc, and if he can consistently pull his man out to the wing, Maluach will be a nearly impossible matchup. He’s an effective rim protector, and with Maluach anchoring the defense and Flagg ranging all around the paint, Duke’s interior defense could be suffocating. His conditioning has been a bit of a question, but Maluach has worked hard since arriving in Durham, and he should be a featured option from the first moment of his rookie campaign.
The two key guys that Scheyer is bringing back are a couple of big, playmaking guards, and both are poised to flourish this fall. The past two years, Tyrese Proctor has been taking steady steps as the 1-B to Roach’s 1-A at the point. This year, he will be the guy running a great deal of Duke’s offense, and it’s likely that Proctor’s performance will have a lot to say about how high a ceiling this team has. His scoreless, 0/9 shooting day in Duke’s Elite Eight loss to ACC rival NC State has been in the back of Blue Devil minds all summer, but Proctor is far more as a player than one big-game dud.
Prior to the NC State game, Proctor had played very well down the stretch of Duke’s campaign. After the new year, Proctor shot the ball better than ever before, played sticky defense, and took great care of the ball as Duke finished 15-5 in ACC play. Over the 17 games prior to their Elite Eight loss, Proctor had averaged 11.7 points on 37.6% shooting from the land of trey, and his 18 points with five assists and no turnovers against James Madison‘s intense pressure had been particularly impressive in getting Duke to the Sweet Sixteen. Now that he’s the veteran starter running things, Proctor must show more physicality and a stronger ability to finish when he drives towards the goal. A good and improving shooter, Proctor has played rather on the perimeter thus far. He doesn’t always take high-percentage shots, but Proctor is generally responsible with the ball and posted a very clean 118 assists against just 40 turnovers as a sophomore. If he can keep on making smart plays and supplying Duke’s new weapons with quality looks, Proctor’s transition to a bigger role should be a smooth one.
A 5-star recruit a year ago, Caleb Foster showed a lot of good things up until a stress fracture in his ankle brought an early end to his debut. With great size and a good feel overall on offense, Foster can play a variety of roles in the backcourt. He can get downhill out of a ball screen, and Foster will tale and make tough shots close to the basket. He shot 40.6% from downtown last year, and if he can keep that up, Foster will be a rather complete scoring threat. He’s another unselfish young Blue Devil, and will find guys after drawing defenders with his dribble. Foster earned 15 starts and posted an even 58:29 assist to turnover ratio as a freshman to go with his strong shooting. With so many skills that can mesh smoothly with the guys Duke has added, Foster brings all sorts of situational value to the lineup, and he’s going to play big minutes as a sophomore.
The veterans that Duke has added through the portal aren’t stop-the-presses star acquisitions, but each brings clearly translatable attributes to Durham. Former Tulane star Sion James plays a well-rounded game and, like Foster, he’s a big guard with natural passing skills. He’s also a superfreak athlete who throws down the occasional atomic dunk when he’s not making smart plays to keep the offense rolling. He’s not a classic point guard, but James has a great feel for moving the ball towards good opportunities. His time spent in a two-man facilitation operation with triple-double threat Kevin Cross at Tulane has prepared James to make things happen in creative ways, and he’s great in transition. A steady four-year starter in Uptown New Orleans, James became nearly indispensable to the Green Wave and played the most minutes per game in the American Athletic Conference each of the past two seasons. He also ranks fifth all-time in the conference in steals, and James brings great versatility with his excellence guarding all over the perimeter.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 47.5% – Team FG Percentage (36th) |
| 66.3 – Opponent Points Per Game (29th) |
| 9.7 – Turnovers Per Game (24th) |
| 67.8% – Opponent FT Percentage (13th) |
| 37.7% – Team 3FG Percentage (15th) |
Forwards Mason Gillis and Maliq Brown have proven that they can bomb away from deep and score inside. That is, Gillis has proven that he can bomb away from deep, and Brown can score inside. Both have the skulls to add that second part to their game, though, and will look to prove it in Durham.
Over the four seasons that Gillis played for the Boilermakers (he redshirted in 2019-20), Purdue won a hundred games. He played in the national championship game last season, too, and experience has taught Gillis a few things about dealing with high expectations. He’s produced four remarkably consistent campaigns – statistically at least – and Gillis knows how to compliment a mammoth featured option at the pivot after playing his whole career next to Zach Edey, which ought to come in handy as he builds a rapport with Maluach. The sturdily-built sharpshooter was named the Big Ten‘s 6th Man of the Year last season, but started 63 games with the Boilers, and has dealt with quite a variety of difficult defensive assignments over the years. Scheyer believes that Gillis, who has splashed 150 career triples at a 40.7% career rate, can be more of a drive threat, and the fifth-year forward has always converted at a tidy (72.1%, per Bart Torvik) clip near the rim. Even if he simply remains who he has been, though, Gillis figures to earn a significant role with his tremendously reliable play.
