One of the biggest reasons for optimism for Jon Scheyer and Duke basketball in 2026-27 is the potential for the Blue Devils to have one of the best backcourts in the country.
Along with the massive retention wins of Caleb Foster and Cayden Boozer both returning to Durham, Scheyer added one talented guard in the Transfer Portal and another in the high school recruiting class.
Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell was one of the most sought-after players in the portal, and Scheyer's pitch hit home for him and lured him to Duke. That was a massive win for the Blue Devils, giving them a dynamic scoring guard who can be the go-to guy when things break down.
He also landed one of the top guards in high school basketball with 5-star Deron Rippey Jr. joining The Brotherhood.
Blackwell and Rippey, the newcomers to the Duke backcourt, have been working out together in Los Angeles this offseason at UCLA. They're clearly developing some instant chemistry:
John Blackwell throwing lobs to Deron Rippey during Rico Hines runs at UCLA
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) August 14, 2026
The Duke backcourt is gonna be fun pic.twitter.com/kfqNVUQJ9Q https://t.co/YKCxGuVABA
John Blackwell and Deron Rippey are developing chemistry ahead of their Duke debuts
You gotta love when an incoming freshman has such a desire to get better and attaches himself to a veteran on the team. Blackwell has been there and done that in college basketball, averaging 19 points per game last season for Wisconsin before hitting the portal and landing at Duke.
Both Blackwell and Rippey have already been in Durham working, but they are taking advantage of the last little bit of summer before the semester starts and they are back in class and on campus preparing for the 2026-27 season.
Expectations couldn't be higher for Duke next season. They are always sky-high in Durham. After two straight seasons of disastrous NCAA Tournament exits, Blackwell and Rippey are two new faces who will be counted on to help Duke finally get over the hump under Scheyer.
Duke's national title drought will be at 12 years once March Madness rolls around next year. Scheyer has built back-to-back teams capable of cutting down the nets, but both of those teams had major collapses in the Big Dance that led to untimely exits.
Upgrading the backcourt was necessary to avoid following the same script for a third straight season. Duke has three experienced guards now with Blackwell, Foster, and Boozer. With Rippey, he'll bring the lightning-in-a-bottle energy that will be majorly impactful off the bench next year.
Scheyer has built one of the nation's deepest rosters. As usual, it looks like he's already developing one of the closest locker rooms, too.
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