Jon Scheyer will have arguably his deepest roster yet in Durham in 2026-27. The Blue Devils have a lot of options in terms of figuring out a starting five and which players will make up the rotation. The most difficult decision will come when Duke wants to trim the rotation and who ends up being the odd men out.
Because as practice gets underway, Duke has 10-11 players who look deserving of minutes. That depth should be a major strength for the Blue Devils this year. They may not have the star power they've had the last two seasons with back-to-back National Player of the Year winners in Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer, but the all-around depth is going to be difficult to compete with.
Duke started practice this week as prep begins for the season. We're just over a week away from the Countdown to Craziness event and now under two weeks away from Duke's preseason opener against Belmont at Cameron on October 8th.
Now's as good a time as any to take a crack at projecting the starting lineup and rotation.
Backcourt:
Starters: Caleb Foster, John Blackwell
Rotation: Cayden Boozer, Deron Rippey Jr.
Blackwell's spot in the starting five is secured, but there's legitimate competition going on between Foster and Boozer to start next to him. Foster has the experience edge, but Boozer is the superior facilitator and played really well for Duke down the stretch last season when Foster was hurt.
Both will play significant minutes regardless. Rippey, the 5-star freshman, will be an energizer bunny off the bench. Duke's backcourt looks much improved from a year ago and could be one of the best in the entire country.
Wing:
Starter: Dame Sarr
Rotation: Sebastian Wilkins or Bryson Howard
Sarr could be one of college basketball's breakout stars this year. The 3-and-D wing has put in the work this offseason to transform his body and grow as a shooter. He hit 32% of his three-point attempts as a freshman. If he can creep that number close to 40% as a sophomore, he'll be one of the most valuable wings in the country.
Behind him, it's tough to see minutes for both Wilkins and Howard. Wilkins took a redshirt last season, but the 6-foot-8 wing has the potential to carve out a role this year. To do so, he'll have to hold off Howard, another talented 5-star freshman.
Duke will likely play some three-guard lineups this year with the talent they have in the backcourt. They also may play some three-big lineups with Cameron Williams slotting down to the three to give the Blue Devils some major matchup advantages. That will eat into the available minutes for Wilkins and Howard off the bench.
Frontcourt:
Starters: Patrick Ngongba II, Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje
Rotation: Cameron Williams, Drew Scharnowski
Ngongba is one of the most impactful centers in the country, and Duke added a heck of an insurance policy for him with the Belmont transfer Scharnowski. Ngongba's injury late last season was tough for Duke to deal with, forcing Boozer to play out of position. This year, Scharnowski can handle those minutes when Ngongba can't go.
At the other spot, two 5-star freshmen will compete for the job. Williams was seen as the early favorite, but Boumtje Boumtje's brilliant summer has him in position to earn the role. Both will play hefty roles as freshmen, regardless of how the starting spot works out.
Duke also has 4-star freshman Maxime Meyer, who could play some minutes in a pinch. The expectation is that he's a developmental prospect who will spend most of his first season on the bench as he develops.
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