Like James, former Syracuse forward Brown is a defensive standout who happens to be a ridiculous athlete. As a sophomore, Brown threw down 48 dunks, swiped the most steals in the ACC, was named to the league’s All-Defense team, and then switched schools. He gives the Blue Devils another guy who can cover a bunch of different opponents, and Brown’s familiarity with the ACC will be a real asset in defensive meetings. Brown is money in the bank when he catches the ball deep inside or has a path through the lane; he converted an excellent 73.9% of his looks near the rim last year, per Bart Torvik. He can shoot the ball a bit too, and rattled home seven deep balls last year, but Brown is still working on the rest of his offensive game. With the way he gets after the other team and finishes good looks, though, Brown is going to get the run to figure it all out.
Cameron Sheffield has a great name to be a Blue Devil, and his all-around skills will help this group. Coming off of a redshirt due to a foot injury, Sheffield isn’t a dominant scorer but does a bunch of other things well which should complement Duke’s shooting stars. He defends well, rebounds with impressive toughness, and can hit the three. At a lanky 6’6″, Sheffield looks a whole lot like the sort of 3-and-D player that any quality team would like to have. As a reserve matchup advantage who won’t need the ball in his hands in order to make things happen, Sheffield should find his orbit.
We already touched on what an absurd embarrassment of riches Scheyer and his staff are bringing in; here’s the rest of it. In addition to Maluach and Flagg, the Blue Devils have signed two more 5-star rookies, as well as a pair of high-end 4-star prospects. It’s a completely, absurdly, majestically loaded class of freshmen, and they will all get a chance to help out.
On most other teams, Kon Knueppel would be the biggest prospect signed in years, and his arrival would be accompanied by incredible hype. At Duke, he’s playing third fiddle for now, but the excitement is real nonetheless. A spectacular shooter with legit size and an expanding offensive repertoire, Knueppel looks like a sure star in the making. He was the top scorer in EYBL play last year, and Knueppel seems like he’ll be an instant threat when he hits the floor for Duke. His feel for the game is well beyond his years, and Knueppel moves from one high-percentage offensive opportunity to the next with a veteran’s nonchalance. His handle is confident, plus Knueppel isn’t easily rattled and makes great passes all over the floor. He’s not an extraordinary physical specimen, but Knueppel has the strong frame and improving foot speed to keep on getting buckets at a very high level. He’s impressed throughout fall camp, and the expectation is that Knueppel will be a major part of this team’s offense.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N Kansas – November 26 |
| vs Auburn – December 4 |
| @ Arizona – November 22 |
| N Kentucky – November 12 |
| vs George Mason – December 17 |
The fourth elite prospect coming to Cameron Indoor this fall is Isaiah Evans. While he’s still coming into his still-growing frame, Evans has playmaking skills and can range all over the perimeter to make things happen. A mid-range scorer whose range is improving, Evans has the quick first step and length to pile up buckets quickly. Scouts haven’t always loved his shot selection, but Evans is a flashy scorer when he’s hitting. With so many experienced and/or efficient scorers around him, Evans should pick up some better tendencies as he adds strength to his willowy frame.
Maluach will get support in the post from Patrick Ngongba II, who wasn’t far away from 5-star accolades in his own right. His offensive awareness plus great size already have Ngongba looking like a top pro prospect, and should allow him to make a serious impact even in a reserve role. Broad and powerful, Ngongba also has great touch inside and will score off of screening action or putback tries, and he’s developing real savvy in creating his own opportunities when fed the rock inside. He’s struggled with injuries already in his young career, but if Ngongba can stay healthy, he’ll continue to level up quickly. While Evans is showing growth as a passer and scorer off the bounce, his defining skill is a silky-smooth jumper. Minutes won’t be easy to come by on this squad, but Evans is the type of dude who will come in and land knockout blows from the perimeter to help push Duke over the top.
If you smirked back when dudes started bailing on Duke a few months ago, then the crypt keeper was absolutely cackling back at you. The Blue Devils remain a powerhouse, and this new bunch is about to put together a highlight reel of a season.
Everyone understands a couple of things about Duke. They expect to win and compete for titles as a general rule; and this team is uniquely stocked up to get the job done.
The Blue Devils are facing a bigger conference than ever before, but as one of the ACC’s legendary outfits, this group shouldn’t be daunted by much. To prepare for March, the usual strong schedule full of other elite foes awaits – Kansas, Arizona, and Kentucky await, and Auburn looks like a Top Ten team this year, as well. The hype surrounding their young guys means unrealistic expectations, but Duke has such diversity of talent and skill that things should roll on. If Scheyer is ready to dole out the minutes effectively and if this team’s situational approach and awareness end up being as ready for the bright lights as its roster, great things will be in Duke’s immediate future.
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