Duke once again had plenty of roster turnover from last year’s team that went 35-4 overall and returned to the Final Four. Still, for all their losses, the Blue Devils had enough returners and additions to again remain atop the ACC for ’25-’25.
Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports previewed the Atlantic Coast Conference on ‘Inside College Basketball Now’ on Monday. That came with a main topic being that, until proven otherwise, Duke is still the league’s best team, going on to select them as his clear No. 1 team in the preseason in the ACC.
“Duke is Duke,” said Rothstein. “What I’m saying is, Duke is obviously going to be the class of the league until Duke is not the class of the league.”
Duke proved that again last year in what was their best season yet out of three under Jon Scheyer as the Blue Devils tied for their third-best record in school history, won both conference titles, and made it to the Final Four for the first time since Coach K.’s final season in 2022, being a late-game collapse away from making the national title game, in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Still, the five best names from that roster are now all gone as picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, including a trio of top-ten picks in the lottery back in June.
“Now, did Duke have major, major losses from last year’s team? Absolutely,” noted Rothstein. “Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach – all big-time, big-time losses. Sion James and Tyrese Proctor as well.”
That said, Duke did retain some key rotational pieces who’ll now have to take a step up in their next seasons, namely the ones in the backcourt. The Blue Devils then also again bring in a No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2025, which is led by Cam Boozer, a Five-Star+ prospect and the No. 3 overall recruit per Rivals’ Industry Ranking, who Rothstein has as part of the Preseason All-ACC First Team and who he likened to the other great freshmen they’ve had in their program’s history.
“Duke, under Jon Scheyer, who has been an incredible steward of the Blue Devils’ program since Mike Krzyzewski retired, has reloaded, but it also has gotten guys back,” said Rothstein. “Keeping, obviously, Caleb Foster gives you a capable guard with experience. And I think, if you’re looking for a name for returning players that’s going to make a jump this year in the ACC, the name to watch for Duke is Isaiah Evans. He put up big numbers during a stretch late in the season where there was obviously some injury issues and some health issues with Duke’s lineup. Isaiah Evans, to me, is a guy that should be on every breakout list nationally…Also think getting Maliq Brown back as a key defender, role player will be big for Duke…Patrick Ngongba could also have a breakout season.”
“Now, when you’re Duke, and when you’re a flagship program in the sport, you’re also going to get some of the best freshmen in the country,” Rothstein continued. “Cam Boozer, who’s brother, Cayden Boozer, is also going to be a part of Duke, is going to play major, major role. And Cam Boozer to me, who I love as a face-up big man, is going to be in the mold of some of the other great Duke freshmen that we have seen for years in this program – like a Paolo Banchero, players of that ilk.”
Duke remains as blue as a blue blood can be in the NCAA, let along in the ACC. That should be no different this season with how Rothstein projects it to again go in Durham.
“Until we see something different, Duke, who’s going to play a very, very aggressive, you know, schedule under Jon Scheyer, is, to me, still going to be the flagship program in this conference,” said Rothstein. “The ACC still goes through Cameron Indoor Stadium.”
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