College Basketball Preseason Rankings: No. 6 Duke Blue Devils

Top-25 College Basketball: Duke Projected Roster & Outlook

In this series, we'll be taking a closer look at RotoWire's preseason college basketball top-25, with an in-depth roster analysis and projected rotation for the 2025-26 season for each team. Today's feature will be the Duke Blue Devils.

6. Duke

Last year's Duke team was the best team, according to KenPom, since the 1998-99 Duke squad that went 37-2 before falling in the title game to UConn. Led by a potentially generational player in Cooper Flagg, Duke had everything -- incredible length at every position, the most efficient offense in basketball, the lowest opponent's effective FG percentage and tremendous depth. Their 2024 recruiting class had six players ranked inside the top-50, with four of them being 5-star players. 

Unfortunately, it all got away from them in the National Semifinal game against Houston, where the Blue Devils blew a late lead and were left heartbroken. Now, it's back to the drawing board after losing five players to the 2025 NBA Draft.

Coach Jon Scheyer reloaded quickly and is bringing in another incredibly strong class that includes three 5-stars for another title run. The Boozer twins will get a lot of the headlines, as Cameron Boozer is almost a carbon copy of his father Carlos, who played at Duke from 1999-2002 before a very successful NBA career. Cayden Boozer is a 6-4 point guard who has such a great feel for the game and should be an instant replacement for Tyrese Proctor (12.4 PPG). 

Nikolas Khamenia is one of the best forwards in the entire class and can handle the ball at 6-8 while flashing his terrific range. 

Scheyer's best freshman might actually end up being an international player, however. Dame Sarr, a 6-8 swingman, has been tearing it up for Barcelona. He makes the game look so easy and will certainly be a player everyone knows as the season rolls on. 

Expect Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba to both take big leaps in their sophomore campaigns as well. 

Coach Scheyer did it last year getting all these young players to buy in during an era primarily dominated by experience. He's certainly got the talent for another deep run, but it might take some time to figure out the best rotations. 

Check out how injuries are affecting the status of other players & teams on RotoWire's college basketball injury report.

2025-26 Duke Basketball Projected Starting Lineup:

PG: Cayden Boozer (No. 16 in ESPN 100)

SG: Isaiah Evans (6.8 PPG)

SF: Dame Sarr (Top International Freshman)

PF: Cameron Boozer (No. 3 in ESPN 100)

C: Patrick Ngongba (3.9 PPG)

Key Reserves: Nikolas Khamenia (No. 15 in ESPN 100), Caleb Foster (4.9 PPG), Maliq Brown (2.5 PPG), Sebastian Wilkins (No. 25 in ESPN 100), Darren Harris (2.0 PPG), Ifeanyi Ufochukwu (1.8 PPG at Rice)

2025-26 Full Preseason College Basketball Top-25

1. Purdue Boilermakers
2. Houston Cougars
3. Florida Gators
4. Kentucky Wildcats
5. St. John's Red Storm
6. Duke Blue Devils
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Michigan Wolverines
9. BYU Cougars
10. UConn Huskies
11. Texas Tech Red Raiders
12. Auburn Tigers
13. Arkansas Razorbacks
14. UCLA Bruins
15. Alabama Crimson Tide
16. Iowa State Cyclones
17. Arizona Wildcats
18. Michigan State Spartans
19. Gonzaga Bulldogs
20. Kansas Jayhawks
21. Tennessee Volunteers
22. North Carolina Tar Heels
23. Oregon Ducks
24. Illinois Fighting Illini
25. Wisconsin Badgers
26. Wisconsin Badgers